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If you\u2019re up for incredible and unique nature activities in Japan, it\u2019s a MUST to visit the stunning mountain sightseeing route called Tateyama Kurobe <\/em>Alpine Route (Arupen Ruto)<\/em><\/strong>. This 90km route that\u2019s commonly referred to as the \u201cRoof of Japan\u201d goes through the lush scenery of Mt. Tateyama<\/em> in the Northern Japan Alps as it spans from Toyama<\/em> City in Toyama <\/em>Prefecture, up to Omachi <\/em>Town in Nagano <\/em>Prefecture.<\/p>\n Since its opening in 1971, the path comprises of several stops or stations \u2014 with Murodo <\/em>Station as the highest at 2,450 meters high \u2014 and they can be traversed on various different vehicles such as buses, cable cars, and ropeways.<\/p>\n A lot of people actually go through Tateyama Kurobe<\/em> Alpine Route for days during its opening season (mid-April to November)<\/strong> as they enjoy the spectacular vistas of the Tateyama<\/em> Mountain Range which is a part of the Chubu Sanguku<\/em> National Park in Japan.<\/p>\n In fact, all throughout the year\u2019s seasons, there are various hiking and sightseeing activities that can be done; however\u2026 when I made a grand tour of the Chubu<\/em> region<\/a> earlier this year, I only had a day left to explore the Tateyama Kurobe<\/em> Alpine route so I ended up going on a quick adventure.<\/p>\n Basically, I started from Tateyama <\/em>Station and then up to Shinano-Omachi<\/em> Station in just 5 hours as I made sure to see the route\u2019s following top 3 highlights!<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00bb READ:<\/strong> Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n As the highest point on the Tateyama Kurobe <\/em>Alpine Route, Murodo<\/em> Station features a lot of fantastic activities and views. One of the most-known attractions that it has would be the Snow Wall or Yuki-no-Otani<\/em> which opens from mid-April to mid-June<\/strong> after months of heavy snowfall. (Doesn\u2019t it remind you of \u2018The Wall\u2019 from Game of Thrones\u2026?)<\/em><\/p>\n TRIVIA:<\/strong> Tateyama experiences one of the heaviest snowfalls worldwide! On average, there are about 7 meters (or 23 feet) of snow that accumulates every year, but in the area near the wall, there are times that up to 20 meters (65.6 feet) would accumulate because of snowdrifts! To expel this heavy snow, this famous \u2018Snow Wall\u2019 was then born.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Running from Bijodaira <\/em>to Murodo, <\/em>you will you first witness the 1km passage of the Snow Wall in the bus. Once you get off at the Murodo <\/em>Bus Terminal, there is approximately a 500-meter-long section of the road where you can walk along the walls of snow and take wondrous photos!<\/p>\n I visited here during the last day when the Snow Wall corridor walk was still open (June 22 on 2017)<\/em> and the walls were about 12-meters high. At that height, I was already in utter awe of its beauty; so you could just imagine, if you were to visit earlier in April, you will get to witness it in its full glory! Though, if you visit late in June, the crowd is a lot less.<\/p>\n \u2013 \u2013 \u2013<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Tateyama <\/em>Ropeway is a cable car that connects the stations of Daikanbo <\/em>and Kurobedaira<\/em> for \u00a51,300 one way. <\/em>It is said that this one of the most unique cable cars because it is the only one in Japan that operates without any support towers for a span of 1.7 kilometers.<\/p>\n Riding this ropeway will only take 7 minutes but the grand panoramic sights that you will see around you as you go down will (not to mention the slight thrill!) will make you feel as if you\u2019ve been treated to a long show filled with majestic views.<\/p>\n \u2013 \u2013 \u2013<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n This place is near the end of the Tateyama Kurobe <\/em>Alpine Route and it\u2019s quite a sight to be seen given that it is the tallest dam in Japan at 186 meters. And if you visit from late June to mid-October, you can get to witness the dam discharging a spectacular amount of water (about 10 tons every second)!<\/em><\/p>\n According to history, the Kurobe <\/em>Dam was built across Kurobe <\/em>Lake for over 7 years; by the time it was completed in 1963, over 171 people have lost their loves due to some problems along the way. Today, it supports a hydropower plant that supplies electricity to the Kansai<\/em> Region in Japan. Some of the other attractions around the dam are:<\/p>\n \u2013 \u2013 \u2013<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n During Spring, the whole of the Tateyama Kurobe <\/em>Alpine Route is covered in snow. Aside from the Snow Wall that I already mentioned above, one of the things you could do here is to walk on the snow fields especially around Murodo.