Qieshan Magazine Issue 27: One City a Day: Hokuriku Time Travel

Qieshan Magazine Issue 27: "One City a Day: Hokuriku Time Travel" As the world rapidly changes and the pandemic presents unprecedented challenges, life inevitably moves forward. In the spring of 2020, we gathered our experiences from a visit to Toyama Prefecture in 2019. We transformed our passion for travel into words and images, allowing you, our reader, to momentarily ease the longing for travel through a scenic photograph or a craftsman's words. Located in the Chubu region of Honshu, along the coast of the Sea of Japan, Toyama Prefecture is geographically divided by the Kureha Hills into two areas: Nishi (West) and Higashi (East). The six cities in the western half—Takaoka, Imizu, Himi, Tonami, Oyabe, and Nanto—showcase a harmonious coexistence between people and nature. The deeper you venture, the more discoveries await at every turn. In the latter half of 2019, the Qieshan editorial team visited the six cities of Nishi Toyama, embarking on our first "One City a Day" project. Over the course of a week, we experienced the varying paces of travel, from planes and Shinkansen bullet trains to local railways, ferries, and walking. We savored the ocean's bounty with fishermen in Himi; admired the timeless craftsmanship of Takaoka's casting industry; embraced the spirit of the port city of Imizu, Japan's Venice; reveled in the sea of flowers in Tonami; experienced the wisdom of coexisting with nature in the Gassho-zukuri villages of Nanto; and witnessed the scenic beauty of Hokuriku just before winter's arrival. Extending beyond the most popular tourist destinations, we sought to understand the essence of each city by visiting locals, exploring hidden neighborhood shops, and tasting regional cuisine. Qieshan endeavors to find extraordinary moments within the ordinary landscapes of Toyama, assuring you, as you travel through our pages, that our passions remain undimmed.