The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route is a mountain sightseeing route in the Northern Japan Alps between Tateyama, Toyama and Ōmachi, Nagano, Japan. Opened on June 1, 1971, it is 37.2 kilometers long, with a difference in elevation of as much as 1,975 meters. Along the way, you’ll travel by various means of transportation such as buses, cable cars, cable cars, and the last remaining electric bus service in Japan.
On the journey, you will pass by the Kurobe Dam with a height of 186 m, which is the highest dam in Japan. You can walk across the dam in 15 minutes, and the amazing views are well worth your time. The dam releases water continuously from late June to mid-October and on clear days you can even see a rainbow here. You can also take a boat around the dam’s lake from June 1 to November 10 every year.
Another stop is Kurobedaira, a lovely garden where you can stroll around, ideal for families with the elderly and children. In autumn, you can see the changing leaves of the trees in the valley below and on the mountains in the background.
From Kurobedaira, visitors can take the Tateyama Ropeway cable car to reach the Murodo volcanic plateau. You can enjoy panoramic views of Kurobe Lake with its turquoise water and surrounding mountains as the gondola goes up. The Murodo area is located at 2,450m above sea level and is the highest point you can reach on this route.
The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route will close at the end of November as winter approaches. Visit here in April to see firsthand how heavy the snowfall is. At this time of year, the famous Tateyama Snow Corridor attracts visitors to see the massive snow walls on both sides of the road that can be up to 20 meters high. This corridor is the most impressive site around the Murodo Plateau and is open to walk-ins from mid-April to late June.
Not only beautiful in winter. In the summer, the mountains take on a lush green color of grass and trees stretching across the landscape, complemented by blooming forest flowers. When autumn comes, the scenery along the route still stands out with eye-catching red and yellow colors.
According to the Internet
