Takaoka, Industrial city in Toyama Prefecture, Japan.
Takaoka is a city in Toyama Prefecture in the northwestern part of the country, stretching between mountains to the south and the coast of Toyama Bay. Metal processing and aluminum industries stand alongside older city quarters with low houses and temples.
Maeda Toshinaga founded a fortified settlement by the bay in 1609 and built a castle, which was torn down in 1615 on orders from the shogunate. Afterward, the place developed as a center for metalwork and foundries, which expanded especially during the Meiji period.
The name comes from the term *taka-oka*, referring to the slightly elevated ground where the city was founded. Residents today live among residential neighborhoods, craft workshops and modern commercial zones, with bronze casting and traditional lacquerware still visible in daily life.
Two railway stations in the city center offer connections into the region and with high-speed trains heading east and west. Many shops and craft workshops are within walking distance from the center, which clusters around the main streets.
A bronze Buddha figure in a temple on the edge of town reaches nearly 16 meters (52 feet) in height and ranks among the three largest of its kind in the country. The statue stands free on a pedestal and can be viewed from all sides.
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