Japanese History Spotlight: What is the Venice of the East?

Toyama’s nickname as “The Venice of the East” goes beyond a pretty view. It reflects centuries of Japanese history, when this quiet city on the Japan Sea coast grew up around rivers, canals, trade routes, and a unique medical industry that sent traveling sellers across the country.

Today, Toyama still feels like a city shaped by water, where boats once carried goods and fortune into town and where riverside walks and canal cruises hint at its fascinating past, making it an interesting place to visit outside of Tokyo.

Where is Toyama? 

Toyama lies at the base of the Tateyama Mountain Range, part of Japan’s Northern Alps. From these snow-covered peaks, clear meltwater runs down into seven rivers that cross the city from south to north before flowing into Toyama Bay. Over time, people built canals to connect these rivers and to make transport easier, creating a network of waterways that earned Toyama its “water city” reputation, and eventually the nickname “The Venice of the East.”

During the Edo period, the Matsukawa River in central Toyama was much wider and busier than it is today. It served as an important channel for carrying rice, lumber, and other goods, with warehouses and merchant homes lining its banks. Boats would move silently up and down the river, turning it into a liquid highway at a time when overland travel was slow and difficult. Even though the river is narrower now, the walking paths and bridges that follow it still give a glimpse into that watery past.

Toyama Domain and the rise of medicine

Toyama’s story in Japanese history is not just about water but also about medicine. In 1639, the Toyama Domain split from the powerful Kaga Domain and soon faced financial problems. To strengthen the local economy, the second lord, Maeda Masatoshi, encouraged the development of medicine production as a key industry.

According to local records, Maeda once gave a stomach medicine called hangontan to a fellow lord suffering from severe stomach pain at Edo Castle. The medicine worked so well that word spread throughout Edo (present-day Tokyo), making “Ecchu-Toyama’s medicine” famous across Japan. This led to the creation of the Toyama baiyaku system, in which medicine sellers traveled around the country, leaving boxes of medicine in homes and only charging later for what families actually used.

These traveling sellers often moved along coastal and river routes, further tying Toyama’s fortunes to its waterways. The wealth from the pharmaceutical trade helped the domain survive and laid the foundation for Toyama’s modern pharmaceutical industry, which still ranks among the top in Japan today.

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From medicine bottles to glass art

Toyama’s connection to medicine also sparked another chapter in its Japanese history: glassmaking. In the Meiji (1868-1912) and Taisho (1912-1926) periods, the city became a major center for the production of glass medicine bottles, reinforcing its role as a “city of medicine.” Factories churned out clear containers that would be shipped across Japan, again often using sea and river routes to move goods efficiently.

Over time, the skills of these glassworkers evolved from purely practical production to more artistic creations. Today, Toyama is known for “Toyama glass,” which ranges from finely crafted tableware to large-scale art pieces. The Toyama Glass Art Museum, attached to the city’s public library, now showcases contemporary glass works from Japan and abroad in a striking modern building. In this way, trade, water, and craft all remain linked in the city’s identity.

How is Toyama today? 

Modern Toyama keeps its “Venice of the East” feel alive with carefully preserved waterfront spaces and canal cruises. One of the most famous spots is Fugan Canal Kansui Park, a wide-open green area just a short walk from Toyama Station. Here, a broad canal reflects the sky and the graceful Tenmon-kyo Bridge, with the Tateyama mountains in the distance on clear days.

From Kansui Park, visitors can board cruise boats that glide down the canal toward the historic port town of Iwase at the mouth of the Jinzu River. Along the way, they pass through the Nakajima Lock, which works like a mini Panama Canal by raising and lowering boats about 2.5 meters between water levels. This small engineering marvel is a reminder that Toyama’s relationship with water is not just scenic but also practical and clever.

At Iwase, you can visit old merchant houses such as the Former Baba Family Residence, which belonged to shipping agents who made fortunes through the Kitamaebune coastal trade during the Edo and Meiji periods. Here, long indoor corridors, sturdy beams, and traditional design show how seafaring merchants once lived and worked, connecting Toyama to ports all along the Sea of Japan.

Trams, rivers, and a walkable water city

While Toyama’s rivers and canals create its “Venice” image, its modern trams make the city especially easy to explore. Light rail lines like the Portram link the port area back to Toyama Station, making it simple to combine a river cruise with a stroll through downtown streets and riverside parks.

Along the Matsukawa River, sightseeing boats offer short cruises in spring and autumn, when cherry blossoms or autumn leaves turn the banks into tunnels of color. In summer, the paths are shaded and quiet, inviting slow walks that reveal historical markers and old shopfronts connected to the city’s past in medicine and trade. Everywhere you go, water is nearby, flowing gently at your side or glittering under bridges.

Toyama’s place in Japanese history

Toyama might not be as famous as Kyoto or Tokyo, but its nickname “The Venice of the East” reflects a deep, layered Japanese history that blends environment, economy, and culture. Its rivers and canals made it a natural hub for regional trade. It’s clever that domain leaders turned medicine into an economic lifeline. Its glass and pharmacies grew from practical needs into celebrated crafts and museums.

Today, when you stand on a bridge in Toyama and watch the water pass beneath you, you are looking at the same currents that once carried rice, medicine, and stories through the city. Canal cruises, glass art galleries, and preserved merchant homes are not just tourist attractions; they are living reminders of how a quiet “water city” carved out its own place in Japan’s long, flowing history. Have you ever been to this city, or do you have any recommendations? Let us know in the comments below!