The jewel of the Northern Japanese Alps.

One of the best weekend trips I took outside of Tokyo during my three years living here was to Tateyama in Chubusangaku National Park. A friend and I camped here during The Perseids meteor shower in August 2024. The sky was so clear we could see countless stars and the milky way!
Getting to Toyama
Getting to Tateyama from Tokyo is a trek. We began our trip Friday at 7am at the Ikebukuro bus terminal. We chose to take the bus as it was much cheaper than the shinkansen (bullet train) and only marginally slower. We didn't know that this was a huge mistake.
Our goal was to get from Tokyo to Toyama Station on Friday and then spend two nights at Murodo campsite. We did not succeed.
We arrived at Toyama station at around 2pm, expecting to be able to make it up to Murodo campsite by nightfall. What we didn't take into account and what was not posted on the official Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route website was the final train up the mountain left at 1:50pm.
So, we were stranded in Toyama for the night with nowhere to stay. We only had a tent, two sleeping bags, and a box of Annie's mac & cheese.
Our beach campsite and the timetable that we should have looked at before booking our bus tickets.
Luckily, my friend Lea speaks fluent Japanese so we were able to call various campsites nearby to see if anyone had availability for the night. We found one on the beach that said if we could get there in an hour we could have a spot. Perfect. We could get there in 45 minutes. We sprinted to the train and almost got on a train going in the wrong direction, but finally made it. We were the only people there.
We pitched the tent right as it started getting dark, took a romantic stroll along the beach, and then headed to the local onsen for some R&R. That night we ate our mac & cheese and spent a fitful night wondering if the noise outside the tent was a murderer or just the wind.
Going up the Mountain
The next day, we packed up at dawn, committed to making it to Murodo that day. Back at Toyama Station, we bought a 3 day transportation pass and reserved a spot on the next cable car. Thus began the long trip up the mountain.
First, was a train for about an hour, then a cable car, and then finally the windiest bus route I've ever been on. It took around 2 hours to get to the top of Tateyama. We'd finally made it, almost.
The view from the bus and the cable car!
Getting to Murodo Campsite
Once at Murodo station, we figured it would be easy to get to the campsite. Murodo station is very well built with multiple cafes, a tourism center, a museum, and various souvenir shops. We wanted to drop our heavy packs ASAP so we started walking in the direction of the campsite.
We didn't think the campsite would be that far from the station so we decided to come back to the soba restaurant for lunch. Knowing what camping was like in Japan, we figured camp wouldn't be too far from the souvenir shops. We were wrong again.
It took us at least an hour of walking up and down hills on cobbled pathways. At one point, the path takes you through an area that often gets inundated with poisonous gas. They have alarms so you know if the air quality is dangerous, but even during safe times the air stings your lungs.
The final descent was so steep I wasn't sure how we'd be able to carry all our gear out of the valley the next day. All this being said, our tired muscles were so worth it for the amazing views.
The walk down to the campsite.
Raichozawa Campground
We finally made it to the campsite! We pitched the tent and relaxed for a minute. The campsite is in a gorgeous valley and has running water and bathrooms. Also, up the hill are a couple hotels with onsens (hot springs) you can pay a few hundred yen to use. I was so glad we arrived when we did because the site was getting fairly full.
Finally made it to Raichozawa campsite
We didn't stay long because I was beginning to get hangry. So we began the ascent back to Murodo station.
An hour later we made it to soba. It was quite possibly the best soba I've ever had and that definitely had nothing to do with my hunger.
Before and after lunch.
Hikes Around Murodo Station
There are many day hikes you can do starting from Murodo Station. You can check them out here. We opted for one which led up Mt. Jodo to the Murodoyama Observatory.
The sun was strong and elevation was killer so we made it about 20 min on the trail before we turned back and got a beer at the Station. It had been a long day.
Other hikes from Murodo Station if you have several hours and are physically fit:
Mt. Murodo
Mt. Oyama
Mt. Tsurugigozen
Mt. Masagodake
Mt. Bessan
Mt. Tsurugidake
After hitting up the onsen at the nearby hotel, we made dinner, roasted marshmallows, and shared ghost stories. Sometime during the night we braved the cold to look at the stars. The Perseid meteor shower peaked that weekend and the sky was so clear we each saw a couple shooting stars! It was one of the most beautiful night skies I'd ever seen.
Heading Down the Mountain
The next day we packed up camp and began the hike back out of the valley. It definitely took longer since we were walking up 10,000+ steps with 30lb packs, but we finally made it.
We opted to go down the other side of the mountain and end at Nagano Station. The whole experience involved:
a trolley bus
a ropeway
a cable car
a walk across a dam
an electric bus
bus to Nagano Station
bus to Tokyo
Although it seems daunting, they have it all down to a science. There was basically no wait as we were herded from one mode of transport to another. The walk over the dam was an experience unto itself.
The ropeway, 2. View from the ropeway, 3. cable car tunnel,
4. 5. 6. Views from the dam
Conclusion
Tateyama is absolutely gorgeous, and although its an adventure going up and down the mountain, it's completely worth it to experience this pristine alpine environment.
If you are not a camper, there are three hotels you can stay in around Murodo Station. So you can sleep in comfort while still enjoying the beautiful scenery.
Definitely bring sunscreen as the elevation makes the sun stronger. My legs were lobster-esque when we returned to Tokyo.
Out of all the places I've been to in Japan, Tateyama is on the top of my return list.
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