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Kurobe Canyon is the
deepest ravine in Japan - A great recreation spot for mountaineers,
skiers and campers
Situated roughly in the middle of Honshu on the Sea of Japan side,
Toyama is embraced by mighty nature, with the Tateyama mountain range
on the east and the Japan Sea on the north. A number of rivers that
issue from the rugged mountain range run through grand ravines they
created carrying an abundance of clear water. Kurobe-gawa River,
Jintsu-gawa River and many other rivers flow into the gently arcing
Toyama Bay through the expanse of fields open to the bay.
Mt. Tateyama is a time-honored recreation spot for mountaineers,
skiers and campers. It is well known for Jigoku-dani Valley always
wrapped with the reek of sulfur and bare of vegetation, Mikuriga-ike
pond the largest crater lake in the Tateyama mountain range and snowy
valleys in which snow remains all the year round. With the 1971
opening of the Tateyama-Kurobe alpine route as a turning point, the
number of tourists visiting these areas has rapidly increased. The
Kurobe Canyon, which is part of the Chubusangaku National Park, is
Japan's deepest ravine walled with steep cliffs as high as hundreds of
meters. It contains the Sarutobi-kyo Gorge designated as a special
beauty spot in Japan. Upstream of the Kurobe-gawa River sits the
Kurobe dam, the highest arch type dam in Japan with an altitude of 186
meters. The discharge of water you view from the observation platform
of the dam is so dynamic and overwhelming that you could never get
tired of watching it.
Getting there
Toyama Airport is approximately 1 hour and 5 minutes from Tokyo
Haneda Airport. It is about 1 hour and 20 minutes from Tokyo Station
to Echigo-Yuzawa Station by JR Jyoetsu Shinkansen Line. About 2 hours
from Echigo-Yuzawa Station to Toyama Station by Hokuetsu Express Train
on JR Hokuriku Main Line.
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Gokayama
Unique houses, that use no nails, are registered with the world
heritage - The world drama festival is held every summer
Gokayama is the general term for the three villages, Taira-mura,
Kamitaira-mura and Toga-mura, located on the upper Sho-gawa River in
the southeastern part of Toyama. Taira-mura and Kamitaira-mura are
in the basin along Sho-gawa River, and Toga-mura is in the basin of
Toga-gawa River, the tributary of Sho-gawa River. The houses in the
area are built in the style called Gassho zukuri that have three or
four floors. The steep roofs are at 60 degrees as to prevent snow
building up on them, and no nails are used in the construction of
these houses. The style is so unique that those houses are
registered as the World Heritage. The Gassho zukuri houses can be
seen at Ainokura in Taira-mura or at Suganuma in Kamitaira-mura. In
Ainokura, there are also guesthouses open for visitors. In Taira,
you will find the Ensyo Kinen Kan, which was established
commemorating the place that was the home for gunpowder between 17th
century and 19th century. In Toga, the World Drama Festival is held
every summer where plays by theatrical companies from various
countries are performed.
Getting there
By JR Jyoetsu Shinkansen Line from Tokyo Station to
Echigo-yuzawa Station, change line and to Takaoka Station for 3
hours and 40 minutes in total. From Osaka, by JR Hokuriku Main Line
for 3 hours and 10 minutes from Osaka Station to Takaoka Station.
From Takaoka to the villages takes 1 hour by bus.
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Himi
The point where fish from both warm and cold currents meet -
Tateyama Renpo mountain range looks as if floating behind Toyama Bay
Himi is located in the northwestern part of Toyama and faces
Toyama Bay to the east with the north and west sides bordering on
Ishikawa, having Mt. Isurugi and other mountains in between. Himi is
close to the point of where both warm and cold currents run against
each other. For that reason the fishery has always been a large part
of Himi's Industry, and their catch ranks the largest in the
Hokuriku region. Around Himi Port, the fish markets and the fish
wholesalers stand side by side and you can always have fresh seafood
there. In neighboring Unami Port, there are sightseeing boats where
you can experience net fishing with a net that is 300 m long and 90
m wide. You can also enjoy the grand scenery looking at the
magnificent view of Toyama Bay and Tateyama Mountains from aboard.
In the front of Matsudae
Beach facing Toyama Bay, there is the Himi Kaihin Syokubutsu
(Seaside Botanical) Aroma Garden where you can see many types of
seaside plants. In particular, the reproduction of a mangrove wood,
which is the biggest in Japan, recreates the atmosphere of the
tropics perfectly. There is also an area called Junicho-gata that
stretches the length of 2 km and width of 200 m and has a pond with
water lilies.
