Uozu魚津

Mirages show over Toyama Bay from mid-March to early June, most often in April and May. On a good day a layer of warm air over cold water bends the light and the far shore looks stretched or turned upside down. Seeing one is said to bring good luck.

Watch from the designated viewing point on Shinkiro Road (しんきろうロード), the coast road from Uozu Port toward Kyōden, from the observation deck at the Buried Forest Museum, or from the car park at Umi-no-Eki Shinkiro (海の駅 蜃気楼). The usual window is late morning to about 16:00 on a warm, clear, calm day, with air above about 18 °C. Uozu city posts a forecast, and the museum’s website links live cameras.

The numbers differ by source. The prefecture’s guide counts about 20 appearances along the Uozu coast in a season; tourism media say only about five a year are clear to the naked eye. Treat a mirage as a bonus. This one was photographed in winter, so spring is the main season but not the only one.

If you want to see the phenomenon whatever the weather, the High-Vision Theater at the Buried Forest Museum shows mirage footage on a 300-inch screen: two 10-minute films every 30 minutes, with English subtitles on request.

The cedar forest was buried when river overflow and rising seas covered it about 2,000 years ago. Giant preserved roots stand in water in the exhibition hall, and there is a café. Entry is ¥640 for adults and ¥260 for children. Open 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30), closed on Thursdays from 15 December to March and over New Year. Parking is free for 100 cars and 6 buses.

The oldest aquarium still operating in Japan, with about 330 species and 10,000 animals, themed from Alpine streams to the deep Sea of Japan: Toyama Bay’s big tank, a deep-sea corner, seals, penguins and a touch pool. Entry is ¥1,000 for high school and over, ¥500 for elementary and junior high, ¥200 for ages 3 and up. Open 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30). It closes on Mondays from 1 December to 15 March and from 29 December to 1 January.

The fish show runs at 10:30, 13:15 and 14:45, seal feeding at 10:45 and 14:15, penguin feeding at 11:15 and 15:15, and the Toyama Bay tank feeding at 11:00 and 14:00 (times shift).

Seven tatemon, poles about 16 m high hung with lanterns (90 on each, in the prefecture’s guide), are pulled through town to pray for a good catch and safe sailing. It is on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. In 2026 it was on 7 and 8 August, with evening hours of about 20:30–23:00 and a sea fireworks display on the 8th. It falls on the first Friday and Saturday of August, so expect 6 and 7 August 2027; confirm with the Uozu Chamber of Commerce (0765-22-1200). Rain cancels.