The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route is a spectacular 90-kilometer mountain sightseeing route that traverses the Northern Japan Alps in Toyama and Nagano Prefectures. Established in 1971, the route was originally constructed to facilitate the building of the Kurobe Dam, one of Japan's largest dams completed in 1963 after seven years of difficult construction that claimed 171 lives. Today, this engineering marvel has been transformed into one of Japan's premier alpine tourism destinations, connecting Tateyama Station in Toyama to Ogizawa Station in Nagano.
The route reaches its highest point at Murodo, situated at 2,450 meters above sea level, making it the highest point accessible by public transport in Japan. The area is renowned for the Tateyama Mountain Range, which holds deep religious significance as one of Japan's three sacred mountains alongside Mount Fuji and Mount Haku. The region encompasses pristine alpine ecosystems, volcanic landscapes including the active Jigokudani (Hell Valley) with its sulfurous hot springs, and the stunning Mikurigaike Pond, a volcanic crater lake that perfectly mirrors the surrounding peaks.
Visitors experience the route through a unique combination of six different transportation methods: cable cars, highland buses, a tunnel trolleybus, a ropeway, and regular buses. The most iconic sight is the Yuki-no-Otani Snow Corridor, where massive snow walls towering up to 20 meters high line the road through Murodo, typically visible from mid-April through June. The Kurobe Dam, standing 186 meters tall with a crest length of 492 meters, releases spectacular water discharges from late June to mid-October. Other highlights include the Daikanbo ropeway station offering panoramic views of the Kurobe Lake, and Midagahara, a highland plateau at 1,930 meters featuring wetlands and ancient forests.
The route operates as a one-way transit system with no private vehicles allowed, requiring visitors to use the designated transport connections. A through ticket covering all transport segments can be purchased at either terminal station, with various combination passes available depending on your starting point and desired route. The Alpine Route is accessible from Toyama city via the Toyama Chiho Railway to Tateyama Station, or from Nagano prefecture via bus to Ogizawa Station. Admission to most outdoor areas along the route is included in the transport pass, though the Kurobe Dam observation deck requires a separate small fee. The route typically closes from early December through mid-April due to heavy snowfall.
