48 Hours Trekking and Cycling in Toyama: Summer Edition

Mt. Tateyama, at its highest peak, is 3,015m tall, and it is part of a large mountain range that cannot be accessed by regular vehicles. To see its beauty, you have to traverse it using six different types of transport. That included everything from the Tateyama Cable Car to the Kanden Tunnel Electric Bus.

The route connects Toyama and Nagano prefectures, and by visiting in summer, you get to see all sorts of different sceneries along the way. I went past giant waterfalls on the bus, flew over the mountains on the ropeway, and got up close to the blue waters of Kurobe Dam.

For a day trip, one of the most popular routes is to head to the Kurobe Dam first, and then return to Murodo to go trekking and see Mikurigaike Pond. Seeing as the last bus down from Murodo is at 4:30pm, I made an early start and headed straight to the dam, stopping only for a few pictures along the way, like the Daikanbo observation deck.

Kurobe Dam is the tallest dam in Japan, standing at an impressive 186m. At first, it’s hard to tell, because you come out of the cable car station to what seems like a bridge. In fact, it’s the top of the dam. I could hear the force of the water before I could see it, and then found the immense spray releasing 10 tons of water per second. It’s an impressive sight to see the contrast of the manmade structure against the green mountains in the distance.

Exploring the dam is a bit of a workout, as you can walk to the different observation decks and viewing spots. So, to refuel before trekking at Murodo, I tried the Kurobe Dam Rest House’s signature dish, Kurobe Dam Curry. The Dam Curries are inspired by the dam itself, where the rice is the dam, and the delicious green curry is the water.

From the Kurobe Dam, it’s back on the cable car, ropeway, and trolley bus to get to Murodo. On the way to Kurobe Dam, I followed the green signs, but for the way back I looked out for blue, which indicates the Toyama direction. From the Murodo stop, it is about 15 minutes on foot to Mikurigaike Pond.

On clear days, the pond is a beautiful blue, reflecting the immense mountains around it. You can only see this striking scene from July to October, as the rest of the time it is frozen over. Depending on the time of your visit, you can see a beautiful combination of fresh greenery and snow. The pond is 630m in circumference, so in summer it makes for a good walk with further trekking routes branching off in different directions. While the areas closest to the pond can sometimes get crowded in summer, it is never too crowded to make it unenjoyable. You can easily explore the rest of the route and immerse yourself in the mountain scenery without coming across many other people.

After spending a day traversing the Japanese Alps, I was very glad to be able to just walk across the road from Tateyama Station for a place to rest. Locomotion Coffee and Bed is one of the few accommodations so close to the Alpine Route, and has been renovated to create a cozy yet modern atmosphere.

The accommodation is a guest house, meaning there are two gender-separated shared bedrooms. But there are also two private bedrooms that can hold up to three people. There was a Japanese style private bedroom with tatami and futons, and a western style one with a mattress and sofa. I stayed in the western style room, and rested on the sofa looking out at the mountain range I had just visited.

The rest of the facilities are shared, including a warm shared bath area and a private shower downstairs. There is also a cozy café and bar area serving cute yoshoku (Japanese western fusion) food, desserts, and drinks like a matcha latte. I also had breakfast here in the morning, which includes a selection of bread and rice.

The Toyama Bay Cycling Route is a beautiful way to spend a day exploring local spots and food you wouldn’t normally get to experience travelling by train or car. This is how I spent my second day in Toyama.

The entire course is around 102km, taking experienced cyclists around 8.5 hours to complete. But there are a number of shorter course recommendations for a more casual exploration of the area. I took the West Side Family Route, which covers a round-trip total of 16km. I rented my electric cross bike from the Himi City Fisheries Cultural Exchange Center as per the route recommendation, and made my way to Roadside Station Amaharashi.

The route was overall very flat, which made it a breeze cycling on the electric bike to the first stop on the route, Shimao Beach. On a clear day, you can see the Japanese Alps I had just trekked across in the distance.

I then made my way to Roadside Station Amaharashi, where I cooled down with a Saratoga Cooler and an ice cream. The Saratoga Cooler was made with Blue Hawaii syrup jelly and ginger ale, with its color gradient representing the beautiful seaside right in front of me. At the rest area you can also buy all sorts of Toyama specialties, so I bought some local Himi Udon noodles to cook at home.

My summer trip to Toyama was a refreshing break from the crowds and heat of Tokyo, letting me immerse myself in nature and the fresh coastal air. As Toyama Station is just two hours from Tokyo, and two and a half hours from Osaka, it’s a surprisingly accessible destination for a summer getaway.

Here, we explored just two days in Toyama, but there is so much more to explore. Let out your adventurous side, and come and find out for yourself!