Toyama City selected as one of the "52 places to go" by the NY Times - Noto gateway and locally loved stores are evaluated
On January 7, 2025, the New York Times (electronic edition) released its annual world travel feature, "52 Places to Visit in 2025." From Japan, Toyama City was selected as number 30 and Osaka City as number 38. (Photo: A tram operating in downtown Toyama)
The New York Times' "52 Places to Go," which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, emphasizes the perspective of "Why should you visit this year?" and the selection criteria take into account factors such as avoiding overtourism areas and recovering from disasters.
Toyama City was selected because of the stay of Greg Mod, an American photographer who has lived in Japan for 20 years and writes for the New York Times. He stayed in Toyama City, where he stayed as a base when he visited the Noto Peninsula. In this context, Toyama City was positioned as the gateway to the Noto Peninsula, and the charm of the city was introduced by experiencing culture, nature, and local gourmet.
In Toyama City, well-known contents such as the "Toyama City Glass Art Museum" designed by Kengo Kuma and the "Owara Kaze no Bon Festival" to be held in Yao Town in early September attracted attention, while stores that are not well promoted for tourists, such as gourmet food, cafes, izakayas, and jazz cafes loved by citizens, were especially evaluated ( Articles by Greg Mod ）。
In Osaka City, which was selected as the 38th place, the Osaka-Kansai Expo, which will be held from April 2025, and the Grand Green Osaka, a complex on the north side of JR Osaka Station that opened last year, are featured as hot spots.
The Toyama City Tourism Division commented, "We are satisfied and very happy that the charm of the store, which is loved by the citizens, has been recognized."
In response to the election of Osaka City, Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura said, "The number of visitors from overseas will increase."
In the New York Times' "52 places to go", Morioka City was selected as the third place in 2023 and Yamaguchi City in 2024.
