Drinking Coffee, the Journey Finally Catches Up with Me | A Visit to Toyama During the Long Holiday (May 2026)

The next morning, I left the hotel and arrived at Fugan Unga Kansui Park before 10 a.m.

It was a clear, sunny day typical of the long holiday.
After parking the car and stepping outside, I felt that although the sunlight was strong, the breeze felt a bit cool.

Until the day before, I had been driving along the coast, switching to trains, and then back to the car.
It was a trip with a lot of travel.

But this morning felt a little different.

I think the feeling of "I want to stop here for a while" was stronger than "where to go next."

In this article, I will write about the time I spent at Fugan Unga Kansui Park, which felt like a "margin" in my journey.

☕ There were snow-capped mountains behind the city

When I entered the park, the air by the water felt cooler than I had expected.

I walked near the Tenmon-kyo Bridge and looked out over the canal.

Beyond it was Toyama city.
And further back, the Tateyama Mountain Range with its remaining white snow.

"They really are close."

Those words escaped my lips unintentionally.

The Tateyama Mountain Range I saw from Amaharashi Coast the day before
was "scenery across the sea."

But this day was different.

There were snow-capped mountains just sitting behind the city.
That sense of distance felt mysterious.

The mountains, which were a special sight when viewed across the sea, existed quietly as a backdrop to the city.
I felt like I had finally realized that I had come to Toyama.

☕ The higher you climb, the closer the city and mountains become

I went up to the top floor of the Tenmon-kyo Bridge.

The wind became a little stronger, and the surface of the canal was swaying slowly.

Looking down from above, the distance between Toyama city and the Tateyama mountain range feels even closer.

My child walks ahead, looking at the scenery and then looking in another direction.

We stood still, gazing at the mountains for a while.

Even though we are at a tourist destination, there is no sense of needing to do anything.

Time just passes by as we watch the scenery.

The feeling of constant travel from the previous days seemed to slowly drain from my body.

☕ Time spent at the world's most beautiful Starbucks

After walking around the park, we headed to Starbucks. It is a place known as the "world's most beautiful Starbucks."

There were many people visiting as a tourist spot, and the inside of the store was quite busy.

Even so, strangely, there was no sense of being in a rush.

Including the waiting time, there is a feeling that time is flowing slowly.

I received my coffee and sat down at a seat in the store.

The surface of the canal. People walking. People crossing the bridge. The snow-capped mountains visible beyond that.

It felt less like a place to drink coffee and more like a place to settle into the rhythm of the trip.

While waiting, my child seemed to be enjoying the place in their own way, walking toward the park and coming back.

Even though each member of the family was spending time separately, there was a sense that we were sharing the atmosphere of the same place.

☕ The trip needed time to stand still

This trip began with driving through the night.

Driving while worrying about making it in time for sunrise, switching to a train to avoid traffic jams, and moving again.

Even though it was supposed to be a trip to see the scenery, I feel like my focus was on "moving" until halfway through.

However, as we paused at Fugan Unga Kansui Park, I felt like we had finally stepped into the scenery ourselves.

I think a journey requires not just time spent moving, but also time spent standing still.

It is not just about "seeing" the scenery, but spending time resting your body in that place.

Perhaps the time spent simply gazing at the mountains while drinking coffee is what stays with you longer in the end.

☕ Spending time at each of our own paces

Before I knew it, almost none of the fatigue from the previous day remained.

The breeze was cool, the air by the water was quiet, and it felt as if it were restoring my body.

The children walked around freely, and we drank coffee while looking at the view.

Rather than moving to match someone else, we each spent our time at our own pace.

There are many scenes from the trip to Toyama that left an impression on me.

But this morning air, with the snow-capped mountains spreading out behind the city, seems like it will be one of them.

(To be continued)