This guide covers the JR Takayama Line from Toyama Station to Etchu-Yatsuo Station, the Yatsuo Hikiyama Exhibition Hall, the Washi Bunko paper museum and paper-making at Keijusha, the town as a Meiji-era gazetteer saw it, and the Owara Kaze-no-Bon Festival dates. It is an Etchu-Yatsuo day trip that stays inside the town from arrival to departure. For a base in the city, see places to stay in Toyama.
Getting to Etchu-Yatsuo from Toyama Station
The JR Takayama Line from Toyama Station is the way in, and the ride to Etchu-Yatsuo Station is short enough to leave the whole morning ahead of you. From the platform, choose between a walk into the old town and a short ride on the Toyama City community bus Yatsuo Loop Line (counterclockwise) to the Hikiyama Tenjikan-mae stop.
Walking from Etchu-Yatsuo Station to the center of the old town takes about half an hour. The loop bus is the faster way in and leaves you at the Hikiyama Tenjikan-mae stop, the natural starting point for the exhibition hall. The steps and times are set out below.
- From Toyama Station, ride the JR Takayama Line and get off at Etchu-Yatsuo Station after about 25 minutes.
- From Etchu-Yatsuo Station, walk about 30 minutes to the center of the old town.
- Or take the Toyama City community bus Yatsuo Loop Line (counterclockwise) from Etchu-Yatsuo Station to the Hikiyama Tenjikan-mae stop, about 8 minutes.
| Segment | Time |
|---|---|
| Toyama Station to Etchu-Yatsuo Station, JR Takayama Line | about 25 minutes |
| Etchu-Yatsuo Station to the center of the old town, on foot | about 30 minutes |
| Etchu-Yatsuo Station to the Hikiyama Tenjikan-mae stop, Toyama City community bus Yatsuo Loop Line (counterclockwise) | about 8 minutes |
Yatsuo Hikiyama Exhibition Hall
Yatsuo Hikiyama Exhibition Hall is the first stop for anyone arriving on the loop bus, which sets you down at the Hikiyama Tenjikan-mae stop. Admission is charged at an adult rate and at a child rate that covers high school students and under. The hall opens in the morning, with admission ending shortly before closing time.
The closure to plan around is the year-end and New Year period, when the hall is closed. Toyama City's own listing for the hall gives the same adult and child admission. Pair the hall with the paper museum later in the day, and check the dates in the table if you travel in winter.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Admission | 500 yen for adults; 300 yen for children (high school students and under) |
| Opening hours | 9:00 to 17:00, with admission until 16:30 |
| Closed | December 29 to January 3 (year-end and New Year period) |
Where to stay
Places to stay near Toyama, Toyama →
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Keijusha: Washi Paper Museum and Paper-Making
Keijusha is where the washi side of the town becomes something you can touch. The Washi Bunko paper museum stands next to Keijusha. It is about half an hour on foot from Etchu-Yatsuo Station. Keijusha itself runs a paper-making experience on weekdays, so the museum and the experience make a single visit.
Admission to the Washi Bunko is priced for adults and for elementary and junior high school students. The museum is open from mid-morning until late afternoon, and admission ends before closing. Allow unhurried time here before you move on to the paper-making or back to the streets.
The paper-making experience is held Monday to Friday, with a morning slot and an afternoon slot. The fee is listed below, and you reserve in advance rather than turning up on the day. If your visit is on a weekend, the experience will not be running, and a weekday puts it within reach.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Washi Bunko admission, adults | 550 yen |
| Washi Bunko admission, elementary and junior high school students | 275 yen |
| Washi Bunko opening hours | 10:00 to 17:00, with admission until 16:30 |
| Paper-making experience fee | 770 yen (reserve in advance) |
| Paper-making experience days and times | Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 16:00 |
Yatsuo in the Meiji Era
A Meiji-era gazetteer places Yatsuo south of the castle town of Toyama, on a branch of the Hida Kaido highway, and describes it as a post town on that road. Walk the center of the old town with that in mind, and the streets read as a stage on an inland route.
The same gazetteer notes that in the Meiji period Yatsuo ranked among the largest towns in the southern part of Nei district, and that its streets had the lively air of a merchant town. Keep that description in mind as you pass the wooden townhouses along the main street.
Silk reeling was the leading industry, the gazetteer records, with many silk mills inside the town, and it lists silkworm eggs, washi, and persimmons as the other main products. Washi is on that list, and a stop at the Washi Bunko is the place to see the material itself.
The Owara Kaze-no-Bon Festival
The Owara Kaze-no-Bon Festival is held at the start of September, and its listed opening hours run into the night on each of the three days. If your visit is meant to coincide with it, the dates and times below are the ones to plan around.
The Kyoen-kai is an indoor performance given in a first part and a second part, with a charge per seat. For context on what you are seeing, the Etchu-Yatsuo Kaze-no-Annaibito volunteer guide service is arranged per guide, as a rule in units of ten people. It operates during the daytime.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Opening hours | September 1 and 2, 17:00 to 23:00; September 3, 19:00 to 23:00 |
| Kyoen-kai indoor performance | first part 18:00 to 19:00, second part 19:20 to 20:20 |
| Kyoen-kai seat | 4,000 yen per seat |
| Etchu-Yatsuo Kaze-no-Annaibito volunteer guide | 2,000 yen per guide (as a rule, in units of 10 people) |
| Volunteer guide service hours | 9:00 to 16:00 |
A Day Inside Yatsuo
Ride the loop bus from Etchu-Yatsuo Station to the Hikiyama Tenjikan-mae stop first thing. The exhibition hall opens at nine in the morning, so an early start from Toyama Station means you can be inside as the doors open. The paper museum opens at ten, so the hall comes first and the Washi Bunko second.
On a weekday, the paper-making experience at Keijusha has a morning slot and an afternoon slot. Reserve ahead, and decide before you leave Toyama whether paper-making is part of the day. The afternoon slot pairs well with the museum, since the Washi Bunko is open from mid-morning.
If you prefer to come in on foot, the walk from Etchu-Yatsuo Station to the center of the old town is about half an hour and sets the pace for the rest of the day. With the hall, the museum, and the streets, the town fills a day without leaving it. If you want to stay in the city the night before or after, see places to stay in Toyama.