Toyama & Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route

Use Toyama as your base to cross the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, best known for the spring Yuki-no-Otani snow walls of nearly 20 m and the Kurobe Dam.

This destination is based in Toyama City and covers the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route and Kurobe Gorge in the eastern half of Toyama Prefecture, plus the coast at Takaoka and Himi in the west. Toyama Bay is backed by the 3,000 m Tateyama mountain range, giving it the unique sight of snowy peaks rising beyond the sea, while the bay's white shrimp, firefly squid and Himi winter yellowtail make it a food lover's destination.

Seasons: the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route opens around April 15 and closes on November 30. April–June is snow-wall season at Yuki-no-Otani, July–August brings alpine flowers and rock ptarmigan, and autumn colors run from late September through October; the Kurobe Dam's sightseeing water discharge runs from about late June to mid-October. The high-mountain area is closed from December to mid-April. Winter is the time to see snowy mountains over the sea from the plains and to eat winter yellowtail.

Areas: (1) the Alpine Route — Tateyama Station → Bijodaira → Midagahara → Murodo → Daikanbo → Kurobedaira → Kurobe Dam → Ogizawa in Nagano, changing between cable cars, buses and ropeways; one way takes about 6–8 hours, and you can return the same way or continue through to Nagano; (2) Kurobe Gorge — Unazuki Onsen and the gorge's trolley train; (3) Toyama City — Fugan Unga Kansui Park, the Toyama Prefectural Museum of Art and Design, the Toyama Glass Art Museum, Toyama Castle and the old Iwase district; (4) Takaoka and Himi — Zuiryuji Temple, the Takaoka Great Buddha, Yamachosuji, the Amaharashi Coast and Himi Banya-gai.

Getting there: the Hokuriku Shinkansen takes about 2 hours 10 minutes from Tokyo to Toyama, and Toyama Airport has domestic and some international flights. At peak times (Golden Week and autumn-color season), time slots on the Alpine Route must be reserved online. Allow 3–4 days: 1 day crossing the Alpine Route, 1 day at Kurobe Gorge, and 1–2 days in Toyama City, Takaoka and Himi. UV is strong and temperatures swing widely in the high mountains, so bring sun protection and warm layers.

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