Banzai at Oyama. The Tateyama Sanzan. A blessed three-day weekend with clear weather, 3 days and 2 nights of tent camping (Part 1)
2025.7.19-21
Honestly, it was just too confusing.
Tateyama. I had always wanted to go there someday, but the route to Tateyama and Murodo involves transferring between various modes of transport, and since the operating companies are different, it's not straightforward to understand how they coordinate and connect. Plus, the travel costs seem like they would be very high.
Because it felt like that, even though I wanted to go, it had an image of being difficult to approach, partly because it's a bit far from Tokyo.
A plan that fell through twice.
The team leader had planned a 3-day, 2-night trip to Tateyama last year, but the weather wasn't good at the time, so that plan was scrapped. Then, coming into this year, we decided to try again! The leader researched various things early on, and I followed instructions to make reservations, and we successfully booked two mountain huts for two days after persistent phone calls. Everything was ready, and I was looking forward to it.
However, the recovery from the poor physical condition after the recent Amigasa-yama mini-tent trip wasn't going well... It seemed like a situation where I was bedridden continued... and it became clear that the Tateyama hike scheduled for this weekend wouldn't be possible, so this plan was also scrapped.
For now, we decided to cancel the mountain hut and Alpine Route reservations.
A three-day weekend. What should I do?
There was already less than a week left until the three-day weekend. It takes a fair amount of time to think and put a plan together. I thought about various things, but after all, I had already started the Tateyama project. Since the Shinkansen reservations were still intact, I decided to use that as a foothold to change the route and plan, and go to Tateyama after all.
I had completely left the way to get to Tateyama to the team leader, so I had no idea how to do it. First, I had to start by researching it in a hurry.
Now, how should I go to Murodo? Even looking at each company's website, it's confusing even when you think you understand it.
Nagano Station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen is fine, but... the problem is what comes after that.
How do I get to Murodo?
From Nagano Station to Ogizawa is the Alpico express bus (105 minutes), and from Ogizawa to Kurobe Dam is the Kanden Tunnel electric bus (16 minutes).
You walk (15 minutes) to transfer, then take the Kurobe Cable Car from Kurobe Lake to Kurobedaira (5 minutes), and the ropeway from Kurobedaira to Daikanbo (7 minutes).
Furthermore, you take the Tateyama Tunnel electric bus from Daikanbo (10 minutes) to finally reach Murodo.
This procedure can be booked and tickets purchased all at once as an express bus + others (Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route).
There are various ways to go.
Entering from the Toyama side reduces these steps somewhat, but when going from Tokyo, I struggle with whether to enter from Nagano Station or Toyama Station via the Hokuriku Shinkansen.
If you take the Kagayaki Shinkansen, it's 1 hour and 20 minutes to Nagano Station, and 2 hours and 5 minutes to Toyama Station. As expected, the northern part of the Northern Alps, close to the Sea of Japan, is far.
In any case, it's an access route that makes me feel dizzy just thinking about it. It took a lot of time to understand, and anxiety about whether the transfers would go smoothly mixed with my expectations. I feel helpless when I'm alone.
Thinking about that, Kamikochi, located in the southern part of the same Northern Alps, takes you to the trailhead while you sleep if you use a night bus. Thinking that I can start walking from early morning, even though there are likes and dislikes about whether you can sleep on the bus or not, it's very easy.
Compared to that, there were times when going by train + bus was a bit troublesome.
And the route is.
A traverse of the Tateyama Sanzan. It consists of three peaks: Oyama (3,003m), Onanjiyama (3,015m), and Fujinooritate (2,999m). Since it seemed possible to walk with the Raichozawa campsite as a base camp, I decided on this as an introduction to Tateyama.
DAY 1
The end of the rainy season has finally been announced for the Kanto-Koshin region, and the forecast for this three-day weekend looks good. It was already hot from early in the morning, and I was already sweating on the way to the station.
On the subway before taking the Shinkansen, a seat opened up, and when I sat down, the lady next to me asked, "Which mountain are you going to today?"
It seemed that the lady also climbed mountains regularly, though not today.
It was only for a short time until I got off, but we had a lively conversation about mountains from the morning. It was a bit funny that I could have such a conversation in a place like that.
The Shinkansen goes non-stop to Nagano once it leaves Omiya Station. I was surprised that it skips so many stations if it's bound for Tsuruga.
From here, I start to feel helpless.
Arriving at Nagano Station, I ran to the bus stop for Ogizawa. I followed others and jogged, but extra buses were added, and the bus departed using all the auxiliary seats. Thinking that I would have to go through this competition many times until Murodo, I felt a bit worried about the future.
The 105 minutes from Nagano Station to Ogizawa is the longest part of this itinerary. Even when I dozed off and woke up, I hadn't arrived yet.
Arriving at Ogizawa, the mountains were clearly visible against the clear blue sky. I issued my web ticket.
While waiting for the ticket gate at Ogizawa Station, I was able to enjoy the staff's comedy routine for the waiting passengers. It seems to be a local specialty.
As if following the history of Kurobe.
From Ogizawa to Kurobe Dam Station, we took the Kanden Tunnel electric bus. Inside the bus, a video introducing its history was playing, and thinking that the history of Kurobe that I had heard and seen until now was right in front of my eyes, I felt a bit emotional, and my interest was endless.