Getting there
By JR Jyoetsu Shinkansen Line from Tokyo Station to
Echigo-yuzawa Station then to Toyama Station for total of 4 hours
and 30 minutes. By JR Hokuriku Main Line for 20 minutes from Toyama
Station to Takaoka Station and then by JR Himi Line for 30 minutes
to Himi.
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Kurobe Valley
View the
breathtaking view of Japan's deepest valley - An exciting trolley
ride that goes through 41 tunnels and over 25 bridges
Kurobe Valley is located in the eastern part of Toyama and lies
between Tateyama Mountains and Ushiro-Tateyama Mountains. It is the
deepest valley in the whole country. If you take the trolley ride
you can view the beauty of the canyon between Unazuki-Onsen Station
and Keyaki-daira Station. The trolley ride takes 1 hour and 20
minutes for the distance of 20.1 km and includes going through 41
tunnels and over 25 bridges. One of the bridges is called
Atobiki-kyo, which lies over the deepest part of the valley, and is
55 m long and 56 m high. The view from this bridge is one of the
best in this area. There are many hot springs along the trolley
route such as the Kuronagi-onsen, Kanetsuri-onsen and Meiken-onsen
Hot Springs and these supply water to Unazuki-onsen Hot Spring. You
can get off the trolley at any one of those springs and enjoy the
spa. Kanetsuri-onsen Hot Spring is known for distinctive
characteristic that you can dig anywhere along the Kurobe-gawa River
and have hot spring water so that you can indulge yourself in your
own private spa, anytime and anywhere. If you take a 1 km walk from
Keyaki-daira Station, the last stop of the trolley route, you will
see Kurobe-gawa River from the precipitous cliff called Sarutobi-kyo
Valley. Also there is also Yamagoya-Babatani-onsen Hot Spring in the
surroundings where you can relax and have a rest.
Getting there
By JR Jyoetsu Shinkansen Line from Tokyo Station to
Echigo-yuzawa Station, then to Toyama Station for a total time of 4
hours and 30 minutes. From Osaka, by JR Hokuriku Main Line for 3
hours and 10 minutes from Osaka station. By Toyama Chiho Tetsudo
Honsen Line Limited Express for 1 hour from Dentetsu Toyama Station
to Unazuki Onsen Station. From there, walk for 3 minutes to Kurobe
Kyokoku Tetsudo Unazuki Station.
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Shogawa-kyo Valley
The colorful mountain reflected on the surface of the calm dam
Shogawa-kyo Valley in the southwestern part of Toyama flows from
the Omaki Dam to Mt. So-yama calmly and plentifully. The mountain
gets its color from the cherry blossoms in spring and the red leaves
in autumn and you can enjoy the scenery on board a boat, which
travels for an hour from Omaki Dam to Mt. So-yama. Shogawa-machi
near Shogawa Valley is the town that has always been involved with
water since olden times, and because Sho-gawa River flew into the
Tonami plains, it was once a prosperous trading center for lumber of
the Hida Forest. Shogawa-machi Mizu Kinen Park, in appreciation of
the bountiful amount of water, has a huge fountain that spurts water
up to 36 m high and many other waterfalls and streams. The park
provides the citizens of Shogawa-machi town with a place for
relaxation. In the surroundings of Shogawa-machi there are other
places for recreation and relaxation as well such as the
Yudani-onsen Hot Springs where you can see Ashikura-taki Fall and
Kumaoi-daki Fall, and cultural places such as Aqua Nanairo Kan that
exhibits the work of drifting wood in olden days, or Shogawa-machi
Kanaya Tokusan Kan that introduces the tradition and cultures of the
town.
Getting there
By JR Jyoetsu Shinkansen Line from Tokyo Station to
Echigo-yuzawa Station, change to Hokuriku Main Line to Takaoka
Station for 3 hours and 40 minutes. From Osaka, by JR Hokuriku Main
Line from Osaka Station to Takaoka for 3 hours and 10 minutes. By
bus from Takaoka Station to Shogawa-machi for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
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Tateyama Kurobe
Alpine Route
Enjoy the beautiful mountain route through all seasons - Kurobe Dam
is the highest dam in the country
Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route has a distance of 86 km and goes
from Tateyama Station on the Toyama Chiho Tetsudo line to Nagano
Ogisawa, by a combination of bus, cable car, and ropeway. This route
was started as a transportation route to construct the Kurobe-gawa
River No. 4 electric power plant, and was opened in 1972.
Tateyama was known as disciplined place for religious believers.
Jigoku-dani Valley is the area where you will notice the strong
smell of sulfur. There are no trees or plants here. Moreover there
is Mikuriga-ike Pond, which is the largest crater lake in Tateyama.
