Fugan Canal Kansui Park

Fugan Unga Kansui Park is a beautifully designed waterside park in the centre of Toyama City, laid out along the historic Fugan Canal that once carried freight between the city and its port. Reimagined as a green urban space, the park has become one of Toyama's most beloved gathering places and a symbol of the city's modern, water-and-mountains identity, combining tranquil canal views, wide lawns, elegant bridges and, on clear days, a backdrop of the snow-capped Tateyama mountains rising beyond the water.

The park's most famous feature is its lakeside Starbucks, a glass-walled café that opens onto the canal and has repeatedly been named one of the most beautiful branches in the world. Sitting there with a coffee as the water reflects the sky, with the mountains in the distance and, in the evening, the illuminations glittering on the surface, is a quintessential Toyama pleasure and a magnet for visitors and photographers alike. But the café is only one part of a thoughtfully composed landscape. A graceful pedestrian bridge, the Tenmon-kyo, arches over the canal and frames views in both directions, while fountains and water features play along the banks and are lit after dark, turning the park into a romantic evening destination.

The design carefully weaves together the everyday and the scenic. Broad lawns invite picnics and play, cyclists and joggers use the waterside paths, and families spread out on sunny afternoons, while the canal itself can be explored on small sightseeing boats that link the park to the Iwase district near the old port, retracing the historic freight route. The park changes character with the seasons: cherry trees blossom along the banks in spring, fresh green shades the lawns in summer, and autumn brings warm colour, while the evening light-ups and, in winter, occasional snow give it year-round appeal.

What makes Kansui Park special is how it captures the spirit of contemporary Toyama, a city that has invested heavily in liveability, compact transport and its spectacular natural setting between the mountains and the sea. The park sits within a short stroll of the station and the city's museums and shopping, so it is easy to fold into a wider visit, and its combination of design, water and mountain views rewards even a brief stop. It is equally suited to a relaxed coffee, an evening walk beneath the illuminations, or a lazy afternoon on the grass.

Access could hardly be easier. The park is about a 10-minute walk north of Toyama Station, itself a stop on the Hokuriku Shinkansen roughly two hours from Tokyo, and the city's tram network stops nearby. Whether you come for the celebrated canalside café, the mountain-framed views across the water, or simply a peaceful green break in the heart of the city, Fugan Canal Kansui Park distils the relaxed, scenic charm of Toyama into one elegant riverside space.