Kurobe Gorge Railway — Scarlet Bridges Over Emerald Gorge

The Kurobe Gorge Railway (黒部峡谷鉄道, Kurobe Kyokoku Tetsudo) is a 20.1km scenic railway that travels through Japan's deepest V-shaped gorge, crossing 41 bridges and passing through 22 tunnels along the Kurobe River. Originally built in 1926 to transport materials for dam construction, the railway now operates as a sightseeing route in open-air trolley cars (torokko, トロッコ) offering unobstructed views of the emerald river, sheer cliffs, and autumn foliage.

The railway departs from Unazuki Onsen Station and terminates at Keyakidaira Station (altitude 599m), with stops at Kuronagi (黒薙, hot spring access) and Kanetsuri (鐘釣, ropeway and riverside trails). Highlights include crossing the 60-meter-high Atobiki Bridge (scarlet bridge over turquoise gorge) and passing waterfalls cascading down cliff faces. The journey takes 80 minutes one-way through wilderness inaccessible by road.

The railway operates late April to late November (closed in winter due to snow). Autumn (mid-October to early November) is peak season when the gorge explodes in red, orange, and yellow foliage contrasting with emerald water.