Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route Opens！The Most Spectacular Snow Walls You Must See in Your Lifetime

By MOOK Scenic Spots Travel Life Network, Zhang Yingying, translated and reported

Like last year, the opening date for the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route this year is also set for April 16. This “Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route,” which becomes a popular tourist route every April, connects Toyama Prefecture and Nagano Prefecture in Japan, traversing the Roof of Japan—the Alps of Tateyama—forming a spectacular mountain sightseeing route. Once snow removal is completed in mid-April, the route is officially declared “open” and fully operational. The 37-kilometer white snow-covered road is truly breathtaking and has become an essential destination for travelers who love Japan.

To enter the mountains and traverse the range, visitors can take the Tateyama Ropeway and the Tateyama Highland Cable Car. In addition to experiencing high-altitude transportation, you can also enjoy the beautiful snowy mountain scenery. The Tateyama Highland Bus shuttles back and forth between major attractions, including Japan’s highest waterfall drop, the Shirakaba Falls, Japan’s highest-altitude train station, Murodo Station, and Japan’s highest-altitude hot spring, the Yuki-muro Pool Hot Spring, all of which are well worth visiting.

On this route, located at an altitude of 2,450 meters, Murodo-daira features an unusually large amount of snow rarely seen in the world, with snow accumulation reaching up to 20 meters. After snow removal, there is a particularly spectacular 500-meter-long section known as the Snow Valley (also called the Great Snow Valley). Visitors can get off here to take a walk and experience the feeling of being surrounded by towering snow walls in the great snow valley. The “Tateyama Snow Valley Walk” event also begins on April 16 and runs until June 22. The walking period is open from 10:00 to 15:15 on weekdays and from 9:30 to 15:15 on holidays, with the last entry time at 15:00. While strolling, you can admire the white snow walls on both sides, which are over 10 meters high. The spectacular view is also filled with a romantic atmosphere of a silver and white snow world.