ToyamaTravel

Walk Through the Imposing Earthen-Walled Townscape and Rest at a Retro Café

About this spot

A succession of fireproof earthen-walled merchant houses that preserve Takaoka's historical prosperity to this day. Designated as a nationally Important Preservation District for Groups of Historic Buildings, the street features black earthen plaster walls, heavy tile roofs, and red-brick Western-style architecture interspersed throughout—a scene worth taking in with every step. Several historic spots such as the Kanno Family Residence showcase the lifestyles of wealthy merchants. With increasing numbers of cafés and shops housed in converted old merchant buildings, you can enjoy town exploration punctuated with rest breaks.

Tips

The street is flat and easy to walk on, though viewing facilities within buildings often have many steps due to their structural nature. Entry to exhibitions inside earthen-walled buildings typically costs just a few hundred yen. As a town that has preserved festival floats, there is a nearby hall where floats are displayed.