By MICHIYO SATO/ Staff Writer
February 10, 2025 at 07:00 JST
A trolley train runs through the snow-covered Kurobe Gorge in Kurobe, Toyama Prefecture, on Jan. 11. (Michiyo Sato)
KUROBE, Toyama Prefecture—The Kurobe Gorge Railway is offering visitors breathtaking views of the snow-covered valley through train windows on a winter-exclusive sightseeing package.
This premium trolley tour of the renowned V-shaped gorge provides passengers a unique and memorable experience during the coldest months of the year.
As regular train operations are suspended in winter, the tour also includes a rare chance to observe trains undergoing maintenance.
The 90-minute tour starts at Unazuki Station. Participants first visit the nearby Kurobe River Electricity Memorial, where they hear an explanation of the history of the railroad, which was originally built as part of a power development project.
They then proceed to the locomotive maintenance depot to view trains disassembled for inspection.
After that, participants walk to a platform along the tracks and take a diesel locomotive ride to Shin-Yamabikobashi bridge and back along a 530-meter route at a speed under 7 or 8 kph.
On Jan. 11, the first day of the tour, the area surrounding the station was blanketed in 45 centimeters of snow glittering under the clear sky.
Takanori Yamaki, 33, a company employee who joined the event from Kamisu, Ibaraki Prefecture, as one of six family members spanning three generations, expressed his awe at the sight from the train window.
“I witnessed a landscape shaped by our ancestors,” he said.
The special tour package will be available four times a day on Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays until Feb. 24. Tours start at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Each tour is limited to 47 people and is priced at 4,000 yen ($25) for adults and 2,000 yen for children. Preschool-age kids are free.
Reservations should be made at least five days in advance on the website at https://toyama.visit-town.com/visittour/kurokyou-winter-3.
Applications can also be made at the station on the day of the tour if vacancies are available.
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