The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route is famend for being considered one of Japan’s most luxurious mountain routes. Open in April annually, guests get to benefit from the Snow Hall (Yuki no Otani, 雪の大谷), big snow partitions, that attain as much as 6-stories-tall!
One of the in style locations within the Toyama space is the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route (立山黒部アルペンルート) within the Northern Japan Alps. To atone for the primary a part of our week-long journey, begin by studying our Kanazawa put up first.
What’s so cool about this route? Properly, though Murodo (室堂) stands at a comparatively modest elevation of two,450 meters (8,038 ft) as the best level accessible by a automobile alongside this path, the area experiences a number of the heaviest snowfall on this planet! When the route reopens each April, the Snow Hall, referred to as Yuki no Otani (雪の大谷), towers impressively at a staggering 20 meters (65 ft) in top. That’s concerning the dimension of a 6-story constructing!
The route welcomes guests from mid-April to the tip of November yearly, providing magnificent surroundings that’s best for each mountaineering and trekking lovers.
We have been fortunate that we managed to make it to the 2015 Snow Hall cutoff date by only one week (it closed on June twenty second). Whereas the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route stays accessible after this date, it’s not attainable for guests to strategy the hall carefully and benefit from the view.
Entry from Toyama Station to Tateyama Station
We began from JR Toyama station in Toyama Prefecture, which generally is a little complicated to navigate because of the numerous terminals for the Shinkansen, trolley vehicles, and a number of practice traces.
To go to Tateyama, you wish to head for Toyama Chihō Railway (富山地方鉄道). The practice ticket from Dentetsu-Toyama (電鉄富山) station to Tateyama (立山) station is ¥1,230 a method (in 2023) and it takes about 1 hour. The scenic practice journey, with its breathtaking views of Japan’s countryside, crammed us with anticipation for the journey that lay forward.
Because the practice journey progresses, buildings and cities regularly disappear, giving strategy to towering timber and plush greenery.
Guests also can entry the Alpine route from the alternative finish, Kanden Tunnel Electrical Bus (Ogisawa Station) in Nagano Prefecture. If that’s your most well-liked route, take the JR Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagano Station. Then, board the specific bus that goes on to Ogizawa alongside the Alpine Route.
Exploring Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route: All the things You Must Know
At Tateyama station, you’ll discover the standard memento present store the place you should buy Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route tickets. Because the route is very in style, particularly between April and June, it’s greatest to order your tickets on-line beforehand, as we did throughout our journey.
If you happen to select to journey the entire alpine route between Tateyama and Ogizawa (扇沢), you have to to take seven totally different rides, starting from the Tateyama Cable Automotive to the Kanden Tunnel Electrical Bus and the Tateyama Highland bus. This journey will take roughly 6-7 hours for a one-way journey, concluding at Shinano-Omachi Station. In line with the Alpine Route’s FAQ, a spherical journey between Tateyama and Kurobe Dam (黒部ダム) takes between 8-9 hours, so plan your journey accordingly.
Transporting Your Automotive Via Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route
Because the route traverses a bit of Chubu Sangaku Nationwide Park, private autos should not permitted. Nonetheless, you do have the choice to have your automobile transported from one finish to the opposite, albeit at a moderately steep value of ¥27,000 (round 200 USD in 2023).
Since our week-long journey was set to proceed to Takayama (高山) after Tateyama, we determined to forego the journey to Ogizawa and as a substitute benefit from the Snow Hall at Murodo (室堂).
If you’re touring with ample baggage, you may as well have it delivered from Dentetsu Toyama Station or JR Shinano Omachi Station in the wrong way.
Look what we discovered on the memento store at Tateyama station—strawberry cheesecake Package Kat!
On the cable automobile station, there’s a display displaying 4 totally different factors alongside the Alpine Route and the present temperature at every location.
There are roughly round 1 million guests a 12 months that come to Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. To hurry up the boarding course of, there’s one line particularly for particular person prospects and two traces for excursions and enormous teams.
Scenic Cable Automotive Experience between Tateyama and Bejodaira
The primary leg of the journey takes you from Tateyama to Bijodaira (美女平) station, through a 7-minute cable automobile journey. The cable automobile ascends a steep slope at a outstanding 24-degree incline, overlaying a powerful 500 meters of elevation.
What’s significantly intriguing concerning the cable automobile is its design—the vehicles are purposefully constructed at an angle to adapt to the steep incline. Working in tandem, the 2 cable vehicles counterbalance one another as they ascend and descend the slope.
Once you step on board, you ascend a flight of stairs on the station, virtually as in case you’re about to embark on an amusement park journey. As soon as contained in the automobile, you possibly can descend the steps to catch the cool view because the automobile leaves the station.
It was foggy on the day we visited, so we largely encountered misty landscapes and timber. Nonetheless, we had an satisfying journey and embraced the concept a part of touring is appreciating no matter comes our method.
Bus Experience from Bijodaira to Murodo
At Bijodaira (美女平) station, we boarded the bus sure for Murodo (室堂).
It was mid-June, and the climate was fairly heat when our journey started at Bijodaira. There was no signal of snow within the neighborhood. The journey from Bijodaira to Murodo takes roughly 50 minutes.
On the way in which up, most components of our journey have been shrouded in thick fog. Contained in the bus, a video performed on the TV display, explaining numerous factors of curiosity alongside the way in which. Sadly, more often than not, all we might see was a blanket of white fog.
About 20 minutes into the journey, the fog started to elevate, revealing patches of snow. Our youngsters’s pleasure began to construct!
half-hour and halfway into the bus journey, we noticed the Midagahara Resort (弥陀ヶ原ホテル) nestled throughout the picturesque Midagahara Highlands (弥陀ヶ原高原).
