Guide to Purchasing Tateyama Kurobe Tickets, Train Tickets, JR Passes, and Booking Ride Times

Latest modified date: 2025-03-25 | Categories: Japan Travel

The previous article introduced various information about visiting Tateyama Kurobe. This article will continue to introduce how to purchase Tateyama Kurobe passes, train tickets, and JR Passes, including the detailed process of pre-purchasing tickets on the official website and booking ride times for the Tateyama Cable Car and Kanden Tunnel Electric Bus. It will also introduce some JR Passes that include tickets for the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route transportation and how to use these transportation passes.

Table of Contents

Tateyama Kurobe Passes, Tickets, and Transportation Fees

Visiting Tateyama Kurobe does not require an entrance ticket, but you need to purchase tickets to ride the transportation on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. You can purchase tickets for a single mode of transportation, such as the Tateyama Cable Car from Tateyama Station to Bijodaira, or you can purchase a pass for all transportation on a specific route, such as a pass from Tateyama Station to Ogizawa Station, which allows you to ride the Tateyama Cable Car, Tateyama Highland Bus, Tateyama Tunnel Trolley Bus, Tateyama Ropeway, Kurobe Cable Car, and Kanden Tunnel Electric Bus.

The price of a pass for a specific route is the sum of the fares for all transportation on that route, with no discount. However, if you purchase a round-trip ticket, there is a discount. For example, a one-way ticket from Tateyama Station to Kurobe Lake costs 9,140 yen, while a round-trip ticket costs 16,480 yen, which is about a 10% discount compared to two one-way tickets.

1. Fares for Various Transportation on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route

After significant price increases in 2022 and 2023, the fares for the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route did not increase again in 2024 and 2025. The fares for 2025 are the same as those in 2023. Below are the one-way fares for various transportation on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route in 2025: (The blue numbers in the image are adult fares, and the red numbers are child fares for ages 6-11. Children under 6 are free.)

Below are the round-trip fares for various transportation on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route in 2025:

Below are the ticket prices for several main itineraries in 2025 (adult fares):

Dentetsu Toyama Station ~ Ogizawa Station [Ogizawa Station ~ Dentetsu Toyama Station] one-way ticket – 12,170 yen
Tateyama Station ~ Ogizawa Station [Ogizawa Station ~ Tateyama Station] one-way ticket – 10,940 yen
Dentetsu Toyama Station ~ Kurobe Lake round-trip ticket – 18,940 yen
Tateyama Station ~ Kurobe Lake round-trip ticket – 16,480 yen
Ogizawa Station ~ Murodo round-trip ticket – 12,300 yen

Note: Toyama Chihou Railway will increase ticket prices starting April 1, 2025. The one-way ticket price from Toyama Station to Tateyama Station will increase from the current 1,230 yen to 1,420 yen. The above ticket prices are before the increase.

To find out the new price, just add 190 yen per trip to the trip between Toyama Station and Tateyama Station. The new price is determined by the ticket purchase date, not the travel date. For example, if you buy a ticket in March for travel in April, the old price will still apply.

To check the fares for the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route:

2. Passes Including JR, Bus, and Tateyama Kurobe Tickets

In addition to purchasing individual tickets for various transportation on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, you can also purchase some transportation passes that include JR train tickets, express bus tickets, and Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route tickets from major cities such as Nagoya, Osaka, and Tokyo to Tateyama Kurobe.

For example, the “Alpine-Takayama-Matsumoto Area Tourist Pass,” “Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route Shinjuku Ticket,” “Tateyama Kurobe Add-on Ticket,” and “Tateyama Kurobe Alpen Ticket.” For detailed information about these passes, please refer to the later section “Purchasing and Using JR Passes Including Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route Tickets.”

How to Purchase Tickets for Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route Transportation

There are two main methods to purchase tickets for the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route transportation. The first method is to purchase tickets on the day at the station ticket office. The second method is to pre-purchase tickets through the official website of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route and then print the tickets at the self-service ticket machines at the station on the day or the day before. Below is a detailed explanation of these two methods.

