Crossing the Valley of Snow at 2,450 meters altitude – Japan’s Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route opens on the 16th

▲ Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route will open on the 16th. (Photo provided by Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route Management Co., Ltd.)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Japan’s Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route is expected to officially open on the 16th. The section between Tateyama Station and Murodo Plateau opened on the 10th. In addition to the popular Valley of Snow, this year the nearby Unazuki Onsen has added multiple new hot spring and sightseeing facilities in hopes of attracting more visitors to Tateyama Kurobe.

The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route is open annually from April 16 to November 30. Travelers can go directly from Tateyama Station (at 475 meters above sea level) up to Murodo at 2,450 meters, admire the magnificent alpine silver-white world, and then walk through the 15 to 20-meter-high snow corridor — a highly popular itinerary among Taiwanese travelers.

▲ Riding the cable car to view the autumn foliage also offers a unique experience. (Photo by reporter Lin Youshan)

Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route Management Co., Ltd. stated that due to the effects of a mild winter, there were concerns about whether the impressive tall snow walls would be visible this year, but they are still optimistically estimating a minimum snow wall height of 15 meters.

To attract tourists, in addition to the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route official website offering five language versions including Chinese and English, the Unazuki Onsen Station began providing footbath services starting on the 14th. Sightseeing trains will start running on the 20th, and a new public hot spring bath “Sōtō” has also opened in the hot spring town, with operations set to begin on the 27th. With the Hokuriku Shinkansen now in its second year of operation and various railway companies offering discounted transport packages, it's easy to access the area from either Tokyo or Nagoya. Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route Management aims to surpass 1 million visitors this year.