Photos

While most Japanese and guide books will tell you there is nothing of interest in Toyama but industry, they are not completely correct. There's the Azumi Castle (Toyama Castle) and observation tower which make Toyama City a good place to spend an afternoon and the mountains in the Toyama countryside look like they'd be great for hiking in the warmer months.

This photo was taken from the observation tower and shows something I have seen in just about every Japanese city. The city spreads out until it hits a mountain range where all building stops. Due to earthquakes, the mountains are unstable places to build upon. It does make a nice natural break and a place for trees in what would otherwise be urban sprawl as far as the eye can see.

I have an HDR image of the tower on TrekLens.

the recent history of Toyama City from the Official Toyama City web site (http://www7.city.toyama.toyama.jp/english/about_toyama.html)
After the Meiji Restoration, heavy and chemical industries developed in Toyama, based on abundant electricity which was generated in some hydro power stations in the mountains near-by. Although the streets of Toyama were devastated by an air raid in August 1945, Toyama has become one of the most influential cities on the Japan Sea side with its good water supply, drainage system and thriving agricultural, forestry, fishery, commercial and manufacturing industries. In 1996, it was designated as a “core city” and in April 2005, Toyama City and its six neighboring towns and villages were incorporated into the new “Toyama City”