Also, there are areas where you can see snow covered mountains even
during the summer time. Mountaineers and tourists will visit in the
season of fresh green to the season of tinted autumnal leaves.
Kurobe Dam is built at the upper stream of Kurobe-gawa River with a
capacity of 200 million tons of water and at a height of 186 m. The
dam is formed in the shape of an arch and the scene as water drains
is exciting and insatiable. On the way to the Alpine-route, there
are many scenic spots such as the Akushiro-no-kabe rock, Syomyo-daki
Falls and also Murodo where a spring of 2-5 degrees Celsius gushes
out even in summer.
Getting there
By JR Joetsu Shinkansen Line from Tokyo Station to Echigo-yuzawa
Station, change there and on to Toyama for a total journey time of 4
hours and 30 minutes. From Osaka, by JR Hokuriku Main Line for 3
hours and 10 minutes from Osaka Station to Toyama Station. Then by
Toyama Chiho Tetsudo Tateyama Line for 2 hours from Dentetsu Toyama
Station to Tateyama Station.
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Toyama and Takaoka
Toyama, the entrance to Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route - Takaoka,
internationally known for its metalworking industry
The city of Toyama is located at the center of Toyama
Prefecture, at the lower reaches of Zintsu-gawa River facing Toyama
Bay. The surrounding area of Toyama Station serves as the entrance
to the Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route and is also known as a
distinguished shopping area with stylish boutiques and accessory
shops. Trams are the popular choice of transportation for the local
people. There are parks such as Toyama Joshi Koen (Toyama Castle
Remains Park) and Jonan Koen Park in the middle of the city. The
donjon of Toyama Castle in Joshi Koen is now used as a local
folklore museum. In Jonan Koen Park, there is the Toyama Museum of
Modern Arts, which has paintings of the great masters of the 20th
century such as Picasso and Chagall.
Takaoka is located to the east of Toyama. The mineral industry has
developed there since the 17th century, when the ruler named Maeda
Toshinaga gathered miners to create a town called Kanaya-cho
district. Many temple bells and other copper utensils have been made
since. Those metalworking techniques have continued to develop
generation after generation and particularly after World War II it
expanded to make aluminum. Other metal processing industries such as
copper are also internationally well known. In Hokudo Kan, you can
actually experience casting and make your own articles of cast
metal.
Getting there
By JR Joetsu Shinkansen Line from Tokyo Station to Echigo-yuzawa
Station, then to Toyama Station for the total of 4 hours and 30
minutes. By JR Hokuriku Main Line for 20 minutes from Toyama Station
to Takaoka Station. From Osaka, by JR Hokuriku Main Line for 3 hours
and 10 minutes from Osaka Station to Takaoka Station.
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Unazuki
A hot spring resort where the bronze statues of Takaoka Copperware
stand - The Snow Carnival in winter presents Snow Fire Works
In the northeastern part of Toyama, at the mouth of Kurobe
Canyon, Unazuki-onsen is the largest hot spring in the prefecture.
Located on the river terrace of Kurobe-gawa River, Unazuki-onsen Hot
Spring developed together with the development of power sources. It
is the starting point of the Kurobe Canyon Tetsudo Line, which runs
between Unazuki and Keyaki-daira in the deep V-shaped valley. It is
also the base for those who want to explore other scenic spots.
Boiling hot spring water, 98 degrees Celsius, is brought from
upstream Kuronagi-onsen Hot Spring to Unazuki. The fountain in front
of the station is unique in that it gushes out hot water of 45 to 50
degrees centigrade to a height of 1 to 2 meters. Most of the hotel
facilities are along Kurobe-gawa River or along Unazuki Valley, and
the beauty of the valley may be enjoyed from the hotel lobbies or
from the big public baths as well. The 27 bronze statues on the
streets are Takaoka Doki Copperware of Takaoka, which has been one
of the most famous local crafts of Toyama since the 17th century.
Another treat in Unazuki is the local beer served at its
restaurants. The original beer, which uses the clear water of
Kurobe-gawa River and barley of Unazuki, has a very rich taste. The
Snow Carnival in winter presents Snow Fire Works and more than 100
skiers participate in the Torch Downhill by skiing down the slope
with torches in their hands.
Getting there
From Tokyo Station, take JR Joetsu Shinkansen Line to Echigo
Yuzawa Station and change to JR Hokuriku Line to Toyama Station, 3
Hours 30 Minutes. From Osaka Station, take JR Hokuriku Honsen Line
to Toyama Station, 3 Hours 10 Minutes. From Dentetsu Toyama Station
to Unazuki-onsen Station, 1 Hour by Toyama-chiho-tetsudo Honsen
Limited Express.
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Chubu
Information
provided by Japan National Tourist Organization.