Whereas the Snow Hall is the primary attraction throughout spring, the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route stays extremely in style amongst hikers throughout summer season and fall, because of its beautiful colours and mountain landscapes.
Shortly after crossing the Midagahara Highlands, the surroundings underwent a dramatic transformation. Each inch of the bottom was blanketed in snow. So far as our eyes might see, there was nothing however snow! We had formally reversed the season, transitioning from summer season to winter.
Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route at Murodo Station: Snow Hall and Culinary Delights
When the bus arrived at Murodo, we shortly placed on our jackets to brace for the chilly climate. The Murodo terminal is a pretty big construction and it’s linked to Resort Tateyama. (ホテル立山).
From the Terminal, it’s only a fast 5-minute stroll to the Snow Hall (Yuki no Otani).
Once we visited on June seventeenth, the snow nonetheless stood impressively at 11 meters. You may observe the transformation of the Snow Hall over the course of two months on the Alpine Route’s web site.
Other than the Snow Hall, we additionally found different sights, equivalent to a pyramid made from snow and a sledding hill.
The sleds have been accessible free of charge, however we might advise sporting waterproof pants as our kids’s apparel ended up totally soaked after sledding.
Restaurant Tateyama
After having a good time within the snow, our appetites kicked in and able to eat. We made our strategy to Restaurant Tateyama (立山レストラン) positioned on the 2nd ground of the Murodo Terminal (室堂ターミナル) constructing.
On condition that we stored seeing the native specialty, white shrimp (白海老), on menus all through our journey within the space, we determined to present it a attempt. It arrived atop a mattress of rice, accompanied by soup and a salad. The deep-fried shrimp was superb, particularly when paired with the candy dashi sauce.
Within the Toyama area, you’ll discover udon noodles that differ from common Japanese udon. These are referred to as Himi Udon (氷見うどん), and they’re notably thinner. We couldn’t resist the temptation to pattern them for our lunch. The simplicity of the udon noodles paired completely with the deep-fried white shrimp on the facet.
Throughout our lunch, we noticed skiers ascending the snow-covered mountains, carrying their skis. The place might they be heading?
In order that wraps up our memorable go to to the Kurobe Alpine Route! The expertise was extremely stunning, and I wholeheartedly suggest it to anybody who loves the snow.
You can too go to throughout different seasons and revel in a definite form of magnificence. In the summertime, the colourful greenery surrounding Shomyo Falls, Japan’s tallest waterfall, is solely breathtaking. From late September by way of October and into early November, the panorama transforms right into a tapestry of gold, crimson, and orange because the autumn leaves paint a picturesque scene. Whatever the season you select, the Kurobe Alpine Route by no means fails to depart you in awe!
What to do in Toyama: Historic Castles and Memorable Eating
Toyama Fort
After our memorable journey to the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, we nonetheless had a while left in Toyama, so we determined to go to Toyama Fort (富山城). Though there aren’t too many vacationer sights in Toyama, the citadel supplied a glimpse into the area’s wealthy historical past.
The present Toyama Fort is a reproduction made from concrete and metal, and it holds nice historic significance for the area. The unique citadel, courting again to 1543, suffered destruction throughout the late 1500s on account of warfare. It was rebuilt many occasions all through historical past however subsequently destroyed by an earthquake and hearth.
Right now, the citadel serves as the house of the Toyama Metropolis Native Historical past Museum (富山市郷土博物館), which highlights the historical past of Toyama Fort. To accommodate worldwide guests, the museum supplies binders with English explanations.
You can too discover Toyama Fort Park to get pleasure from a soothing stroll and soak within the stunning surroundings.
Izakaya Dai 酒菜工房 だい: High Advice close to Toyama Station
For dinner, we dined on the in style native izakaya, Dai (酒菜工房 だい). Oh my, the meals was completely unbelievable!
We have been impressed with its consideration to element, from tableware to dish presentation and meals preparation. Every dish was delicate and refined.
Our meal started with small appetizers, together with a Tomato Salad served in a sublime glass bowl. The colourful colours and recent flavors have been the right begin to our dinner.
Inventive Dishes at Izakaya Dai
One of many highlights of Izakaya Dai was this stunning assorted sashimi (9 varieties) introduced on a black plate with distinctive recent seafood. Toyama Bay is positioned subsequent to the Sea of Japan so has entry to some scrumptious seafood.
One of many highlights at Izakaya Dai was the attractive assorted sashimi, that includes 9 sorts of exceptionally recent seafood, introduced on a sublime black plate. Due to Toyama Bay’s proximity to the Sea of Japan, they’ve entry to a number of the most scrumptious seafood.
The choice we loved included Himi Maguro 氷見まぐろ (fatty tuna) and Baigai バイ貝 (ivory shell), Aji あじ (horse mackerel), Houbo ほうぼう (crimson gurnard), Shime Saba しめ鯖 (cured mackerel), Hirame Kombu-Jime ヒラメの昆布じめ (Japanese turbot cured in kombu), Iwatako 岩タコ (octopus), Gando がんど (amberjack), and at last, Shiraebi 白海老(white shrimp).
The uni, marbled Hida beef (飛騨牛), and tomato slices have been expertly grilled with Hoba Miso (朴葉味噌 miso on a dried leaf of Magnolia). Each taste was spot on.
The standout dish of the night was the fragile Nodoguro Shio Tataki (のど黒塩たたき). It featured barely seared Nodoguro Shio Tataki, served atop ice, accompanied by freshly grated wasabi on a shark pores and skin wasabi grater and kabosu, a kind of Japanese citrus. What an ideal dish!
If you’re staying close to Toyama Station, we extremely suggest this restaurant to everybody.
Our journey within the space continues on to Takayama (飛騨高山) – Half 1!
