5 November 2026
Glassy canals and castles
Kansui Park and Toyama glass art museum
The dreaded rest day, rain was forecast, but since I am not on a 20 km hike along the ridge of a slippery mountain, clear blue sky, typical.
Since it was supposed to be raining I actually had no plans, but then I found out about Kansui park, famous for its Starbucks (seriously), so this was my first stop and it was good.
There is a canal and lock system, numerous bridges to climb up with observation decks, ducks, boats, public toilets, everything you could ask for.
After measuring the full circumference, it was time to head to what is the main tourist attraction in all of Toyama!
The Toyama glass art museum is right in the centre of the dead part of town. It is $2 to get in. Bizarrely there is a paid exhibition too, Finnish sauna lifestyle (seriously!). What do old nude people in Finland have to do with glass art? Since it was $10 to get in to see nude drunk elderly Finns, I will never know. As for the glass museum, it is 2 rooms, one of which seems to be artists trying to sell glass bowls where you cannot take photos. The building is nice, and to be honest, the 2 big glass installations were great.
Today's 7am loudspeaker political address is very well attended as usual.
Not a train museum, I already did that in Niigata, but a train none the less.
Time to explore the canal, I was greeted by a team of people cleaning the fountain with high pressure water jets.
That bridge looks very enticing, I broke into a jog.
First I will examine the underside of the bridge, it seems to be up to code.
You can go on special canal boats to experience the historic locks. I will not as it costs money and that does not comply with my ascetic mantra.
The canal continues far into the distance. If I lived here, I would probably run along it at night.
Not the main bridge, but still a nice bridge.
I ascended a bridge tower. I can see everything from up here.
I can even see all the big mountains in the distance. Nice twilight.
Back in the centre of town, and it was time to appreciate the very rare white shrine. Brown and red are much more popular, although gold is also a thing.
Inside of the glass museum, and it is also a library, cafe, gift shop and bank.
The view down from the top was great.
Giant glass balls!
Also, glass other things, some of which are also balls. These two installations were about the extent of the glass museum, but both were very impressive.
Since it was still quite early, it was time to go re-appreciate the castle in full near my hotel. It has an entry fee for a stamp exhibition, so I did not go in.
Instead, I took the time under clear blue sky to appreciate whatever this is.
The garden area was quite nice, but the gardeners were getting in the way of all my photos, so this is the best I could do.
That is enough photos for a rest day.