Snow walls in 2016, when the height reached 13 meters

On April 15 2025, the full route of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route opened to the public after its annual winter closure. Through access between the two terminals: Toyama City in Toyama Prefecture and Omachi Town in Nagano Prefecture, is possible until November 30, 2025.

For those who are unfamiliar, the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route goes through the Northern Japan Alps, and visitors make the crossing using various means of transportation like electric buses, cable cars and a ropeway. It is advisable to set aside at least 5-7 hours to complete a one way trip between the two terminals.

Crowd at Ogizawa on Day 2 of the opening
Taking the steep cable car
Only this part is wide enough for two cable cars to pass
New electric buses made their debut between Daikanbo and Murodo from April 15

From April 15 to June 25, 2025, visitors can see one of the biggest highlights along the Alpen Route - its impressive snow walls around Murodo, the highest point of the route at 2450 meters in elevation. This year, the snow walls were 16 meters high on opening day. Here are some trivia about the snow wall: the highest recorded snow wall was 20 meters on opening day in 2000, while the lowest recorded height was 13 meters. The snow walls get shorter gradually as the snow melts, and the chance to see the walls close in late June.

Snow walk picture from 2016

This year, adverse weather conditions made it impossible for visitors to traverse the full route nor walk along the snow walls on the first and second days of opening. I visited on the second day and lived to tell the tale of arriving to a snowscape with strong winds, snow and limited visibility. Everything related to the snow walls was closed as well as the operation of the highland bus between Murodo and Tateyama Station. Note that when the highland bus is cancelled, the only way to get to Tateyama Station from Murodo is a long detour via Nagano.

A sign informing that the highland bus was not in operation the day I was there
I was sad to see the sign on the left. The next best option was to go right, which I did...

Upon finding out that the access to the snow wall walk was closed for the rest of the day, I left the warm Murodo Station complex in search of a mini snow corridor that was supposedly open to the public. There was something comical and Sisyphean looking for a snow corridor when I was in a blizzard trudging through knee-deep fluffy snow. But, that was me in -8°C (17°F) excluding wind chill, looking for something to see.

Spoiler: I obviously did not see anything, my hair froze within ten minutes from the snow and wind, and I could barely make out a walking path. That is not to say I had a bad time, on the contrary, all the fluffy snow made me feel like a kid again, and I kept looking for places with deeper snow until I ended up in a spot where the snow came above my knees and almost to my mid thigh. Getting out of the snow was a separate topic all together and will not be mentioned.

Murodo Station on the left, small slope to the corridor on the right
I was not more than 50 steps away from the building
Those people in the picture had skis. I wish I had either snowshoes or skis too, but I only had feet :(
It was cold, but I was also excited to be more than knee deep in snow
Wearing bright yellow is a good choice to be seen in a blizzard like that
Going up and down this slope was a little treacherous because some parts were just icy and smooth

For those who unwittingly find themselves in the same position as I, there is not much you can do when you are already there, but make the best out of the situation. Remember that experiencing adverse weather conditions at 2450 meters above ground is a flex and makes for a great travel memory. The small snow corridor around the Murodo Station complex typically remains open even in bad weather, so there is still snow to see and experience.

For those who have flexible plans below are some things to know for a smoother trip.

  • Check the weather before going, and consider postponing to another day if the weather conditions look terrible. For those who have purchased tickets in advance online, changes to your reservation are accepted until 15:00 on the day before the boarding date.
  • If you are already at one of the terminals and received your ticket, changes can be done at the station counter. Note that an administration fee is charged for same day changes.
  • If you decide to cancel the trip altogether, online tickets purchased in advance can be refunded for free if cancelled by 15:00 on the day before the boarding date. A cancellation fee is charged after 15:00 on the day of the boarding date until the boarding time. There is no refund after your boarding time and date has passed.
I wish I got to see the snow wall, but all I got was a picture of these magnets
Snowy conditions at Kurobe Dam when I was there

Opening hours of the snow-related attractions around Murodo

  • Entrance zone: 9:30 to 15:00
  • Snow wall walk: 9:30 to 15:00
  • Snow play area: 10:00 to 15:00 (entry until 14:30)
  • Panorama Road: 10:00 - 15:00
  • Snow corridor: opens from when the first mode of transport arrives at Murodo Station and closes when the last mode of transport leaves Murodo Station

Tickets and prices

Tickets can be purchased in advance online. Alternatively, a limited number of same day tickets are available from either Tateyama Station or Ogizawa on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. However, be aware that same day tickets departing from Tateyama Station can sell out quickly.

The one way ticket price of the full route between Tateyama Station to Ogizawa costs 10,940 yen, while a round trip journey from Ogizawa to Murodo costs 12,300 yen.

The Alpine Route access page has more detailed information about transport and prices.

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