After passing the summit of Akazawa-dake, we entered Toyama Prefecture from Nagano Prefecture inside the tunnel. Toyama Prefecture... well, that's far...
To get from Kurobe Dam Station to the next cable car station, Kurobe-ko Station, you cross the Kurobe Dam. After getting off the electric bus and passing through the tunnel, the Ushiro-Tateyama Mountain Range and the Tateyama Mountain Range suddenly spread out before my eyes under the blue sky. The overwhelming scenery of the dam sitting between them was laid out before me.
Even though it was freezing inside the tunnel, the sunlight from the clear weather was so intense it felt hot and stinging.
I skipped spots like the observation deck and eagerly headed forward, but I was so captivated by the sheer size of Kurobe Dam and the rainbow created by the tourist water discharge that I stopped many times and ended up missing one cable car.
Once the cable car inside the tunnel ends, the next is the ropeway. Looking up from Kurobe-daira Station, two ropeways were going back and forth, hanging in the air without any support pillars on the way to Daikanbo. The ropeway departed fully packed with a mix of hikers and tourists. The elevation difference is about 500m. I am truly impressed that they managed to build something like this.
Now, after arriving at Daikanbo on this ropeway, I will be released once more to take the final transfer, the Tateyama Tunnel electric bus, and finally arrive at the last terminal station, Murodo Terminal.
I finally arrived at Murodo.
It is 11:30 AM. I arrived at Murodo at an altitude of 2431m. It took about 6 hours including waiting for transfers since I left home before 5:30 AM. It is quite far, but I arrived at Murodo, which I had wanted to visit. It was truly far.
Today's lodging, Raichozawa Campsite, is about an hour away.
The area around Murodo Terminal Station has been developed for tourism, and Murodo-daira is paved with stone, with paths laid out to make it easy to visit famous spots like Mikurigaike Pond and Chi-no-ike Pond.
The smell of sulfur hangs in the air at Jigokudani. I thought, 'Maybe I'm not a fan of this,' while smelling the sulfur.
The weather is just too good.
The wind is cool and pleasant when it blows. Even so, sweat starts to seep out when I'm in the sun.
Beyond Raichoso, the Raichozawa Campsite spread out below me, and I could see many tents huddled together as if they were crowding each other.
An exciting moment. That's my bed for tonight. It's a bit late to be arriving, but I wonder if there are any good spots left, I think to myself.
The last steep descent of the stairs, this looks like it will be a struggle on the way back. I pass by the Raichozawa Hut, which looks a bit like a ruin at first glance. I will end up being well taken care of by this Raichozawa Hut many times during this stay. And at 12:00, I arrived at the Raichozawa Campsite.
My bed for this trip, Raichozawa Campsite.
The instructions said to set up your tent first and then check in, so I followed them, looked for an empty spot, and pitched my tent a little ways into the crossroads. I decided this would be my bed for this trip.
The Raichozawa Campsite, surrounded by the Tateyama mountain range, has a magnificent view, and it's no wonder it's so popular.
When I went to the reception building, the afternoon session for check-in started at 13:00, so I filled out the registration form and waited a little while. I paid the fee for two nights at 1,000 yen per night and completed the procedure without any issues. It was a very reasonable price for a one-night stay in the Northern Alps.
That's it for today.
Beer. I want to drink beer. I'm also hungry. There is no shop at the Raichozawa Campsite, so I have to climb back up to the Raichozawa Hut I passed earlier, but even though the altitude is high, walking in the scorching sun is tough.
I just barely made it in time for the 14:00 meal service. I worried a little about what to eat, and decided on the pork ginger bowl. I drank beer while looking at the mountains of the Tateyama range from the terrace seat.
I finally came, I finally made it, I stuffed my cheeks with the ginger pork bowl while deeply and emotionally gazing at the scenery of Tateyama.
I bought beer, went back to the tent, and finally took a breath and dozed off slowly.
Ah, it's hot. The small tent traps heat and it's hard for the wind to pass through. Still, perhaps because I was tired from the travel and transfers since the morning, I took a short nap while keeping the tent door open.
I didn't want to miss the sunset, so I set an alarm and woke up when the wind finally became cool. The sunset was just after 19:00.
The view from the tent.
I went back to the Raichozawa Hut to buy beer for dinner. I waited for the sunset while cooking. I stared blankly while watching the clouds drift across the mountainside. The manager was standing on a bench counting the number of tents. I heard a voice saying that it looked like there would be about 500 tents today.
It suddenly got cold when the sun went down.
I could see the Tsurugigozen-goya hut standing alone on the ridge of Tateyama towering in front of me. I have to climb up to there first tomorrow... I felt a little depressed. It felt high and far away.
And to the right, I can see Bessan, Masagodake, Fujinooritate, Onanjiyama, and Oyama. It seems there is a debate about whether to go clockwise or counter-clockwise, and I had planned to go clockwise starting from right in front of the Raichozawa Campsite, but I wonder how that will go.
It didn't glow much, but I watched the sunset for a while, prepared for tomorrow's hike across the Tateyama Sanzan, put on some extra layers, and went to sleep at 8:00 PM. Today was truly a long day.
To be continued in Part 2.
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