In northern Japan, the Tateyama Mountain Range stands tall at 3,000 meters and has been admired for its unique landscape that’s said to be a mix of paradise and hell.
Nowadays, a trip to Tateyama is all about enjoying its stunning natural beauty. You can take a cool 90km journey along the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, using trains, buses, cable cars, and trolley buses. This route marked its 50th birthday in 2021.
On this route, you’ll find the Tateyama Murodo Plain with pretty alpine flowers in summer and the clear Mikurigaike Pond. At 2,450 meters above sea level, the plain is famous for getting lots of winter snow, forming a 500-meter-long snow corridor. The ‘Snow Walls’ can reach up to 20 meters high, and you can check them out up close from mid-April to mid-June.
The area around is like a giant snowy wonderland in winter, all white as far as you can see. If you look closely, you might even spot Toyama’s special bird, the ptarmigan – people used to think it was a messenger from the gods – blending in with the snow. Pretty cool, right?