Kurobe
is a city in Toyama Prefecture located in the north of central japan.
Surrounded by mountains and along the coast, the city’s landscape is one of a
kind. Despite located right at the north of Central Japan, H & I decide to make
a trip there. Thanks to H spearheading the 4 hours’ drive, we arrived at Kurobe
city safely.
Kurobe Gorge Railway
Being
the poster girl of Japan Tourism, one will not miss the photo of Kurobe Gorge
Railway. You may even see it without even realizing it to be Kurobe because
it’s a hidden gem that is popular with the locals and currently under the
tourist radar. Plus,
it operates seasonal and is open from April - November, making it even less popular.
Located
20 minutes away from Kurobe City, the gorge is a paradise on its own. It is so
beautiful I can’t stop raving about it to H even when I’m back home. Just when
you thought that blue pond is blue, the one at Kurobe Gorge will blow your
mind.
The railway that was built to aid the
construction of the Kurobe Dam has become the main attraction at Kurobe. With a small train operating along a winding
track, one can enjoy the unspoiled nature from the train
Once we
boarded, we were taken to the valley with steep Alpine. The vertical cliff and
unspoiled nature is truly a gem. A single way journey will take 60
minutes crossing more than 20 bridges. From the train, one is treated to a panoramic view of the gorge. Highly recommend one to get on their foot and
explore.
Railway tickets in Kurobe Gorge
Tickets
are sold in the railway station and only cash is accepted. Alternatively, you can
purchase an online ticket from here. E-reservation closes 2 days in advance. Do
note that some tickets are sold with return tickets as some station does not
have a ticket office.
Kurobe Gorge Railway Route
Credit: Kurotetu
There
are 4 stations in Kurobe Gorge. Each station has a different attraction and I’m
guessing you would need at a full day to complete. We didn’t have much time
after encountering many unforeseen issues, we bought a return ticket to Kuronagi
Station
Unazuki Station
The trail starts at Unazuki Station which is 20
minutes-drive from Kurobe city. From
the station, you can witness the newly built dam from the station. Highly recommend you to stay one night at the station so that that you can spend more time exploring Kurobe Gorge
or even beat the crowd. If there is one thing you don’t know about Japanese is
that they are early birds.
Kuronagi Station
As we
do not have the whole day in Kurobe, we didn’t visit all the station. Instead,
we visited Kuronagi Station and took a walk along the river. H & I took our
time to explore this area and we almost had the place to ourselves. With most
tourist visiting other station, it made our experience there very memorable.
After 500m, you can witness the limpid water gushing out towards the river.
There is even a small guesthouse located next to the river. Plus, visitors and
guest can enjoy the hot spring at a fee. Do note that you need to purchase
a return ticket because Kuonagi station does not have a service counter
Oyster
seafood restaurant かき処 海
If you
are a huge fan of oyster, do head over to the Oyster restaurant and try the
deep-sea fresh oyster. The oyster is fresh and juicy. They even have the Oyster
buffet for those who want unlimited supplies. The staff in the restaurant is
very friendly and helpful. Knowing that we are not familiar with grilling
oyster, she helped u to prepare instead!
Address:
Japan, 〒929-2241 Ishikawa, Nanao,
Nakajimamachi Hamada, 21
Opening
hours: Daily 11am – 3pm (Mon – Thurs), 11am – 5pm (Fri - Sun)
Despite
spending little time at Kurobe, H & I had so much fun! The only regret was
not spending enough time there. The next time when we visit Kurobe, we will
definitely want to explore other station and taking a trip to Tateyama-Kurobe
Alpine route.
Other
attractions near Kurobe
Murodo
Credit: Common Wikimedia
Although
not in the same area, I would want to visit this place during the summer! Not only one
can see the scenery of Tateyama Mountain Range, one can visit the snow corridor (Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine route)that is open to the public during Summer! It is said that the snow wall can reach a
height of up to 16M.
Central Japan Self drive itinerary
Read Central Japan Self Drive Itinerary Summary here
Read Central Japan Self Drive Itinerary Summary here
Read Kurobe Itinerary - Kurobe Gorge Railway (part 4)
Read Takayama Itinerary & Things to do in Takayama here (Part5)
Read Takayama Itinerary & Things to do in Takayama here (Part5)
Other Japan Travel Itinerary
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