The museum has a range of glass-based exhibits on display (Photo: Asturio Cantabrio / CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Wandering Through the Toyama Glass Art Museum

Beautiful glass art pieces in a beautiful building

Glass is a unique medium for artistic expression, and an art form which has been around for some time. The earliest evidence of glass art dates back to the 2nd millennium BC in what is now Iran, and it has evolved into all kinds of pieces, from stained glass windows to glass sculptures, jewelry, and more. In Toyama Prefecture, visitors are able to enjoy a wide array of impressive glass pieces (in an equally as impressive building) at the Toyama Glass Art Museum.

Interestingly, Toyama City has fostered glass art for many years. The Toyama Institute of Glass Art (TIGA) was created in 1991 as the first educational institution specializing in this art form. A number of pieces at the museum are in fact made by artists who studied locally.

When it comes to the museum's attractions, one of the biggest draw cards is the Glass Art Garden located on the sixth floor. There are a number of permanent pieces in this display from American glass art master Dale Chihuly, who is often regarded as one of the world's top glass artists, including his works "Toyama Mille Fiori" and "Toyama Float Boat".

The museum also has an on-site cafe serving up a range of eats and drinks, and a shop selling unique souvenirs. Regular admission to the permanent exhibits is only 200 yen for adults, and admission fees for the special exhibits vary -- but the details are posted on the museum's website in advance.

Getting there

By Public Transportation

From Toyama Station, take the City Loop Line Tram and get off at Grand Plaza-Mae Station. From there, the Toyama Glass Art Museum is approximately two minutes away on foot.

By Private Vehicle

If you drive to the venue, it's approximately twenty minutes from the Toyama Interchange on the Hokuriku Expressway. The museum doesn't have dedicated parking, but there are a number of parking lots in the area located a short walk away. Information on nearby municipal parking lots can be found at the following link (in Japanese).

More info

Find out more about Toyama City Glass Museum.

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Sleiman Azizi a year ago
You got to hand it to Japan. They certainly do come up with some interesting architectural designs...
Sander van Werkhoven 4 years ago
Toyama might not be the most interesting city in Japan (close neighbor Takaoka is a lot nicer), but this museum is well worth a visit! The permanent exhibition truly stretches your ideas of what is possible with glass, and the special exhibition at the time was nice too.
Elena Lisina 4 years ago
Beautiful interior and I bet the exhibits are beautiful, too! Glass is quite popular in Japan, but I haven't visited any glass museum yet.
Kim Author 4 years ago
It's a very unique design!

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