Latest news with #TateyamaKurobeGeoparkAssociation
Asia News Network
29-07-2025
- Asia News Network
Virtual trip takes visitors to Japan's famous yet perilous gorge
July 29, 2025 TOYAMA – The Museum of Historical Folklore Unazuki in Kurobe, Toyama Prefecture, is offering a new virtual experience that takes visitors to the Shimo-no-roka area of the majestic Kurobe Gorge, so that they can safely explore the otherwise perilous location. The remote and dangerous spot, which is often described with the ominous phrase 'There are no injuries in Kurobe,' meaning accidents in the area will certainly lead to deaths, is usually accessible only to advanced climbers. However, it can now be explored in 360-degree virtual reality thanks to footage produced and released by the museum. The Kurobe Gorge features a trail extending from the area around Kurobe Gorge Railway's Keyakidaira Station, which is upstream along the Kurobe River, to the Kurobe Dam. The Suihei Trail, which extends from Keyakidaira to Sennindani, is about 13 kilometers long and runs horizontally along the contour line at an elevation of about 1,000 meters. The Former Nichiden Trail, also known as Shimo-no-roka, stretches for about 17 kilometers, passing through the area from Sennindani to Kurobe Dam. Both trails are closely tied to power development. Toyo Aluminum K.K. blazed the Suihei Trail in 1920 in search of suitable sites for hydroelectric dams. Carved by hand through the sheer cliffs of the gorge, the trail is shaped like a U and has paths ranging in width from 70 centimeters to 1 meter. The Former Nichiden Trail was opened by Nippon Denryoku before World War II. The surrounding area boasts breathtaking scenery. In autumn, the entire region transforms into a tapestry of leaves in every shade of red, orange and yellow. Highlights include Jujikyo Gorge, where streams intersect; S-jikyo Gorge; and Ura-tsurugi, which offers a view of Mt. Tsurugi from an unusual angle. However, a fall from the trail is often fatal, hence the ominous saying to describe the area. The Kurobe Gorge is a secluded location accessible only to experienced climbers. It can only be traversed during a period of one to two months in autumn, after its paths are repaired and before snow falls. The Kurobe municipal government undertook the video production to enable the public to experience the area virtually. With the cooperation of the Tateyama Kurobe Geopark Association in Toyama, the footage was shot on location in the autumn of 2023. The completed 14-minute video, titled 'Zekkei Kurobekyokoku Shimo-no-roka' (spectacular Kurobe Gorge: Shimo-no-roka), is complemented by audio commentary. Viewers wearing virtual reality headsets can fully explore the mountains and the cliffs below by looking in all directions. 'I understood the hardships faced by the pioneers who opened up the paths [when watching the footage],' said Shigeru Iimura, 77, chairman of the museum's steering committee. 'The scary parts, where it felt like I might fall off a cliff, were realistic.' Yoshinori Funakawa, 77, a member of the committee, happily recalled visiting Jujikyo in his 20s, saying: 'The water flow is as beautiful as it was back then. I definitely can't go there now.' 'I want many people to experience the magnificent natural beauty of the Kurobe Gorge,' said a museum official. Admission to the museum is ¥300 for high school students and above and free for junior high school students and younger. The recommended ages are 13 and older.
Yomiuri Shimbun
28-07-2025
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Experience Majestic Kurobe Gorge's Shimo-No-Roka in VR; Visitors Take Virtual Trip to Gorge Where ‘There Are No Injuries'
TOYAMA — The Museum of Historical Folklore Unazuki in Kurobe, Toyama Prefecture, is offering a new virtual experience that takes visitors to the Shimo-no-roka area of the majestic Kurobe Gorge, so that they can safely explore the otherwise perilous location. The remote and dangerous spot, which is often described with the ominous phrase 'There are no injuries in Kurobe,' meaning accidents in the area will certainly lead to deaths, is usually accessible only to advanced climbers. However, it can now be explored in 360-degree virtual reality thanks to footage produced and released by the museum. The Kurobe Gorge features a trail extending from the area around Kurobe Gorge Railway's Keyakidaira Station, which is upstream along the Kurobe River, to the Kurobe Dam. The Suihei Trail, which extends from Keyakidaira to Sennindani, is about 13 kilometers long and runs horizontally along the contour line at an elevation of about 1,000 meters. The Former Nichiden Trail, also known as Shimo-no-roka, stretches for about 17 kilometers, passing through the area from Sennindani to Kurobe trails are closely tied to power development. Toyo Aluminum K.K. blazed the Suihei Trail in 1920 in search of suitable sites for hydroelectric dams. Carved by hand through the sheer cliffs of the gorge, the trail is shaped like a U and has paths ranging in width from 70 centimeters to 1 meter. The Former Nichiden Trail was opened by Nippon Denryoku before World War II. The surrounding area boasts breathtaking scenery. In autumn, the entire region transforms into a tapestry of leaves in every shade of red, orange and yellow. Highlights include Jujikyo Gorge, where streams intersect; S-jikyo Gorge; and Ura-tsurugi, which offers a view of Mt. Tsurugi from an unusual angle. However, a fall from the trail is often fatal, hence the ominous saying to describe the area. The Kurobe Gorge is a secluded location accessible only to experienced climbers. It can only be traversed during a period of one to two months in autumn, after its paths are repaired and before snow falls. The Kurobe municipal government undertook the video production to enable the public to experience the area virtually. With the cooperation of the Tateyama Kurobe Geopark Association in Toyama, the footage was shot on location in the autumn of completed 14-minute video, titled 'Zekkei Kurobekyokoku Shimo-no-roka' (spectacular Kurobe Gorge: Shimo-no-roka), is complemented by audio commentary. Viewers wearing virtual reality headsets can fully explore the mountains and the cliffs below by looking in all directions. 'I understood the hardships faced by the pioneers who opened up the paths [when watching the footage],' said Shigeru Iimura, 77, chairman of the museum's steering committee. 'The scary parts, where it felt like I might fall off a cliff, were realistic.' Yoshinori Funakawa, 77, a member of the committee, happily recalled visiting Jujikyo in his 20s, saying: 'The water flow is as beautiful as it was back then. I definitely can't go there now.' 'I want many people to experience the magnificent natural beauty of the Kurobe Gorge,' said a museum official. Admission to the museum is ¥300 for high school students and above and free for junior high school students and younger. The recommended ages are 13 and older.