1. Purchasing Tickets at the Station on the Day

Tickets for the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route transportation can be purchased at the ticket offices at each station. If you are ascending from the Toyama Prefecture side, you can purchase tickets at the Toyama Chihou Railway Toyama Station (Dentetsu Toyama Station) or Tateyama Station. If you are ascending from the Nagano Prefecture side, you can purchase tickets at Ogizawa Station. Each station on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route has a ticket office where you can purchase tickets for the same day.

Below is the ticket window at Toyama Chihou Railway Toyama Station (Dentetsu Toyama Station) where you can purchase tickets for the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route transportation. The ticket office’s business hours are from 07:00 to 20:00.

Below is the location of the ticket office at Tateyama Station:

Below is the location of the ticket office at Ogizawa Station:

Please note that when purchasing tickets at the station ticket office, you can only buy tickets departing from that station. For example, you cannot buy tickets departing from Tateyama Station at Toyama Station; you can only buy tickets departing from Toyama Station.

Additionally, not all station ticket offices sell tickets to all destinations. For example, Dentetsu Toyama Station does not sell tickets to Daikanbo or round-trip tickets to Ogizawa Station. Below is a chart showing the types of tickets available at each station:

Additionally, the Tateyama Cable Car from Tateyama Station to Bijodaira and the Kanden Tunnel Electric Bus from Ogizawa Station to Kurobe Dam require reserved seating times. However, when purchasing tickets at the station ticket office, you can only reserve seating times for the same day. Therefore, even if you arrive in Toyama City the day before your Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route tour, you cannot purchase tickets for the next day in advance.

Apart from the Tateyama Cable Car from Tateyama Station to Bijodaira and the Kanden Tunnel Electric Bus from Ogizawa Station to Kurobe Dam, which require reserved seating times, other transportation methods do not require reserved seating times.

You just need to queue at the station as instructed, and the tickets are valid for 5 days from the date of issue (for one-time use only, not unlimited rides). Therefore, even if you stay overnight on Tateyama and descend the next day, you can still use the ticket.

Below are the tickets (boarding passes) purchased at the station ticket office:

2. Purchasing Tickets in Advance on the Official Website

In addition to purchasing tickets upon arrival at the station, tickets for various transportation methods on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route can also be purchased through the official online ticketing system (Tateyama Kurobe Alpen Route WEB Ticket).

The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route online ticketing system underwent significant changes in 2022, with different operating methods and changes in ticket collection. Instead of manual ticket issuance at the ticket window, self-service ticket machines are now used for printing tickets. The ticket purchasing and collection process for 2025 remains the same as in 2022.

Among the various transportation methods on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, only the Tateyama Cable Car from Tateyama Station to Bijodaira and the Kanden Tunnel Electric Bus from Ogizawa Station to Kurobe Dam require reserved seating times. The Tateyama Cable Car from Bijodaira to Tateyama Station, the Kanden Tunnel Electric Bus from Kurobe Dam to Ogizawa Station, and other transportation methods do not require reserved seating times.

Therefore, when touring the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, only one ride requires a reserved seating time. If you are ascending from Tateyama Station, the reserved seating time is for the Tateyama Cable Car from Tateyama Station to Bijodaira. If you are ascending from Ogizawa Station, the reserved seating time is for the Kanden Tunnel Electric Bus from Ogizawa Station to Kurobe Dam.

Since more people ascend from Tateyama Station, the Tateyama Cable Car from Tateyama Station to Bijodaira is generally more heavily booked, and the cable car has limited capacity. Therefore, on weekends and holidays during the peak season, it often gets fully booked early. On the other hand, fewer people ascend from Ogizawa Station, and the Kanden Tunnel Electric Bus has a larger capacity, so there are usually seats available on the Kanden Tunnel Electric Bus from Ogizawa Station to Kurobe Dam.

If there are no available seats for online reservations, it does not necessarily mean that the ride is fully booked, as a portion of seats are reserved for on-the-spot sales on the day. Therefore, even if there are no seats available online, you may still be able to purchase tickets at the station on the day. Additionally, only regular rides are available for online booking, but during the peak season, there are usually extra rides that are not available for online booking, so you can generally purchase tickets for these at the station.

