Crossing to Shinshu via Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route | Travelling from Toyama to Matsumoto

revisit

Having some business in Matsumoto this July, and with a bit of extra time on my hands, I decided to enter Matsumoto from Toyama City via the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. This is a newly written report of my journey into Shinshu—a trip I had dreamed of making ever since my days as a broke student.

Purchasing the Ticket from Toyama all the way to Ogizawa

I was so thrilled that I couldn’t help but take a picture. Back in my student days, I used to traverse from Shinano-Omachi Station via Ogizawa to the Tateyama Mountain Range for mountain climbing several times, but I never had the chance to travel all the way through from the Toyama side to Shinshu. Holding this ticket half a century later felt like a once-in-a-lifetime souvenir for the next world!

Murodo: Accessible Even in Sandals?

I seem to recall a somewhat disrespectful (?) travel guidebook from my student days claiming that you could even visit in sandals, but needless to say, I didn’t see anyone wearing sandals. If I had more time, I would have liked to stroll around a bit further, but wanting to reach Matsumoto before dark, I settled for wandering around the immediate vicinity. Though it didn’t rain, it was rather cloudy, so I couldn’t take many great photos. Here are a few relatively nice ones for you to enjoy.

Mikuriga-ike Pond has a circumference of about 630 meters. Walking around it takes over an hour, so I gave up!
Definitely not a path you can walk in sandals!
I waited a while hoping the clouds would clear so I could see Mt. Oyama (the peak), but new clouds kept forming near the summit even when it looked ready to break, so I gave up.

My Favorite Spot: Daikanbo!

This is my absolute favorite section of the Tateyama Alpine Route. I recall looking down at the vibrant autumn leaves during my student days, though it was out of season this time. Still, this vast expanse is a sight to behold no matter when you visit. I could also spot Mt. Subari and Mt. Harinoki, which I climbed back in my student days—a truly nostalgic and beloved landscape.

The collaboration between Mt. Harinoki and Lake Kurobe is truly a picture-perfect piece of natural art!
Everywhere you look now, it’s packed with inbound tourists. I wonder how this compares to the original European Alps in their eyes.
This is my favorite spot in Daikanbo, giving a real sense of immense scale and distance. Even without autumn foliage, my spirits were lifted high.

Visiting Kurobe Dam Again, But with a Different Feeling

Access to Kurobe Dam from the Shinshu side isn’t bad, making it a great day-trip route that I’ve visited several times before. However, coming all the way from Toyama brings a special, fresh emotion, almost as if I were visiting for the first time. Since a considerable amount of time had passed since my last visit, a few things had changed. There was an exhibition corner dedicated to the history of the arduous construction of Kurobe Dam No. 4 (though I didn’t take a photo of it).

Another favorite angle of mine, reminding me of the Thunderbird headquarters (the puppet show, not the bird!). Even looking at it today, I’m moved by how they built such a massive structure in such an unexplored region.
The classic tourist water discharge. Upon looking it up, I found that this promotional discharge has been conducted ever since the dam was first completed.
Viewed from a slightly higher angle. This spot was also filled with international visitors.

Safely Arrived at Shinano-Omachi Station via Ogizawa!

Thanks to a smooth trip, I caught a bus from Ogizawa while it was still daylight and arrived safely at Shinano-Omachi Station. Thank you very much for reading to the end! While it has become quick and easy to travel between Shinshu and the Hokuriku region via the Shinkansen, I highly recommend this scenic route to anyone who has time to spare! (R-O)

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