A Red Train Clinging to the Cliffside: The Kurobe Gorge Railway and the Hot Spring Town of Unazuki
It takes about an hour and a half by train from Takaoka. When you arrive at Unazuki Onsen, on the eastern edge of Toyama, the air feels cool and clear. This is the starting point for the Kurobe Gorge Railway.
Although the trolley runs for tourists, it was originally a railway built for the Kurobe River hydroelectric power plants. It spans a total length of over 20 kilometers from Unazuki to Keyakidaira deep in the mountains. You travel slowly through more than 40 tunnels and over 20 bridges in very small, roof-only carriages. The one-way trip takes one hour and 20 minutes. Because there are no window panes, the cold air of the gorge and the sound of the engine reach you directly.
The Kurobe River flowing at the bottom of the deep valley is, in some places, a mysteriously clear blue-green. The tracks cling to the sheer rock face, and red bridges stand alone here and there. Every time I ride it, I wonder how people managed to build a railway in such a place.
There is one thing I want you to know before you go. Due to the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, the Kanetsuri Bridge along the route was damaged by falling rocks, and the entire line was out of service for a while. In 2026, the train will operate on a turnaround basis from Unazuki to Nekomata until the end of September. Restoration work is scheduled to be completed, and the full line from Unazuki to Keyakidaira is expected to resume on October 1st. If you want to go all the way to the end, you should aim for this period. The service is suspended in winter due to heavy snow and generally operates seasonally from late April to the end of November, so you should keep that in mind as well.
After enjoying the trolley, the Unazuki Onsen at your feet is also wonderful. This water is colorless, transparent, mild, and gentle on the skin. In fact, the source is not in the town, but is water piped all the way from the mountains seven kilometers upstream. I hear that during the Taisho era, they went to great lengths to transport the water along with the development of power generation.
If you want to walk, there is the "Yamabiko Promenade" that continues from the station. You can get a close-up view of the trolley crossing the red Shin-Yamabiko Bridge. There are also casual footbaths in the hot spring town where you can soak your feet while watching the trains. The autumn leaves are generally at their best from late October to mid-November. The time when the valley is dyed in red and yellow is the most popular.