In summary, if you want to plan your trip more securely, you can purchase tickets and reserve seating times for the Tateyama Cable Car or Kanden Tunnel Electric Bus in advance online. However, even if you cannot reserve your desired time, there is no need to worry. Arriving early at the station (Toyama Station, Tateyama Station, or Ogizawa Station) on the day will allow you to purchase tickets and board the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route.

1. 2025 Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route Ticket Sales Period

(1) Spring Pre-sale Ticket

Online ticket sales for the 2025 Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route will begin at 3:00 PM Japan Time on March 14, 2025. However, one-way tickets for certain routes will be available for pre-sale starting at 10:00 AM Japan Time on February 28, 2025.

Routes available for pre-sale include:

One-way tickets from Dentetsu Toyama Station to Ogizawa Station;
One-way tickets from Tateyama Station to Ogizawa Station;
One-way tickets from Ogizawa Station to Tateyama Station;
One-way tickets from Ogizawa Station to Dentetsu Toyama Station.

The sales period for pre-sale tickets varies depending on the travel date. Below are the sales periods for pre-sale tickets by travel date:

Travel Date	Sales Period (Japan Time)
April 15 ~ April 30	February 28, 10:00 ~ March 7, 10:00
May 1 ~ May 10	March 7, 10:00 ~ March 14, 10:00
May 11 ~ May 31	April 1, 10:00 ~ April 8, 10:00

Note: Tickets purchased during the pre-sale period have special cancellation rules. If you cancel your pre-sale ticket 10 days before the travel date, no cancellation fee will be charged. However, if you cancel after this period, a cancellation fee of 1,000 yen per ticket will be charged.

If the above routes are not suitable for you, or if you want to purchase round-trip tickets, you will have to wait until the normal sales period starting on March 14 to purchase tickets.

(2) Spring Regular Ticket Sales Period

The normal online ticket sales period is divided into three stages: spring, summer, and autumn. The first stage only sells spring tickets for travel dates from April 15 to May 31, 2025. Tickets for travel dates after June 1 will be available for purchase during the next sales period.

The first stage of spring ticket sales has different sales periods depending on the travel date. Below are the sales periods for each travel date:

Travel Date	Sales Period (Japan Time)
April 15 ~ April 20	Starts at 3:00 PM on March 14
April 21 ~ April 30	Starts at 3:00 PM on March 21
May 1 ~ May 10	Starts at 3:00 PM on April 1
May 11 ~ May 20	Starts at 3:00 PM on April 11
May 21 ~ May 31	Starts at 3:00 PM on April 21

(3) Golden Week Special Ticket Sales Arrangement

In addition to the above-mentioned tickets for the normal period, there are also special ticket sales arrangements for the four-day Golden Week holiday from May 2 to May 5, 2025.

Tickets for the following sections from May 2 to 5 will go on sale at 10:00 on March 21, 2025 (Japan time), and can be purchased until 15:00 on April 28. The latest time to purchase tickets is 15:00 7 days before the ride date, and the free cancellation period is also before 15:00 7 days before the ride date. Cancellations after this date will be charged a handling fee of 500 yen per ticket.

① Dentetsu Toyama ⇔ Kurobeko（Round-Trip）
② Dentetsu Toyama ⇔ Murodo （Round-Trip）

Except the above special ticketing arrangements, the earliest time to purchase tickets online is at the start of the sales period, and the latest time to purchase tickets is at 2:59 PM Japan Time on the day before the travel date. For example, if you want to purchase tickets for April 30, you must complete your purchase by 2:59 PM on April 29.

(4) Summer Early Bird 10% Discount

On April 1, 2025, a 10% early bird discount will be available for summer tickets from June 1 to August 31, but only for the following specified sections. The early bird ticket price is 90% of the original price.

