History of Tateyama and the Alpine Route | Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route

Introduction of Alpine Route

The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine (pronounced “Alpen”) Route is known as the “Roof of Japan”. The route passes through the dynamic scenery of Mt. Tateyama in the Japan Alps. It is traversed using a variety of vehicles with an elevation change of 2400 meters from Toyama Prefecture to Nagano Prefecture.

The operating period for 2019 is as follows,

Full route (Dentetsu Toyama – Shinano Omachi) April 15th to November 30th,2019
Partial route (Dentetsu Toyama – Midagahara) April 10th to 14th,2019
The route is closed from December 1st to April 9th.

Partial Cross Section

The route is approximately 90 km long and you will be impressed by the variety of scenery that can be seen in different seasons.

The beauty of the Alps fascinates many people, not only mountaineers but also tourists are able to experience their stunning enormity.
A panoramic view of the route crossing the Tengudaira area of the mountain range.
Impressive views can be seen just after the road is opened at the mid-April until May. After June the walls of snow become shorter but some snow remains even in August.

Location of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route

The Northern Japan Alps lie on the border between Toyama and Nagano prefectures. The Alpine Route crosses this mountain range and can be accessed from the major cities of each prefecture.

Various Vehicles Are Used along the Route

The Alpine route includes many unique vehicles. These vehicles and the seasonal changes in scenery are the main attraction of the route.

Tateyama Attracts Many Mountaineers

Tateyama has good access as a tourist site, but also provide access for many mountaineers. (Please note that you need to be well prepared before attempting to climb these mountains.)

Mountaineers climbing in the Ichi-no-koshi area

The Rich Natural Environment Is Habitat to Many Plants and Animals

Tateyama is home to many rare species of plant. It takes many years for these plants to grow and bloom.

Delicate alpine plants in the area between Murodo and Tengudaira

The “Symbiosis” of Nature and Tourism

It is important that we protect this unique mountain environment. The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route aims to be the world’s foremost ecological tourism site. We use electrical ‘green’ vehicles to keep emissions as low as possible.