Kurobe Gorge Railway Is Partly-Closed. Here's What That Means

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Helen Foster is a Sydney-based author, journalist and content creator. She has traveled to Japan six times and is planning trip seven. Her articles on Japan have appeared in publications including Reader's Digest (Asia Pacific), RAC Horizons, Jetstar Magazine, the Japan National Tourism Organisation website and more. She is a digital publisher member of the Australian Society of Travel Writers.

Why is the Kurobe Gorge Train Not Running Properly?

The Kanetsuri Bridge on the Kurobe Gorge Railway was damaged by a landslide during the Noto Peninsula earthquake, so, the train won’t run all the way through to Keyakidaira until it’s 2025 season while repairs are done.

Originally it was hoped the railway would reopen for Autumn leaves season, but, that hasn’t happened and the train is still only running to Nekomata until November 30th. The train then closes for the winter.

This means you can still take the train between Unazuki to Nekomata. This journey takes 45 minutes and takes in about half of the normal journey in distance.

So, what does this mean for you if you were planning to travel on the train this autumn? What will you see – what will you miss?

Let’s take a look at it…

What Will You See on the Shorter Journey

You will still see a lot of pretty scenery as the journey still runs along the edge of the gorge.

The highlight sights from the Kurobe Train journey that you’ll still see on this new shorter route include the Unzaki Dam, the castle-like Shin-Yanagawara Power Plant and Kuronagi Onsen,

You’ll also cross over three of the main bridges on the journey including the Atobiki Bridge which runs over the steepest and deepest part of the gorge – and lots of smaller bridges as well.

What Won’t You See on the Shorter Journey

The Perpetual Snow. This quirky patch of snow that never melts appears close to Kanetsuri Station and your journey will stop before this. Kanetsuri open-air baths – this hot spring at the edge of the river is a pretty place to soak your feet – is also further down the track.

You’ll also obviously miss any of the sites around Keyakidaira station which include the famous foot bath, the giant ‘people eating’ rock – and the bright red Okukane Bridge.

Also, note that you can’t get off the train at Nekomata. Instead, they’ll turn the train around and head straight back to Unazuki.

What Does This Mean for Autumn Leaves?

Only the shorter route will be running.

So, Is It Still Worth Taking the Train?

You’ll still get 90 minutes of pretty views so it won’t be a complete waste of time, especially if you are unlikely to come back to this part of Japan.

Personally, I decided not to take the journey because I was already struggling to fit everything in. As it was a good six-hour round trip from Toyama, where I’m staying, to go on the train, I’d rather save it for a time when the whole thing is running and use those hours to explore Toyama and the cool sights nearby.

What Else Can You Do Instead?

If this news means you now have a spare day around the region, you might wonder what else you do around these parts. Well, here’s a few ideas.

Explore Toyama

I’m going to spend a whole day in Toyama, visiting all the in-city sights like the cool-looking glass museum and the restored castle. Then, I’m going to take the boat up to the town of Iwase and then go to the beach up there, which, on a clear day, has the most amazing view of the mountain range behind it.

I couldn’t fit all of this in and go on the gorge train, so I’m excited by this.

Update: Poor weather scuppered the boat plan, but I did do the rest of the journey and you can see more about it in my guide to spending a day in Toyama.

Day Trip to Takaoka

Another option might be to take the train to the nearby town of Takoaka and the Shinminato fish market. From there, I’m going to walk the canal town of Uchikawa and then come back down to explore the older areas of Takoaka. I might also go along the coast to Himi, as, that’s a fun train journey – and there are some manga sights up there I’m interested in.

Catch the Hida Express

If you had your heart set on going on a train though, you might want to look at the line between Toyama and Takayama, or further down to Gifu – the Hida Limited Express has large windows especially for catching the pretty scenery along this route.

Reservations are required as it gets busy. When you book, make sure you select the Hida service option.

Ride the Belles Montagnes et Mer

Or, if you are lucky enough to snag a seat, you could take the Belles Montagnes et Mer, which runs on Saturdays between Takaoka and Johana and Takaoka and Himi (on Sundays).

This train is described as an ‘art gallery on wheels’ – but the art isn’t paintings inside trains, but the views out of the wide windows (although there are also carvings to admire inside the train).

The official website is only in Japanese, but you can find the timetable here, you will need to make reservations as it is only assigned seating. You can do this by choosing the Belles Montagnes et Mer option here from a month before the journey date.

Another exciting thing about this train is its onboard sushi chef. You have to order the meals three days in advance from Toyama visitors centre though so it might not be easy for most tourists, but if you are interested, see more about this here . It is Japanese so you’ll need to use Google Translate.

Do the Alpine Route

You could also spend the day working your way along the famous alpine route, which involves taking eight different types of transport from Toyama to Nagano. It will take you a bit of planning, so don’t leave organizing this one to the last minute! This site gives you a good outline.

So, there you have it – the latest news on why the Kurobe Gorge Railway isn’t quite running as normal this season.

Hopefully, it hasn’t spoilt your plans too much, but if you do have any more questions, why not head over to the Japlanease Japan planning group on Facebook and ask them to the group.

Who Writes This Blog?

My name is Helen Foster, and I’m a journalist and author. My travel articles have appeared in publications including The Australian, Escape, RAC Horizons, Jetstar Magazine, Sainsbury’s Magazine, and more.

I’ve traveled to Japan eight times before – solo and with my partner and visited over 25 towns and cities. My last visit was November 2024 so, everything here is pretty up to date.