Still buried in winter chills? After surviving a prolonged blazing summer last year that stretched till October, who would have known that the following winter could face snowstorms blasting across Aomori, Niigata, and most of Tohoku, Tokai, and Chugoku regions?

My year-end holiday in 2024 was not intended to be a snowy sojourn, but alas, the streets of Toyama City were covered in milky white during the last days of December. Toyama is one of the most underestimated gems in Japan, located along the coast of the Sea of Japan, northwest of Tokyo. Proud of its rich history since the Sengoku era, the region has prospered tremendously throughout the years, thanks to developed heavy and chemical industries. Glass is one of its most prominent productions. Toyama also boasts of two, among many more, major museums—Toyama Glass Art Museum designed by Kengo Kuma, and Toyama Prefectural Museum of Art and Design by architect Hiroshi Naito.

Iwase was established about 140-250 years ago through the Kitamaebune (northbound ship) trade; hence, much of its ancient history and culture have remained intact. The neighborhood between Iwaseshima and Higashi Iwase, around the vicinity of Iwase Omachi and Shinkawa-cho Streets, is lined with historic buildings, feeling very much like rustic Kyoto.

Despite the continuous snowfall and frosty winds that made walking and photographing a bit difficult, I chanced upon a few of such preserved buildings, like the Kitamaebune merchant ship owner’s residence called Mori House (1878), Masuda Saké Brewery (year 26), Shogetsu restaurant (1911), Former Baba Family Residence (1603-1868), and more spread-out aged structures.