Panytourism_Tourism magazine
The Japanese archipelago is rich in beautiful beaches and bays. Some natural wonders are really worth seeing, including Toyama Bay, wich is considered one of the most beautiful bays in the world and is located on the northern coast of Honshu.
Toyama is one of the three largest bays in Japan and this province is equidistant from Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka. The unique conditions of the bay and the combination of cold and warm currents allow a wide variety of sea fish and famous quality food to be found here.
Toyama Bay is actually a natural fish tank. Many people ouside of Japan probably name Toyama Bay They haven’t heard of or even don’t know exactly where is, but ocean enthusiasts who have heard of it associate Toyama with big and small squids. Footage of a 10-meter-long giant squid filmed by Diving Shop Kaiyu in Toyama Bay during Chrismats 2015 has gone viral globally. Such sightings are rare, but this type of squid appears in this bay on average once a year.
In the nights of April every year, the water of this bay is made clear by small squids about ten centimeters called the firefly squid (Hotaru Ika). The firefly squid rises to the surface and leaves behind a sublime show. These fish emit blue light along their tentacles and around their eyes. Their shiny bodies turn bright blue when spawning and are carried near the shoreline by ocean surface waves.
This causes the coastlines to be covered in blue light at night, a scene that attracts many people every year for this special and mystical encounter. However, squids are not the only attraction of Toyama; The ocean here is unique. This type of fish usually stays in deep water during the day and floats to the surface of the sea to feed at night. Local fishermen in Japan go fishing early in the morning and this fish is considered one of the popular foods of the local people. The lifespan of a squid is relatively short, usually one year. The spawning season of this fish starts from March and May.
The beauty of Toyoma with the Japanese Alps
One of the prominent maritime features of Toyama Bay is its sloping land. Toyama Bay is 1,200 meters deep and this depth can be seen at a short distance from the shore. The sea floor of this bay is full of strange creatures, living in the cold and dark depths. Due to its proximity to the harbor, the bay is like a fish tank for local fishermen. Some species, such as velvety broad shrimp and firefly squid, can only be caught here and are considered local delicacies. Red crabs and yellow fish are also the most popular types of seafood here.
In front of this bay, the mountainous terrain that is part of the Japanese Alps and the snow-capped mountain ranges on a clear winter day bring a magnificent variety of scenery and thrill any viewer. You will see the Tatayama Mountains behind Toyama Bay, and the snow that falls on these 3,000m mountains eventually melts and becomes part of the seven rivers that flow into Toyama Bay.
The name of this mountain appears in the oldest collection of Japanese poems. Pouring fresh water into ocean water creates a salty water, resulting in blurred vision near the surface. However, this mixture of nutrients indicates that the bay has a fertile marine environment. This bay consists of 3 separate layers of water, near the shore there is river water rich in plankton, and a surface current of warm water up to a depth of 300 meters is located above another layer of sea water, which remains for about 2 years. stayed This diverse environment has fostered abundant marine resources, and out of 800 species in the Sea of Japan, 500 species can be found in Toyama Bay, which has earned the bay the title of “Natural Fish Reservoir”.
Biodiversity here is exceptional and unique. Bioluminescent mirages and firefish along the shore are just a few of the mysterious phenomena you can discover here.
Beneath the waters of this bay, there is also a 10,000-year-old sunken forest, which has been delayed by the large volume of fresh water that rises from the bottom of the bay. Toyama is recognized worldwide as the capital of the pharmaceutical industry and plans to continue its development as a top manufacturing province by promoting new products and technologies through partnerships with business, academia and government.
