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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Kurobe
黒部市
Kurobe is a one-night stop for the Kurobe Gorge railway and Unazuki Onsen: arrive by Shinkansen, ride the gorge train, soak in a hot spring, leave the next morning.
Kurobe is a small city in eastern Toyama prefecture, best known as the gateway to the Kurobe Gorge and the Unazuki Onsen hot-spring town. The gorge's narrow-gauge truck train runs partway up the valley, with hiking trails and more springs beyond. Most travellers spend one night in Unazuki Onsen, ride the train in the morning and leave by afternoon. The city itself has little else to detain you.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 黒部市
- Best months
- Apr–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), Jan–Feb (heavy snow, some trails closed)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥8,000–12,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥12,000–20,000 excl. bed · High ¥20,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119 · Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English) 050-3816-2787
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | ¥350–600 |
| Bowl of soba or ramen | ¥800–1,200 |
| Beer: draught in a restaurant / can at a konbini | ¥500–700 / ¥250–350 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi3.1 mi (5 km) taxi | ¥2,000–2,500 |
| Local train ride (Kurobe Station ↔ Unazuki Onsen) | ¥310 |
| Kurobe Gorge railway round trip | ¥3,000 (check) |
| Onsen entry (public bath) | ¥500–1,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- TOY · Toyama Airport
- About 50 min by bus and train; limited domestic flights.
- NGO · Chubu Centrair
- About 3 h by train via Nagoya; the main international gateway.
Typical fares
- Kurobe-Unazukionsen → Unazuki Onsen (local train)
- ¥310, about 5 min
- Kurobe Gorge railway round trip
- about ¥3,000 (check)
- Toyama → Kurobe (Ainokaze Railway)
- about ¥1,000, about 30 min (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The Toyama Chihō Railway Main Line connects Kurobe Station and Kurobe-Unazukionsen Station (¥310). From Unazuki Onsen station, the Kurobe Gorge railway (truck train) runs into the gorge. A local bus serves the ski area in winter. Walking is fine in the onsen town.
See and do
Known for
- Kurobe Gorge railway (truck train)
- Unazuki Onsen hot springs
- Unazuki Onsen snow park (skiing)
- Access to Mount Tate
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Toyama | Ainokaze Toyama Railway from Kurobe Station, about 30 min | About 40 min |
| Takaoka | Ainokaze Toyama Railway from Kurobe Station, about 45 min | About 1 h |
| Gokayama | Train to Toyama, then bus to Gokayama, about 1.5 h total | About 2 h |
| Hakuba | Shinkansen from Kurobe-Unazukionsen to Nagano, then bus, about 2 h | About 2.5 h |
Sleep
- Unazuki Onsen
- Hot-spring inns and ryokan near the gorge entrance; the main area for overnight stays.
- Kurobe Station area
- Budget hotels and guesthouses; convenient for the Ainokaze line but farther from the gorge.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| This one, please | これをくださいkore o kudasai |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- The Kurobe Gorge train runs only from mid-April to late November; check the official schedule.
- Heavy snow closes some hiking trails in winter; the gorge train does not run then.
- Last trains from Toyama to Kurobe are around 22:00; taxis are limited.
Kurobe is very safe. The main risks are icy paths in winter, and the gorge train's open carriages: hold on and keep limbs inside.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Kurobe yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Kurobe Gorge railway (truck train)
- Unazuki Onsen hot springs
- Unazuki Onsen snow park (skiing)
- Access to Mount Tate
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Kurobe City official website: www.city.kurobe.toyama.jp/
- Kurobe Unazuki Tourist Board: www.kurobe-unazuki.jp/
- Wikivoyage: Kurobe, revision 5213999 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5213999
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Kurobe黒部市
ここまでお願いします
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police110
- Fire and ambulance119
- Japan Visitor Hotline (24 h, English)050-3816-2787
The US has a consulate in Nagoya; most other countries have consulates-general in Osaka, embassies in Tokyo.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/kurobe). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.