Enjoying the Scenic Beauty of Toyama! How to Enjoy the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route and the Snow Wall Festival.

In the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, the “Tateyama Kurobe Snow Wall Festival” is held every year from early April to late June, focusing on the Murodo area, which is located at the highest point of the Alpine Route at an altitude of about 2,450m.

The event is centered around the “Snow Wall Walk” where you walk along a massive wall of snow, and it’s divided into two periods, 1st and 2nd, each packed with content!

We’ll introduce how to fully enjoy the festival, including access to the venue and event highlights.

Connecting Toyama and Nagano: The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route

The “Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route” is a world-renowned mountain sightseeing route that penetrates the Northern Alps with peaks around 3,000 meters, connecting Toyama and Nagano.

From Tateyama Station in Toyama Prefecture to Ogizawa Station in Omachi City, Nagano Prefecture, you can enjoy magnificent nature by transferring through various modes of transportation such as cable cars, trolley buses, and ropeways.

Access to the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route: From Toyama or Nagano?

Access to the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route differs whether you enter from Tateyama Station in Toyama or Ogizawa Station in Nagano.

For those departing from Tokyo, it is convenient to use the Hokuriku Shinkansen or the Limited Express Azusa.

From the Toyama side, you take the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Toyama Station, then transfer to the Toyama Regional Railway and head to Tateyama Station.

(Travel time: about 3 hours and 30 minutes)

From the Nagano side, you take the Limited Express Azusa from Shinjuku Station to Shinano-Omachi Station.

From Shinano-Omachi Station, you can take a route bus to Ogizawa Station.

(Travel time: about 3 hours and 45 minutes)
*If there is no direct connection from Shinjuku to Shinano-Omachi, you need to take the Limited Express Azusa to Matsumoto Station and then the Oito Line to Shinano-Omachi Station.

Regardless of whether you enter from Toyama or Nagano, it takes about 1 to 1.5 hours to reach the venue of the “Tateyama Kurobe Snow Wall Festival” by transferring between modes of transportation.

Therefore, it is recommended to stay overnight in Toyama or Nagano.

The writer stayed overnight near Toyama Station and departed on the first train, arriving at the venue before 9 am.

About the Tateyama Kurobe Snow Wall Festival

The “Tateyama Kurobe Snow Wall Festival” is an event held annually from April 15 to June 25, centered around the Tateyama Murodo area on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route.

You can experience the charm of Tateyama, one of the world’s heaviest snowfall regions, through various contents.

This year, the event period is divided into two major parts.

From April 15 to May 31, the 1st STAGE themed “Enjoy Spring in Tateyama!” features experiences like breaking down snow walls and viewing the scenery from terraces set up in the snowfield.

From June 1 to June 25, the main tourist spot in Tateyama Murododaira, a little beyond the Mikurigaike Observatory, hosts the Mikurigaike Pond Walk at the Mikurigaike Onsen for a limited period, where you can get a “Mikurigaike” card.

Starting point on the Toyama side of the Alpine Route: Tateyama Station

This time, we headed to the event venue from the Toyama side.

From Tateyama Station, take the Tateyama Cable Car to Bijodaira.

You can buy a ticket for the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route each time, but if you are heading to Nagano, it is recommended to buy a through ticket.

If you are going through from Tateyama Station to Ogizawa Station, you will transfer through six types of transportation.

Ticket counters in the morning can be crowded, so it’s smoother to buy your ticket online beforehand.

The “Tateyama Cable Car” travels the 1.3 km distance between Tateyama Station and Bijodaira, climbing about 500 meters in altitude in just 7 minutes.

From the cable car, you can enjoy the transition from the low mountain zone forests to the mountain zone forests.

(Travel time: 7 minutes)

After arriving at Bijodaira, transfer to the “Tateyama Highland Bus” and head to Murodo, the event venue.

The journey from Bijodaira to Murodo covers 23 km.

You’ll experience a change in nature as you ascend about 1,500 meters in elevation.

(Travel time: 50 minutes)

Main event of the Tateyama Kurobe Snow Wall Festival: The Snow Wall Walk

The giant snow wall, “Snow Wall,” appears when the Tateyama Toll Road is cleared of snow.

The Snow Wall Walk, where you can enjoy this scenery up close, is the highlight of the event.

The course starts at the Murodo Terminal and stretches about 500 meters.

Starting towards the highest point right away!

On the day of coverage, it was over 20 degrees in Tokyo, but it was -4 degrees on the mountain! It was warm with the sunlight during the day, but there is a temperature difference, so make sure to prepare for the cold.

