Toyama · UnazukiNo.486★★★Open in map →

Kurobe Gorge Railway

natureThe classic — done right

An open-sided train built for hydroelectric construction, climbing the Kurobe gorge from the hot-spring town of Unazuki. Autumn colour is its best-known season. Until the end of September 2026 it is running short of the full line.

FromUnazuki-Onsen Station (Toyama Chiho Railway)
~5 minToyama Chiho Railway, 5 min walk
Kurobe Gorge Railway

Directions ↗

Where it is

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What to look for — in walking order

Unazuki Stationthe departure platform, where the open coaches stand alongside the line's working locomotives
Shin-Yamabiko Bridgethe red truss bridge crossed in the first minute out of Unazuki
Lake Unazuki and the monkey bridgea green reservoir with a small suspension span strung across it for monkeys
Atobiki Bridgea blue span about 60 metres above the bed of the Kuronagi river, at the tightest point of the valley
Keyakidairathe upper terminus at the head of the line, deep in the gorge

How to actually get there

Toyama → Unazuki-Onsen on the Toyama Chiho Railway (by Shinkansen, change at Kurobe-Unazuki-Onsen for Shin-Kurobe).
Unazuki-Onsen Station → Kurobe Gorge Railway's Unazuki Station, about five minutes on foot.
Buy or collect at the Unazuki window; the open coach needs no supplement, the closed one does.
Ride the current turn-back to Nekomata and return, or from October ride through to Keyakidaira.

Toyama Chiho Railway to Unazuki-Onsen: The Unazuki branch of the Toyama Chiho Railway ends at Unazuki-Onsen, in the middle of the hot-spring town, and the gorge railway's own Unazuki Station is a short walk downhill from it. Coming by Shinkansen, get off at Kurobe-Unazuki-Onsen and change to Shin-Kurobe on the same private line.
Returning from Unazuki: The last train down the gorge sets the shape of the day, and it is earlier than a city timetable would suggest; the schedule is seasonal and posted at the station. Missing it means a night in Unazuki, which is a hot-spring town and no hardship, but it is not a place you can leave late by rail.

Directions from my location (Google Maps) ↗

About the place

The line runs 20.1 kilometres from Unazuki at the mouth of the valley to Keyakidaira deep inside it, on a gauge of 762 millimetres. The carriages match the track. The standard coach has no glass and no doors, four passengers across a bench, so the gorge arrives as air and noise rather than through a window; a closed carriage with opening windows is available for a supplement. This is not a preserved line kept running for visitors. It was laid to build and service the power stations upstream, and it still does that work.

How to enjoy it

Sit on the valley side and dress warmer than the forecast, because the open coach has no glass. Book ahead for the autumn weeks, when the gorge is at its most photographed and seats go first. Between now and the end of September the outing is a fixed round trip with no stops, which fits a half day neatly; from October the through run to Keyakidaira turns it into most of one.

Background & history

The valley was opened for electricity, not for travellers. A construction tramway was pushed up from Unazuki in the 1920s to carry materials to the power stations going in upstream, and it reached Keyakidaira in the following decade. Sightseers rode it long before anyone planned for them, as unofficial passengers tolerated on a freight line. Proper passenger operation began in 1953, and the railway has belonged to the power company's world ever since.

Before you go

Cash: Fares are charged by section and mostly sold as returns. At the time of checking the operator listed the Unazuki to Nekomata return at 2,820 yen for an adult, and, on the full line from October, 2,480 yen one way to Keyakidaira. The open coach is included in that; the closed Relax carriage costs 600 yen more per ride. Seats can be reserved online or bought at the window.
Good to know: The line closes for winter, roughly December to mid-April, and reopened on 20 April this year. Until 30 September the service turns back at Nekomata and passengers stay aboard; from 1 October the through run to Keyakidaira resumes and Nekomata is no longer a stop passengers can use. Heavy rain can suspend the line at short notice.
Another way: By car it is about 20 minutes from the Kurobe interchange on the Hokuriku Expressway, and there is a large paid car park at the station — the first six hours were listed at 1,000 yen. Driving only changes how you reach Unazuki; the gorge above it is the train's job.
After you get off: From Unazuki-Onsen Station the walk to the gorge railway's Unazuki Station takes about five minutes, downhill through the middle of the hot-spring town. They are two different companies, so allow time to buy the second ticket.