Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route

The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route is known as the “Roof of Japan”. The main attraction is the magnificent scenery of the Tateyama Mountain Range, part of the Chubu Sangaku National Park. Summer and autumn attract visitors with beautiful landscapes, alpine flowers (especially around June through August) and autumn leaves. It is a unique and spectacular route through the Northern Japan Alps which is traversed by various means of transportation including cablecars, trolley buses and a ropeway.

Chubu Sangaku National Park Tateyama Part

The Chubu Sangaku National Park provides spectacular alpine vistas in every season. Its range stretches across Toyama, Nagano and Gifu Prefectures, and includes several 3000 meter high peaks and breathtaking hiking courses.

Snow Corridor

Despite being open only a few months a year, the Tateyama Snow Corridor supplies one of Toyama's premier photo-ops. Take a bus through the snow corridor with its 18-meter-high walls to experience a one-of-a-kind drive through immense snowpack.

Mikurigaike pond

This is a crater lake of Tateyama Volcano. From June you can see the peak of Mt. Tateyama reflected in the cobalt blue surface of the pond. This pond was called “a kitchen pond for god” and its water was used to cook meals for the god residing on the mountain.

Shomyo Falls

Shomyo Fall is the highest fall ( 350 meters high ) in Japan. The thunderous sound of falling water echoes the valley, so you will amaze at the power of this Fall.

Oldest Mountain Hut

Japan’s oldest mountain hut is in Murodo. It was used as a mountain hut offering accommodation until the beginning of the 1980s. The hut is now preserved as an important cultural property.

Tateyama Ropeway

The cable car here is one of the most unique in the world, which at 1700 meters long, is the longest ropeway of its kind.This is the only cable car in Japan without pylons along its span. It is like a “moving observatory” giving a full panoramic view of the surrounding nature.

Kurobe-daira

Kurobedaira is the transfer station between the Tateyama Ropeway and Kurobe Cablecar. The station offers a restaurant, souvenir shop and beautiful views of the surrounding mountains.

Kurobe Cablecar

This cablecar runs entirely inside a tunnel, which is a rarity among cablecars. The one way journey between Kurobedaira and Kurobeko Station (next to Kurobe Dam) takes five minutes and costs 870 yen.

Kurobe Dam

At 186 meters high and 492 meters long, the Kurobe Dam is the largest dam in Japan.

Bijodaira Plain

Bijodaira Plain is known as one of Japan’s most nature-rich primeval forests, and is a great place for a forest walk or bird watching. Near Bijodaira Station you’ll see the bijo-sugi , legendary trees for which the region is named, as well as primeval Japanese beech trees.