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Journey into Toyama’s highlands via the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route

Journey into Toyama’s highlands via the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route

Stretching 37 kilometres from Tateyama Station (立山駅 Tateyama-eki) in Toyama Prefecture (富山県 Toyama-ken) to Ogizawa Station (扇沢駅 Ōgizawa-eki) in Nagano Prefecture (長野県 Nagano-ken), the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route (立山黒部アルペンルート) is a stunning high-altitude course that cuts straight through the heart of the Tateyama Mountain Range (立山連峰 Tateyama renpō) in the Northern Japan Alps. This area, known as the “Roof of Japan”, is closed off completely to private vehicles and can only be accessed via a medley of public transportation that includes cable cars, trolleybuses, and a ropeway. From crater lakes and towering peaks to alpine wetlands and Japan’s tallest dam, each section of the route offers its own majestic attractions, consisting of some of the most iconic natural scenery Japan has to offer. For our journey, we will begin at Ogizawa Station on the Nagano side of the route and venture deeper into the rugged terrain of the Tateyama-Kurobe region.

 

Kurobe Dam

Kurobe Dam. (Image credit: Josh Grengs)

 

Standing at a height of 186 metres, Kurobe Dam (黒部ダム) is Japan’s tallest dam and sits at one end of the massive Kurobe Lake (黒部湖 Kurobeko). It was completed in 1963 at the cost of over 170 lives and still provides power to the surrounding region today. From Ogizawa Station, Kurobe Dam can be reached by the Kanden Tunnel trolleybuses (関電トンネル電気バス Kanden Tonneru Denki Basu), which are powered by electricity from the dam itself. From late-June to mid-October, water is discharged from the dam at a rate of 10 tonnes per second, creating a spectacular rainbow in the process. After viewing the dam from atop the 220-step observation platform, you can head down and walk across the dam’s surface, as you venture to the next section of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route leading up to Daikanbo (大観峰) and Murodo (室堂).

 

Into the skies of Daikanbo

The ropeway at Daikanbo. (Image credit: Josh Grengs)

 

After crossing the dam, visitors enter a tunnel to reach the Kurobe Cablecar (黒部ケーブルカー), which will take them on a jittery ride up to the entrance of the Tateyama Ropeway (立山ロープウェイ). The Tateyama Ropeway is one of the most captivating legs of the route, offering passengers a look back down onto the dam and lake below. The Daikanbo observation point at the top of the ropeway is particularly beautiful in autumn, as the leaves blanketing the sides of the surrounding mountains transform into vibrant shades of yellow, orange, and red. Make sure to hold onto your phone when taking pictures from the open windows of the ropeway car as it is quite a drop to the valley floor.

 

Murodo

Mikurigaike. (Image credit: Josh Grengs)

 

Arguably the highlight of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, Murodo sits at an altitude of 2,450 metres and is the terminal point for both the Tateyama and Ogizawa sides of this alpine course. From here, if you wish to go any higher, you have only your two legs to take you. Murodo is home to several of the routes most notable highlights, including the volcanic crater lake, Mikurigaike (ミクリガ池), the Jigokudani (地獄谷) “Hell Valley”, the Snow Corridor (雪の大谷 Yuki-no-otani), and a series of trails leading up into the Tateyama Mountain Range. The Snow Corridor, in particular, is a must-see site from mid-April through May with its massive snow walls measuring up to 20m high—thanks to the tremendous snowfall the area receives each winter. Murodo also serves as the starting point for hikers and backpackers looking to access the neighbouring peaks of Mount Tate (立山 Tateyama) and Mount Tsurugi (剱岳 Tsurugi-dake), the latter being one of Japan’s most notorious climbs. 

 

Down into the Midagahara Wetlands and Bijodaira Forest

Snow Corridor. (Image credit: photoAC)

 

As you begin your journey down to Tateyama Station, you will travel through the Midagahara (弥陀ヶ原) Wetlands situated approximately 2,000 metres above sea level. Here, you will find a variety of alpine flowers and plants as you stroll across the wooden boardwalk crisscrossing this expansive swath of land. There are also several ponds in the area formed from craters created during volcanic activity 200,000 years ago. One last stop before finishing your journey is Bijodaira (美女平), a primaeval forest filled with 1,000-year-old trees and a dynamic variety of wildlife. This ancient forest provides a dramatic contrast to the rocky and mountainous vistas previously enjoyed at Murodo and delivers the perfect segue back into a world far removed from the towering heights of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route’s upper reaches.

 

Full circle

Midagahara. (Image credit: photoAC)

 

Traversing the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route offers a glimpse into the many worlds that make up Toyama’s highlands. The journey involves not only an armada of vehicles to get you up and down the mountain but also an extraordinary change in elevation of up to 2,400 metres. From breathtaking ridgelines to tranquil forest paths, here you will encounter Japan’s natural world in all its many manifestations. And while you may not be ready to take on the area’s massive peaks just yet, this route is surely a start to discovering the secrets hidden within the “Roof of Japan”.

 

Getting there

When accessing the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route from the Toyama side, take the JR Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo Station (東京駅 Tōkyō-eki) to Toyama Station (富山駅 Toyama-eki) and transfer to Dentetsu-Toyama Station (電鉄富山駅 Dentetsu-Toyama-eki). From here, take the Toyama Chiho Railway Main Line (富山地方鉄道本線 Toyama Chihō Tetsudō Hon-sen) to Tateyama Station to get on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route.

 

When visiting from the Nagano side, take the JR Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Nagano Station (長野駅 Nagano-eki) and transfer to the bus bound for Ogizawa Station. At Ogizawa Station, you can purchase your tickets for the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. Please be aware that the route is inaccessible from December to mid-April.

 

Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route (立山黒部アルペンルート)
Address: Tateyama, Nakaniikawa-gun, Toyama 930-1406
Nearest station: Tateyama Station (立山駅) on the Toyama side, Ogizawa Station (扇沢駅) on the Nagano side
Dates: 15 April–30 November (Closed from December through mid-April)
Price: ¥8,430 (One-way from Tateyama Station to Ogizawa Station)
Tel: +81-76-432-2819

 

Header image credit: Julien Manchuelle

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