Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route

Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route stretches across the Northern Alps peaks on the border of Toyama and Nagano prefectures. With multiple 3,000m-class peaks like Oyama, Onanji-yama, and Mount Tsurugi forming a continuous ridge, it represents the essence of the Japanese Alps scenery. Together with Mount Fuji and Mount Haku, it is known as one of Japan's three sacred mountains and has been a site of mountain worship for over a thousand years. Besides hiking, you can explore this area by using a relay of various transportation modes such as funiculars, highland buses, tunnel trolley buses, and ropeways to ascend from the mountain foot to above the sea of clouds.

Every spring, the Yuki no Ōtani section's snow walls can reach nearly 20m in height, making driving through it feel like passing through a white canyon; in summer and fall, alpine plants in the Midagahara wetlands bloom in succession and later turn into golden autumn colors. Sometimes, you may even encounter ptarmigans inhabiting the mountains. Murododaira, at an altitude of approx. 2,450m, is a plateau above the clouds. On sunny days, the nearby volcanic lake, Mikurigaike, reflects the Mount Tate peaks, making it a classic photo attraction; descending to the Kurobe River valley, the Kurobe Dam, standing over 180m tall, spans the deep valley. When water is discharged, the mist rises, creating an awe-inspiring sight; on the side of the mountain foot, the four-tiered Shomyo Falls, with a total drop of approx. 350m, is also worth a visit along the way.