Japan's alpine sightseeing route featuring snow walls opens

This must be such a great sight to see. Wonder if its totally safe, can't collapse?

Open through November 30th?

Doesnt it melt in summer?

It's quite safe. I walked through that road around 2002 when I was doing some work in the Toyama region. The walls were about 18 meters high then. The record is 20 meters It's about 2,000 meters above sea level. To get to there, we drove to the bottom of the mountain, and, took a rack type rail car, then a bus to the viewing area.

As the article says, this draws thousands and thousands of tourists.

If going from the Omachi side, expect a mad scramble with tour groups to get on the buses/cable cars to get up there. It'll be worse at the weekends with backcountry skiers into the mix.

A decent chunk of that 16m is avalanche debris, so its not all snow that has accumulated or drifted at that spot.

By open to November 30th, they mean the series of electric buses and cable cars called the "Alpen Route" which crosses the Japan Alps. The snow walls will have melted by summer.

If you have the time and money, I recommend the full course. Amazing.

Been to full course last year. Such a great place to visit. What I liked most is the onsen at top where the buses drop you off when going from toyama side,near the sulfuric pit where snow doesn't cover. You can buy a hot coffee(emerald mountain blend) from a jihanki and drink on the bench while viewing the smouldering pit.

Amazing site, Japan should play this up more because it should be world famous.

I can see where it is from my bedroom window and can make out the car park with binoculars. The mountains make for an amazing view

Wow. Beautiful!

Is it me or does it look like a scene from Game of Thrones.

Seems kind of boring. “Wow, look at that snow wall. Can we go see something else now?”

Seems kind of boring.

It isn't, it's a superb day out in the heart of the alps

Can we go see something else now?”

Please do, natural wonders are obviously wasted on you so less queues for us.

Oh to be in an onsen now...my body could use it.