The long-awaited opening of the Kurobe-Unazuki Canyon Route aims to draw visitors with an appetite for something out of the ordinary and a willingness to embrace the inconvenient deep into the mountains of Toyama Prefecture, central Japan.

Tours of the route, which began on Friday, guide participants through tunnels using vehicles built for the construction and operation of hydroelectric power facilities that normally operate out of sight in the mountains surrounding the Kurobe River.

The roughly 18-kilometer route, connecting the terminal station of the Kurobe Gorge Railway with Kurobe Dam, both popular tourist attractions, passes through rugged terrain that was first surveyed for power generation in the early 20th century.

The route remains an operating industrial environment, and tours show the endeavor and hardship that went into the development of the area’s infrastructure.

Background video ©︎Kurobe Gorge Railway

"Inconvenience is part of the appeal,” said Takanori Suzuki, a sales manager at travel agency JTB Corp., which developed package tours centered on the route.

With safety the top priority, there is little room for “omotenashi,” the traditional Japanese hospitality often a hallmark of other tourism experiences. Hospitality here requires hard hats, security checks and a sturdy pair of shoes.

At the heart of the route, tours visit the Kurobe River No. 4 Power Plant, which generates electricity using water stored in Kurobe Dam. Operator Kansai Electric Power Co. built the plant underground to minimize impact on the natural landscape.

Construction of the plant began amid increasing demand for electricity in Japan during the country’s post-World War II recovery and was considered a landmark project due to its scale and the harsh natural environment.

*Construction of Kurobe Dam in 1960. (Kyodo)*

*Construction of Kurobe Dam in 1960. (Kyodo)*

The plant was completed in 1963 following survey work and a seven-year construction period, with 171 workers losing their lives during the project, according to the operator.

Moving to and from the plant, participants are guided through tunnels, often dark and damp, transferring between five different modes of transport designed to carry construction equipment and overcome changes in elevation.

On one section of the route, participants squeeze into small train carriages pulled by a heat-resistant, battery-powered locomotive designed to operate in the so-called High Temperature Tunnel on the approach to the power plant.

During excavation of the tunnel in 1930s, workers faced temperatures in the bedrock that reached 160 C, causing dynamite to explode spontaneously.

Even today, temperatures reach around 40 C, and the heat, along with the smell of sulphur, fills the carriages. Protective masks and torches are fitted beneath the seats in case of an evacuation.

Leaving the power plant, tours ride an 815-meter funicular railway which climbs a 34-degree incline to an elevation of 1,325 meters.

At the high elevations on the approach to Kurobe Dam, tunnels and shafts drip with bitterly cold water, filtered through the rock, another reminder of the harsh conditions faced by early construction workers.

“We are asking people to take on the challenge of something inconvenient. It’s the kind of out-of-the-ordinary experience which people often say they are looking for,” Suzuki said.

And people have been looking. Access is limited to overnight package tours centered on the route, and over half of the around 2,700 spaces available through November 30 were snapped up on the first day when they went on sale in July, according to Suzuki.

The route is expected to be limited to 10,000 visitors a year during its annual operating season between June and November.

Masami Amano, one of the tour guides, was drawn to the route by her fascination with the idea of industry on such a scale existing deep in the mountains.

Speaking during a training session ahead of the opening, the former mountain guide from Toyama Prefecture said her favorite part of the experience is the mountain scenery visible from shafts and observation points along the upper reaches of the route.

“It’s an opportunity to view scenery that most people never will. Even experienced hikers have difficulty reaching these locations,” she said.

Plans to open the previously restricted route to tourism were formalized in an agreement between Toyama Prefecture and Kansai Electric in 2018.

*A ceremony marking the launch of the Kurobe-Unazuki Canyon Route and the full resumption of the Kurobe Gorge Railway is held on Oct. 1, 2026. (Kyodo)*

*A ceremony marking the launch of the Kurobe-Unazuki Canyon Route and the full resumption of the Kurobe Gorge Railway is held on Oct. 1, 2026. (Kyodo)*

The opening, initially scheduled for June 2024, was postponed following the Noto Peninsula earthquake in January that year after falling rocks damaged bridges and other infrastructure along the Kurobe Gorge Railway, preventing access to the route’s staring point.

*Unazuki Onsen, a hot spring resort in Kurobe, Toyama Prefecture.*

*Unazuki Onsen, a hot spring resort in Kurobe, Toyama Prefecture.*

Now that it is finally open, Toyama Prefecture said it hopes the route will change the way visitors experience the region, bringing together destinations including the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route and the hot spring resort of Unazuki Onsen to create a "continuous mountain tourism experience."

*Autumn leaves along the scenic Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route straddling Toyama and Nagano prefectures. (Kyodo)*

*Autumn leaves along the scenic Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route straddling Toyama and Nagano prefectures. (Kyodo)*

“We hope to develop this into one of Toyama's flagship tourism attractions, appealing to domestic and overseas visitors seeking an experience unavailable anywhere else,” a prefectural official said.

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Kurobe canyon route

tours trade comfort
for rare look at underground works