Ticket sales period: From April 1, 2025, 10:00 AM (Japan Time) to August 21, 3:00 PM
Travel period: June 1, 2025, to August 31, 2025

Travel Section	Adult Fare	Child Fare
Ogisawa ⇒ Tateyama Station (One-way)	9,800 yen	4,900 yen
Ogisawa ⇒ Dentetsu Toyama (One-way)	11,150 yen	5,580 yen
Ogisawa ⇔ Murodo (Round-trip)	11,200 yen	5,600 yen
Tateyama Station ⇒ Ogisawa (One-way)	9,800 yen	4,900 yen
Dentetsu Toyama ⇒ Ogisawa (One-way)	11,150 yen	5,580 yen
Tateyama Station ⇔ Kurobe Lake (Round-trip)	14,800 yen	7,400 yen
Dentetsu Toyama ⇔ Kurobe Lake (Round-trip)	17,500 yen	8,750 yen

Note: Early bird discount tickets can be canceled free of charge up to 10 days before the travel date by 3:00 PM. Cancellations after this period will incur a 1,000 yen fee per ticket. For example, tickets for June 1 can be canceled free of charge by May 22 at 3:00 PM.

(5) Summer Regular Ticket Sales Schedule

Tickets for the Summer Season (June to August 2025) will go on sale in phases starting from May 1, 2025. The sales schedule varies depending on the travel date. Below are the ticket release times for each travel period:

Travel Date	Sales Start Time (Japan Time)
June 1–June 10	May 1, 15:00
June 11–June 20	May 9, 15:00
June 21–June 30	May 21, 15:00
July 1–July 10	May 30, 15:00
July 11–July 20	June 11, 15:00
July 21–July 30	June 20, 15:00
August 1–August 10	July 1, 15:00
August 11–August 20	July 11, 15:00
August 21–August 31	July 18, 15:00

2. Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route Ticket Purchase Process

The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route online ticketing system (Tateyama Kurobe Alpen Route WEB Ticket) is available in both Japanese and English. You can switch between the two languages using the “Language” menu in the top right corner of the webpage. The following instructions use the English interface.

In addition to the detailed instructions below, you can also refer to the official tutorial on the ticket purchase website, but it is only available in Japanese. You can also refer to a simple English version of the user guide.

(1) Registering an Account

To purchase tickets for the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route using the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route online ticketing system, you need to register an account. The steps to register an account are as follows:

[Step 1] On the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route online ticketing system webpage, click on the “My Page” button in the top right corner, then click on “Membership registration” at the bottom of the page.

[Step 2] Enter your email address (twice), then check the box next to “I have checked Terms of Service to the end.” (Note: You must read the full Terms of Service before checking the box), then click on “Apply for membership registration.”

After clicking “Apply for membership registration,” you will receive an email containing a Confirmation Code.

[Step 3] Enter the Confirmation Code, then click on “Enter your personal information.”

[Step 4] Enter your personal information, including your name, country or region (select from the dropdown menu; if outside Japan, you do not need to enter a postal code or prefecture), address, phone number, age group, gender, companion type, transportation method, etc. Also, set your account login password (minimum 8 characters, must include uppercase letters, lowercase letters, and numbers) and 3 security questions for password recovery in case you forget your password. After completing this, click on “Confirm entered contents.”

[Step 5] Review the information you have entered, then click on “Membership registration” to complete the account registration process.

(2) Purchasing Tickets

After registering an account, you can log in to the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route Online Ticket System to purchase tickets for the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. The specific steps are as follows:

【Note】: The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route Online Ticket System should normally allow switching from the Japanese version to the English version. However, last year it was found that during the ticket purchase process, the system only displayed the Japanese version without an option to switch to the English version. It is unknown whether this issue has been resolved this year. If using the Japanese version, the ticket purchase process is the same as described below, but the language will be in Japanese.

[Step 1] On the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route Online Ticket System webpage, click on the “My Page” button at the top right corner. Then enter your account email and password, and click “Log in” to access the system.

[Step 2] Click on “Make a new reservation” (新規予約はこちら).

[Step 3] Select the basic information for the ticket you wish to purchase, including the direction of travel (Riding direction | 乗車方面)[Note], ticket type (Ticket name | 商品名), and travel date (Departure date | 乗車日). Then click “Enter reservation details” (ご予約の詳細入力).

