Alpine Route: Peak Colors

The Japan Alps are among the first places in Japan to see autumn colors, after Hokkaido's high mountains, where I was two weeks ago.

The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route makes these mountain landscapes accessible even without hiking. Combining several forms of transport originally built for dam construction, the route is famous for its snow corridor in spring, but also offers attractive autumn scenery.

The colors appeared at the route's highest elevations slightly later than usual this year and have just recently started to peak around Murodo. They are now moving down the slopes, promising several more weeks of autumn colors along the route.

At 2450 meters above sea level, Murodo is the highest point on the Alpine Route. Among the most prominent sources of autumn color here are the Nanakamado bushes with their vibrant colors ranging from yellow to red and the Chinguruma plants which form red carpets.

The colors can be enjoyed on short walks from the bus terminal, and are even more enjoyable on longer hikes. Today I made a rewarding loop around Murodo, which takes around 3-4 hours and requires proper hiking footwear and preparations, because the trail is steep and uneven in many sections further away from the bus terminal.

The colors along the Tateyama Ropeway were still developing. I predict that another week of crisp nights and hopefully some sunny days will be needed to bring them to the peak of their autumnal beauty.

Further down around the Kurobe Dam at 1450 meters, the trees have barely begun to change color. The season here usually peaks in the second half of October.