How to go from Nagano to Kanazawa ?

Opened in March 2015, the new Hokuriku Shinkansen line connects Tokyo and Nagano with Kanazawa. There are two shinkansen that operate the line between Nagano and Kanazawa, the Kagayaki and the Hakutaka shinkansen.

The fastest train with limited stops is the Kagayaki, which take only 2.5 hours from Tokyo to Kanazawa.

Discover the Kurobe gorge railway

What to see ?

As the largest and deepest gorge in Japan, Kurobe Gorge is 80 km long and has stunning scenery with the valley bottom sometimes 2 km below the surrounding peaks. The 20 km stretch of narrow-gauge railway was built to carry materials for the construction of the dam and only after completion did it become a tourist attraction. The route goes over 21 bridges and through 41 tunnels as it trundles along at a gentle 16 kph.

In the small town of Unazuki there is museum showing the construction of the railway and of the dam. The next stop is Kuronagi, where you can get off and walk to the local onsen ryokan (hot spring inn) which has a beautiful mixed bathright next to the river. At Kanetsuri Station, even in the middle of summer, you can usually see some remaining snow from the winter. There is a natural onsen hot spring bath in the river bed here, though if you are shy, the hordes of tourists traipsing past may be a little off-putting!

Keyakidaira Station is the end of the line and from here there are a variety ofwalking trails, some of them cut into the rock, and some leading off to remote ryokan inns where you can spend the night.

The trains have mostly open carriages (although there are usually some closed ones) so be prepared to confront the weather. Sit on the right hand side of the train on the way into the gorge for the best views.

Where to eat ?

Uozu Masuzushi 魚づ鱒寿し店
Toyama Prefecture’s well known local specialty is Masu-zushi, a type of sushi that uses rainbow trout and is sliced like a cake. This restaurant is just outside Uozu Station, one stop before the JR Kurobe. From Uozu Station’s exit, turn right to walk down the main road (route 129).Past the first traffic light, Uozu Masuzushi will be on your left,a gray stand-alone building.
Open daily, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., closed the 1st, 3rd,and 5th Sunday of every month.
Tel : 07-6524-3761/ bkyugourmet.moo.jp/uozumasu.html

Yasojin 八十神
This great izakaya restaurant is very accessible from the Kurobe Dentetsu Station and has simple Japanese food served beautifully. From the Dentetsu Kurobe Station exit, walk straight and turn left onto the main road. After the first traffic light, the restaurant will be on your right, next door to a small clinic.
Open daily, 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., 11:30 p.m. on weekends
Tel : .07-6556-8015/ kurobe.mypl.net/shop/00000303213

How to get there?

At Kurobe Station, take the Toyama Chiho Line train to Unazuki Onsen and there you will find the Kurobe Kyokoku Railway.These are both private railways that are not covered by the Japan Rail Pass, but it is well worth paying for the day to see the gorge.The line is open roughly May - November (depending on snow  conditions) and closes in winter due to the huge volume of snowthat falls here. To prevent damage over the winter, the bridges and track are stored in the tunnels that also make up the line.

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