Kurobe and the Kurobe Gorge

Kurobe offers a range of reasons to visit: the Kurobe Gorge and river, the facilities at Unazuki Dam, art inspired by the gorge, as well as fish cuisine and a hot spring resort. Which of these aspects interests you most can help determine the focus of your plans. The following places bring these themes to life and give you a starting point for planning your stay in Kurobe.

Gorge and River

The Kurobe Gorge Railway runs from Unazuki Station in Kurobe City to Keyakidaira Station, following the Kurobe River along the way. As it travels through the gorge, the railway offers views of steep rock faces and clear streams. If you associate Kurobe above all with the gorge, the route provides a clear focus on the scenery.

Unazuki Dam: Tours and Information

A tour of the inspection tunnel inside Unazuki Dam is held once a month; on other days, visits are possible by advance reservation. The two options differ in timing: you can plan around the date of the monthly tour or book a visit in advance for another day. Check the tour date before your trip.

Damkankan at Unazuki Dam explains the dam’s roles and functions, as well as the natural environment of the Kurobe River. Its facilities include panoramic photographs, aerial images of Toyama Prefecture, a large terrain model, a real-time information system, and a mini cinema. While the tunnel tour takes you inside the dam, Damkankan focuses on explaining the structure and the river.

Art and Views at the Selene Museum

The Selene Museum is dedicated to the natural landscape of the Kurobe Gorge and displays works about Kurobe by leading contemporary Japanese painters. Here, the gorge is presented as a subject of art. On the fourth floor, the museum has an observation gallery overlooking the hot spring resort. The art and the view complement each other, but appeal to different interests: the artworks relate to Kurobe, while the gallery offers views across the hot spring resort.

Fish Cuisine in Ikuji

Ikuji Fish Station combines a market selling freshly caught seasonal fish with an adjoining hall serving seafood rice bowls and local fish dishes. The two areas have different focuses: the market highlights the seasonal catch, while the hall showcases prepared dishes. If local fish dishes are among your travel interests, this is a specific highlight to include in your plans.

Outdoor Views at Tochino-yu

Tochino-yu by the lake offers views from its outdoor baths of the lake, Kurobe’s forested mountains, and the trolley train as it travels through the gorge. Unlike the Selene Museum’s observation gallery, which looks out over the hot spring resort, the view here takes in the lake, mountain forest, and railway. The outdoor baths’ operating periods may change; check before your visit whether they will be open on your travel dates.

Discover more destinations: Asahi, Uozu, Tateyama, Nanto, Toyama, Takaoka, Nakaniikawa District, Tonami.

For the broader travel overview: Toyama Prefecture.