Kurobe Gorge, Toyama Japan 2019
Memories from the Kurobe Gorge scenic train ride November 2019
November 26, 2019
I’ve never liked early mornings. I prefer being cocooned in my blankets and waking with the morning light without the blare of the phone alarm or the noise of weekday commuters. In my day to day, this is usually the case but when I travel I’m always excited to start my day early and get out of the hotel.
When I travel, one of the things I hate the most is being late to catch transport. Be it airplane, bus, or train, I hate rushing and the anxiety of possibly being stranded or missing what I had planned. I’m not someone who plans to the very littlest detail, but I do like to plan the key things, like where I’m supposed to be so that I can frolic and do whatever I want when I’m there. When I’m early, I can take my time browsing the shops or reading on my phone. Yay to the invention of e-books! That morning, I grabbed breakfast from the station, and since I wanted something easy and convenient I grabbed a sandwich, chocolate, and a bag of chips from the convenience store. LOL, not a typical robust breakfast but hey, it’s vacation. You should be able to let go and do what you want right?
I took the Shinkansen from Kanazawa station to Kurobe Unazuki-Onsen Station. From there you have to take a local train towards Kurobe Gorge. The local train station reminded me of that train ride scene in Spirited Away when Sen took the train with Noname. There wasn’t anyone there to take your fare, the train was like an antique, and the platform old-school but sturdy. I paid the fare by dropping my money into a fare box? Not sure what to call it, but it took my money and I sat next to a window so I could stare out that the scenery. Since it was late autumn, I remember vividly seeing various fuyu persimmon trees in the backyards of homes along the way to Kurobe Gorge. They stood out because of their round orange bodies suspended amongst bare tree branches.
Upon arriving in the village where the scenic train ride started, the tall peaks of the mountains were shrouded in wispy clouds. Coupled with the early morning crisp air and general tranquility of the village, it felt magical. Reflecting on it again now, I can’t help but be inspired and in awe again of being there at that time, in that moment. I would love to go back again if I ever had an opportunity.
After wandering through the village I eventually made it to the special train maintained for the scenic rides. The train is an older model and small but very cute. You’re supposed to sit one person to a seat; they’re that small lol. Some might call it small, and some might call it cozy but I found it utterly charming. I was so hyped up for this ride. I love riding trains so this activity was so inline with everything I loved doing. I got to sit on a train, look at gorgeous views, daydream, and draw. I took a lot of videos. I will find a way to share them because they are just magical.
Since this was technically a fully functioning train, it ran along a route that had multiple stops. If you wished to get off and explore you were invited to do so but I was on a time crunch since I had limited time to explore and catch the trains back to Kanazawa. I rode the train all the way to the last stop and spent about 1-2 hours wandering and drawing in my sketchbook. It was so amazing to stand there surround by tall mountain peaks and rushing river water.
