Opened on 1971, the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route is a 23-mile sightseeing route connecting Tateyama, Toyama and Ōmachi, Nagano, Japan. The road rises 6,500 feet as it cuts through the Northern Japan Alps known as The Roof of Japan.
The Tateyama area is one of the snowiest places on earth and during the winter a 500 meter section of the road can be covered by as much as 65 feet of snow. From December to April the road is completely inaccessible but in the spring a dedicated road maintenance crew work cut a path through the snowpack which has become a major tourist attraction over the years.
If you find yourself in Japan during the springtime, consider a trip to this incredible stretch of road and appreciate the “Snow Walls of Tateyama”:
Incredible Snow Canyons:
The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route closes in late November when winter rolls through the area. Visit in April to witness firsthand just how heavy the snow gets. This is the time of year when the famed Tateyama Snow Corridor draws visitors who come to see the towering walls of snow on either side of the road that can reach a massive 20 meters high. The corridor is most impressive around the Murodou Plain and is open to pedestrians from mid-April to late June.
images from Japan Alps Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route
