Uozu, Toyama

[2] Uozu lies in between Namerikawa and Kurobe, stretching from Toyama Bay and the Sea of Japan in the northwest to tall mountain ranges in the southeast.

Uozu has a humid continental climate (Köppen Cfa) characterized by mild summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall.

Discovery of gold in the mountains of Uozu around 1394 led to an influx of people, making the area around Matsukura Castle a center for the region.

Uozu has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 18 members.

Approximately 2000 years ago, a primeval sugi (Cryptomeria) forest along the coast was partially buried so that only the trunks were preserved.

In the early morning hours, from the end of March to the beginning of June, female firefly squid (ホタルイカ, hotaruika) rise to the surface to spawn.

The Mirage Land Amusement Park (ミラージュランド) with its large Ferris wheel is a popular location for observation of the phenomena.

Tatemon Festival, one of the famous festivals in Toyama Prefecture
view from Uozu station
The shrine emblem of Uozu Shrine (Uozu City, Toyama Prefecture).