This article is based on a visit made on Wednesday, 16 May 2018.
Previously on Sekai Ichi, my grandmother and I embarked on a day-trip across the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route.
In the first half, we climbed uphill via the Toyama Chiho Railway, the Tateyama Cable Car, and a bus. All of that led us to Murodo (室堂), a plateau sitting at 2,450 metres (8,038 feet) above sea level, and the highest point of the Alpine Route.
The buses drop you off at the Hotel Tateyama, the highest hotel in Japan by elevation. For those not staying overnight, it also has a restaurant, gift shop, and is directly connected to the next section of the Alpine Route, the Tateyama Trolleybus. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
The Alpine Route's website claims that Tateyama receives some of the world's heaviest snowfalls. Citation needed on that statement, but I can certainly attest that there was lots and lots of snow to go around. In fact, the snowfall accumulated here during any given winter doesn't fully melt until the middle of summer, if at all! To view this panorama in full size,
click here.
In order to clear the roads for the Alpine Route, all that snow has to be dug out, forming a massive "snow corridor" (雪の大谷,
yuki no ōtani). A 500m (1,640 ft.) section of this canyon, starting from the parking lot of Hotel Tateyama, is partially roped off for pedestrians to walk down and get a closer look. This snow canyon can measure up to 20 metres (66 feet) tall.
On this occasion, the snow wall was measured to be 14 metres (46 feet) tall. Given that this was a month into the open season, that's not too shabby! They also logged the temperature at 7° Celsius (45° Fahrenheit), which was considerably cooler than the lower portions of the Alpine Route, so when traversing the route, I would definitely suggest wearing layers.
So many people had drawn messages and little pictures in the snow...
...that I felt like doing one myself.
Along the way, we got our picture taken with stuffed models of
rock ptarmigans (雷鳥,
raichō, lit. 'thunder bird'). The ptarmigan breeds in arctic and sub-arctic regions, including Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Scotland, Norway, Russia, and the mountains of Central Japan, where we are now. It has even been designated the official bird of Toyama, Gifu, and Nagano prefectures, all of which border the Japan Alps. If you recall my last few articles, this so-called "thunder bird" inspired the name of
the train we took to get from Kyoto to Toyama. More information on ptarmigans and other wildlife of the area can be learned at the Tateyama Nature Conservation Centre, a free museum next-door to the hotel.
Back in the lodge, we dug into a lunch of pork cutlets, then bought some postcards and mailed them right from the shop. I also bought these papercraft models of buses and cable cars from the Alpine Route, which I had to fold and stick together myself. There were plenty of tricky bits, but I think I got the hang of it by the end!
As marvellous as the snow canyon is, it overshadows, and in some cases precludes access to, many other natural wonders around the area. This includes the very same landscape in different seasons. The scenery that is blanketed by white snow in winter and spring turns green in the summer, and gold with red bushes in the autumn.
There are numerous volcanically-formed ponds around the area, the biggest being Mikurigaike (ミクリガ池). The reflections from this clear blue lake are truly brilliant. Walking here from the Tateyama Hotel takes only 15 minutes one-way.
Just beyond the pond is Mikurigaike Onsen, Japan's highest public hot-spring facility by altitude. The indoor baths here offer sweeping views of the Murodo Plateau. This place also has dormitories and rooms to stay the night in. Hotel Tateyama also has hot-spring baths, but they are for staying guests only.
The Murodo plateau also has its own "hell valley" (地獄谷,
jigokudani), where volcanic gases are vented from the barren ground. The source of these is a small volcano, somewhere along the edge of the plateau, whose last eruption was a small one in 1839. Walking trails pass through here too, but they are frequently closed off due to volcanic activity.
From Murodo Station, it is even possible to hike up to the top of Mount Tate (立山, lit. 'standing mountain'). Tate-yama consists of three adjacent peaks, of which the 3,003m (9,852 ft) Oyama (雄山, lit. 'masculine mountain') is the most popular for climbers. From the Tateyama Hotel, the trail to Oyama is 2.5km (1.5 mi) long and takes about 2 hours to ascend. It is more strenuous than other paths in the area, but does not require special equipment beyond sturdy hiking shoes and warm clothing.
As for me... let's not and say we did. I can, at least, prove I was in the general area with this sign-off selfie of me mailing our postcards. With Murodo, we have perhaps reached the peak of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, in more ways than one. But there remains the entire second half of the route to be seen, including the nation's tallest dam. Check it out with me, next time on Sekai Ichi!
Hotel Tateyama
Cost: As of May 2019, the average rate per person/night is ¥22,000 to ¥28,000 for a twin room. Rates include dinner and breakfast.
Address: Ashikura-ji, Tateyama-chō, Nakaniikawa-gun, Toyama-ken 〒930-1414
Access: The hotel is adjacent to Murodo Station.
Website:
(English) (Japanese)
Tateyama Nature Conservation Centre
Hours: Open from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Opens at 8:00 AM from 16 July to 31 August.
Cost: Free.
Address: Ashikura-ji, Tateyama-chō, Nakaniikawa-gun, Toyama-ken 〒930-1414
Access: The museum is 1 minute on foot from the 2nd-floor entrance of Hotel Tateyama.
Website:
(English) (Japanese)
Mikurigaike Onsen
Hours: Baths open for day use from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Cost: ¥700. Bath and face towels cost ¥300 each to rent.
Address: Murododaira, Tateyama-chō, Nakaniikawa-gun, Toyama-ken 〒930-1414
Access: The spa is 15 minutes on foot from the 3rd-floor rear entrance of Hotel Tateyama.
Website:
(English) (Japanese)
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