Alpine Route
01
At Murodo, Explore Mikurigaike and Hell Valley
Murodo, which is located in the middle of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, is a base for climbing and trekking. Mikurigaike, a pond near Murodo, has a trail that runs 631 m around its shores. The trail is beginner-friendly, with few undulations and well-maintained cobblestones. The majestic mountains reflect beautifully in the waters of the pond—it is a sight worth seeing. If you have the endurance for it, continue onward to the intermediate-level Raichozawa Round-Trip Course, which starts and ends at the Mikurigaike Observation Deck. This course circles around Enmadai, from which you can see white smoke rising from Hell Valley, as well as the ponds of Rindoike and Chinoike (Blood Pond).
02
Pleasant Bijo-daira, with singing birds and soothing forest
Take the plateau bus down from Midagahara to Bijo-daira, and you will find Tateyama cedar and birch trees that are hundreds of years old - one of Japan's top 100 locations for "Forest Bathing." This forest known as a Mecca of bird-watching, as it is home to over sixty species of birds, including the blue-and-white flycatcher and the Japanese robin. There are three different walking paths through the forest: the inner course, which takes about one hour, the middle course, which takes about two hours, and the outer course through the beech tree slopes, which will take more than two hours. Please choose the course that fits with your level of fitness. Your heart will melt as you listen to the beautiful singing of the birds on your stroll through the forest.
03
Dynamic view! Shomyo waterfall with a drop of 1150 feet (350m)
It takes about 20 minutes by car or bus from Tateyama station to the rest area at Shomyo-daira. From there, it's about a 30 minute hike to Shomyo falls. This is Japan's highest waterfall, with a height of about 1150 feet (350 meters). The rising mist from the falling water is a scene that gets full marks for overwhelming power. This waterfall shows different faces in each of the four seasons. In the spring, there is melting snow and new greenery, and because the flow of water is so intense, a second waterfall, Hannoki falls, appears beside the main chute. In the autumn, the season of changing leaves, the waterfall shines in a brightly colored valley. It is truly a spectacular sight!
04
Kurobe dam
At a height of 610 feet (186m) and a width of 1614 feet (492m), Kurobe Dam stops the flow of water on the Kurobe River, which receives the spring runoff from the Northern part of the Japanese Alps. The dam was completed in 1964, after seven years of large scale construction work. This is a popular tourist stop with many beautiful features: the beautiful arc of the dam, the surface of the lake that changes color depending on the position of the sun, and the powerful water discharging from the dam. Kurobe Dam Observation Deck and New Observation Square are ready for visitors, so you can fully enjoy the various views. Kurobe Lake also boasts Japan's highest altitude boat cruise, so you can also enjoy a boat ride of about 30 minutes.