For reference, the author wore an inner, turtleneck, light sweater, foldable down, and windbreaker.

It’s recommended to wear clothes that you can take off as it gets hot while walking.

You’ll be overwhelmed by the height of the snow wall.

Information on the snowfall period and other details are also displayed on the cross-section of the snow wall.

Through quizzes, you can learn about how the snow accumulated and how the snow wall was formed.

Enjoy the “Panorama Road” until May 6

The snow-covered walkway outside the Snow Wall is also open.

It’s one of the scenic spots of spring where you can view the famous peaks of the Tateyama Range, including Mount Tsurugi.

The entrance to the Panorama Road is about 200 meters from the entrance to the Snow Wall. Enter the Panorama Road, turn around at Panorama Square, and you can return to the Snow Wall.

Snowplow displays and fortune-telling available

Near the entrance, there are displays of the rotary snowplow and snowplow bulldozer essential for creating the Snow Wall.

Found a fortune-telling using Tateyama spring water.

For 500 yen per try, you immerse it in the melting snow water to see your fortune.

There’s also a photo service for visitors.

The left is free, and the right includes a mat with a Snow Wall design for 1,500 yen per piece.

It’s a great souvenir of your trip, so why not have a shot taken?

Highest point of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route: Murodo

Once you return to Murodo Terminal, head to the rooftop to enjoy the panoramic view from an altitude of 2,450m.

As a key point for sightseeing on the Alpine Route, many people come here for trekking from late May when the snow starts to melt.

Surrounded by 360 degrees of snow, you can see Mount Dainichi, Mount Tsurugi, and Mount Tateyama beyond.

Even without climbing, it’s a joy to see such magnificent scenery.

Some people base here to enjoy backcountry skiing, and occasionally you can see skiers/snowboarders sliding down.

“Tateyama Tama-no-Kurenai Spring Water,” selected as one of Japan’s 100 famous waters.

It’s a treat after the snow melts, available to drink from around June.

Next to Murodo Station, Daikanbo Station for “Snow Pocket” and “Snow Tunnel”

From Murodo Station, take the “Tateyama Tunnel Trolleybus” to Daikanbo Station.

It’s a unique experience to ride the only trolleybus in Japan that runs through the Tateyama Tunnel beneath the 3,003m-high Mount Tateyama.

(Travel time: 10 minutes)

Once you arrive at Daikanbo Station, head to the rooftop observatory.

You can view a grand panorama of Lake Kurobe and the rear Tateyama Range.

The giant kamakura “Snow Pocket” is also located here.

From mid-May to mid-June, the “Snow Tunnel,” an arched snow path cleared to the observatory, also appears.

You’re sure to take photogenic pictures.

The Charm of Early Summer in Tateyama Murodo

The “Raicho,” a National Special Natural Monument native to Tateyama

In Tateyama Reizan, the Raicho has long been revered as a messenger of the gods.

It’s a rare bird, so it’s not often seen, but from late May to late June, it becomes most active for breeding.

“Mikurigaike Pond,” said to be the most beautiful volcanic lake in the Northern Alps

While it is covered in snow in early spring, by June, as the snow melts, you can walk along the promenade from Murodo Terminal to see the clear blue “Mikurigaike Pond.”

(Approximately 15 minutes one way)

The translucent blue lake surface and the white snow floating on it create a scene that can only be seen in early summer.

On a clear day, the reflection of the surrounding 3,000-meter peaks on the water provides a stunning view, so be sure to visit.

Extend Your Trip to Kurobe Dam

If you have time, consider extending your trip to Kurobe Dam.

From Murodo, take the “Tateyama Tunnel Trolleybus” to Daikanbo (Travel time: 10 minutes), then the “Tateyama Ropeway” to Kurobedaira (Travel time: 7 minutes), and finally transfer to the “Kurobe Cable Car” to arrive at Lake Kurobe (Travel time: 5 minutes).

It takes 15 minutes to walk across the dam to the other side, so if you’re going to Kurobe Dam, it’s immediately after getting off the cable car at Lake Kurobe.

After enjoying the sights of Kurobe Dam, either return the same way or consider taking the “Kanden Tunnel Electric Bus” from Kurobe Dam to Ogizawa (Travel time: 16 minutes) and return from the Nagano side.

The “Tateyama Kurobe Snow Wall Festival,” a rare experience of walking between towering walls of snow, is not just an attractive event but also enjoyable for the journey it entails.

As weekends and holidays are busy, don’t forget to purchase your WEB ticket in advance.