[Toyama] Experience a planned trip to taste Toyama's local specialties, including the now-popular tent saunas!

What is TRAPOL's Kyari-tabi?

For this special trip, energetic people gathered in Toyama with the theme of "Travel x Career"!

As guest participants, we welcomed Ryo Osera, co-founder of the travel subscription service "HafH," and Minao Shimizu, CEO of TABIPPO Co., Ltd.

Here's a look at a fulfilling 27 hours spent with local friends dedicated to loving and revitalizing Toyama.

Introducing the sights and sounds of "Cali-Tabi" in Toyama

Local Activities to Choose From in Toyama

On the "Career Journey," you were able to choose your preferred experience content in advance.

All of these experiences allow you to truly feel Toyama.

Crafting a One-of-a-Kind Sake Cup

With local friends Taku and Shushu, we made guinomi (sake cups) at the Takaoka Local Industry Promotion Center.

The process leading up to the finished product was full of unexpected marvels, making each step exciting. And incredibly, after the experience, we even toasted with the sake cups we made!

Indigo Dyeing Experience and Satoyama Stroll

We experienced dyeing patterns onto handkerchiefs and tenugui with Ayumi Nanbu from the indigo dyeing shop aiya, who is committed to using local cultivation for their raw materials. To begin, we learned all about indigo by actually touring the factory.

Everyone was completely engrossed in creating patterns with strings and marbles.

Later, a beautifully dyed handkerchief arrived.

Furthermore, I explored the satoyama with Mr. Nanbu, who knows the area well. I chatted with the local elderly folks and we all watched the sunset together.

It was a special moment unique to TRAPOL's curated trips, where you can leisurely enjoy the "white space" of your journey.

Experience the ultimate tent sauna in the great outdoors.

On the second day, I experienced a tent sauna with video creator Yuto. After feeling refreshed under the clear sky, I dived into the river right in front of me!

It is said that he had a deep conversation with Yuuto, a local video creator and friend, inside the sauna.

White Shrimp Fishing Ground Tour

Together with fisherman Mr. Nawa, we were able to observe the fishing grounds for white shrimp, which are rare in the world.

Once gathered, we headed out to sea by boat. Against the backdrop of Toyama's natural beauty, we listened to explanations about the fishing grounds and Mr. Nawai's initiatives.

After returning to land, I peeled and ate the white shrimp!

Peeling the white shrimp was surprisingly difficult, and everyone struggled. However, there were some who possessed almost divine speed. We then enjoyed the peeled white shrimp, which were delicious.

Exquisite cuisine for deep connections

When you think of Toyama tourism, firefly squid comes to mind.

"I want to liven up Toyama," says Takuto, who converted his grandfather's warehouse into a vintage clothing store by day and a bar by night. By night, everyone gathers at Takuto's KEIZO warehouse!

We were also joined by Toyama's otaku, "Koto-chan," who shared the charms of Toyama with us.

The menu was packed with Toyama specialties like firefly squid and KEIZO Warehouse's recommended potato salad. Participants and local friends freely moved between tables, enjoying conversation and interaction.

In April, when it was still a bit chilly, we had an unforgettable time gathered around the stove, sharing stories about our careers, our bonds strengthened through shared experiences.

A barbecue under a blue sky to cap off our trip to Toyama

And the end of our trip was a barbecue!

"I want to make the people around me happy," says video creator Yuto. Blessed with good weather, they vowed to meet again in Toyama while eating the grilled meat Yuto prepared.

After finishing my career trip

Even within the short span of two days and one night, it was impressive how deeply the participants, local friends, and everyone involved in the trip connected. Even after the trip ended, they apparently went to the famous Starbucks in Toyama together for sightseeing!

By talking about myself to people I meet for the first time, and by listening to someone else's life story, I've gained renewed confidence in my own path. Seeing local friends continuously challenge themselves has given me the courage to take a step forward.

This trip has allowed me to step forward with the resolve to live my life doing what I love.

No matter the form of travel, by deeply experiencing people and places with the same passion, you can come to love that region. I feel the wonderfulness of such travel.

Finally, we'd like to share some of the participants' feedback!! If you're considering joining a TRAPOL planned trip in the future, please take this as a reference.

Introducing participant feedback

What this trip made me realize is that "people" and "food" are the elements that could become content worth revisiting on a trip.

In Kaguma, a village known for its indigo dyeing, it felt like I was back at my grandmother's house. Even though my grandmother doesn't live in the countryside. Is it an innate sense to feel nostalgic for Japan's original landscapes and satoyama? I'm already missing it, looking at my fingers, still stained with indigo dye.

The cooling down in the natural water bath after the tent sauna was exceptionally good, achieving a level of firmness I wouldn't have expected. More than any specific activity, it was the wonderful people who attended, brought together by the organizers, who made every moment incredibly enjoyable.

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