Murodo

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About Murodo

Murodo is a plateau at about 2,450 meters elevation on the western slope of Mount Tateyama in the Northern Alps. It is the highest point of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route and the place where most visitors stop. The Murodo terminal houses the plateau bus station and the electric tunnel bus terminal, a hotel, restaurants and a spring of meltwater.

Tateyama, with about 3,015 meters at the Oyama peak, is one of Japan’s three sacred mountains, alongside Fuji and Hakusan. For centuries pilgrims have climbed it, and a shrine sits near the summit. From Murodo, trails lead to the summit in about 3 hours and to other peaks in the range in summer.

Near the terminal, a short walk leads to Mikurigaike, a dark-blue crater lake that is often snow-covered until early summer. Further on, the Jigokudani valley emits volcanic gases and access to it is restricted. The plateau is habitat for the rock ptarmigan, a protected alpine bird that changes color with the seasons.

In spring, the road up to Murodo runs between walls of snow in the section called Yuki no Otani, where snow accumulated over winter is cut to open the route. The walls can exceed 15 meters at the season opening, and a section is opened for walking between them. The route generally operates from mid-April to the end of November; at high elevation the weather changes fast and temperatures are low even in summer.