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been told that around this time, you might be able to catch sight of a white Alpine ptarmigan<\/a>, a kind of bird that is referred to as \u201cmessengers of God\u201d \u2014 because the Japanese believe that if you see a ptarmigan, it will bring you happiness. (Best time to spot them is from late May to June especially in the area around Mikurigaike pond).<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n If you\u2019re looking to do hiking, walks, climbing, and sightseeing, summer would be the best time to visit the Tateyama Kurobe <\/em>Alpine Route! Aside from witnessing the water discharge on Kurobe <\/em>Dam, you could also witness beautiful carpets of alpine flowers in the surrounding landscapes.<\/p>\n Up in Murodo, there can still be some snow up until July; after that, you can enjoy easy trails (such as going around the Mikurigaike<\/em> pond) and challenging hikes (such as climbing the summit of Mount Tateyama<\/em>) around the area.<\/p>\n The leaves slowly turn into warmer tones at the end of September and this beautiful change first starts at the higher areas. This will take about 6 weeks until the color changes reach the end of the mountain slopes (around late October to early November).<\/p>\n If you\u2019re lucky, you can witness greener leaves at the foot of the mountain, autumn leaves in the middle of the route, and then white plains of snow at the top! (Like I mentioned before, the Tateyama <\/em>Ropeway is a great place for watching the season\u2019s foliage.)<\/p>\n \n The whole of Tateyama Kurobe <\/em>Alpine Route is closed during wintertime. \u2013 \u2013 \u2013<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n From\u00a0Toyama<\/em>\u00a0city, go to\u00a0Dentetsu-Toyama<\/em>\u00a0Station. Ride the\u00a0Chitetsu<\/em>\u00a0Line and get off at\u00a0Tateyama<\/em>\u00a0Station (which is the start of the\u00a0Tateyama Kurobe\u00a0Alpine Route).<\/em><\/p>\n To get to\u00a0Toyama\u00a0<\/em>city from\u00a0Tokyo<\/em>, ride the JR\u00a0Hokuriku Shinkansen<\/em>\u00a0which takes about 2 hours. You\u2019ll get to ride this train for FREE if you have a\u00a0JR pass<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Personally, I would highly recommend that you buy the\u00a0Alpine-Takayama-Matsumoto<\/em>\u00a0Area Tourist Pass<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0for \u00a517,500 OR the Takayama-Hokuriku Pass<\/a><\/em><\/strong> which gives you\u00a0unlimited\u00a0rides on JR express trains between Nagoya to Toyama, as well as unlimited use on all transportation within the\u00a0Tateyama Kurobe<\/em>\u00a0Alpine Route for 5 days \u2014 which then makes it the\u00a0PERFECT<\/strong>\u00a0pass for exploring the region that the alpine route is in which is\u00a0Chubu<\/a>. (If you want a detailed itinerary for exploring the area, see\u00a0here<\/a><\/em>).<\/p>\n TOP TIP<\/strong>: When booking with Klook.com, make sure to use my coupon code AILEENKLOOK<\/strong> to save 5% off (can be used up to 5 times!)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n If you need further help, use the directions feature in\u00a0Google Maps<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 I find this as a very helpful tool if I want to reach a certain place from a particular location. However, Google Maps doesn\u2019t work offline if you want routes or transportation schedules, so I recommend that you get a\u00a0pocket WiFi<\/a>\u00a0or a\u00a0SIM Card<\/a>\u00a0to stay connected online.<\/p>\n \u2013 \u2013 \u2013<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n
\u2013 Japan Itinerary<\/a>
\u2013 Chubu Itinerary<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\u00bb<\/span> Snow Wall \/ Corridor (Yuki-no-Otani)<\/em><\/h2>\n
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\u00bb<\/span> Tateyama Ropeway<\/h2>\n
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\u00bb<\/span> Kurobe Dam<\/h2>\n
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\u00bb<\/span> Other Activities to Do Per Season<\/h2>\n
Spring (May to June)<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Summer (July to Mid-September)<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Autumn (Late-September to November)<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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\u201cNew Snow\u201d: <\/strong>Most of the time, the first snow of the year already falls in Murodo by September, but then it will melt straight away. It is only around early or mid-November that the snow stays and where you can enjoy a blinding white wonderland! To see this, it\u2019s best to go into the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route from the side of Shinano-Omachi station because due to the weather, service is often suspended from Bijodaira Station to Murodo Station.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\nWinter (December to Mid-April)<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
To know more info about the whole alpine route, go to https:\/\/www.alpen-route.com\/en\/<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nTateyama Travel Guide<\/span><\/h2>\n
\u00bb How to Get to Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
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