[Note]: If you are traveling from the Nagano side (Ogizawa Station), select “Departure from Ogizawa (Nagano side | 長野県側扇沢発)” for the Riding direction. If you are traveling from the Toyama side (Tateyama Station), select “Departure from Tateyama station (Toyama side | 富山県側立山駅発)”.

[Step 4] Select the detailed information for the ticket you wish to purchase, including the ticket type (Section | 区間)[Note 1], departure time (Departure time)[Note 2], and number of passengers (Number of people)[Note 3]. Additionally, if needed, you can also purchase bus tickets for the route between Ogizawa Station and Shinano-Omachi Station or Nagano Station[Note 4]. After completing these selections, click “Confirm entered contents“.

[Note 1]: If you are traveling from the Nagano side (Ogizawa Station), select “Departure from Ogizawa (Nagano side)” for the Riding direction. The ticket types available for purchase from Ogizawa Station include:

One-way ticket from Ogizawa Station to Dentetsu Toyama Station (Ogizawa-Dentetsu Toyama One way)
One-way ticket from Ogizawa Station to Tateyama Station (Ogizawa-Tateyama Station One way)
One-way ticket from Ogizawa Station to Murodo (Ogizawa-Murodo One way)
One-way ticket from Ogizawa Station to Kurobe Dam (Ogizawa-Kurobe Dam One way)
Round-trip ticket from Ogizawa Station to Murodo (Ogizawa-Murodo Round trip)
Round-trip ticket from Ogizawa Station to Daikanbo (Ogizawa-Daikanbo Round trip)
Round-trip ticket from Ogizawa Station to Kurobedaira (Ogizawa-Kurobedaira Round trip)
Round-trip ticket from Ogizawa Station to Kurobe Dam (Ogizawa-Kurobe Dam Round trip)

If you are traveling from the Toyama side (Tateyama Station), select “Departure from Tateyama station (Toyama side)” for the Riding direction. The ticket types available for purchase from Tateyama Station include:

One-way ticket from Tateyama Station to Ogizawa Station (Tateyama Station-Ogizawa One way)
One-way ticket from Tateyama Station to Kurobeko (Tateyama Station-Kurobeko One way)
One-way ticket from Tateyama Station to Murodo (Tateyama Station-Murodo One way)
One-way ticket from Dentetsu Toyama Station to Ogizawa Station (Dentetsu Toyama-Ogizawa One way)
One-way ticket from Dentetsu Toyama Station to Kurobeko (Dentetsu Toyama-Kurobeko One way)
One-way ticket from Dentetsu Toyama Station to Murodo (Dentetsu Toyama-Murodo One way)
Round-trip ticket from Tateyama Station to Kurobeko (Tateyama Station-Kurobeko Round trip)
Round-trip ticket from Tateyama Station to Daikanbo (Tateyama Station-Daikanbo Round trip)
Round-trip ticket from Tateyama Station to Murodo (Tateyama Station-Murodo Round trip)
Round-trip ticket from Dentetsu Toyama Station to Kurobeko (Dentetsu Toyama-Kurobeko Round trip)
Round-trip ticket from Dentetsu Toyama Station to Daikanbo (Dentetsu Toyama-Daikanbo Round trip)
Round-trip ticket from Dentetsu Toyama Station to Murodo (Dentetsu Toyama-Murodo Round trip)

[Note 2]: Only the Tateyama Cable Car from Tateyama Station to Bijodaira and the Kanden Tunnel Electric Bus from Ogizawa Station to Kurobe Dam require a specified departure time. If you are traveling from Tateyama Station, the time selected here will be the departure time for the Tateyama Cable Car. If you are traveling from Ogizawa Station, the time selected here will be the departure time for the Kanden Tunnel Electric Bus.

[Note 3]: Passengers aged 12 and above need to purchase an adult ticket (Adult), while children aged 6-11 need to purchase a child ticket (Child). Children under 6 years old travel for free and do not need to be included in the Number of people selection.

[Note 4]: Bus tickets purchased through the online ticket system for the route bus between Ogizawa Station and Shinano-Omachi Station and the express bus between Ogizawa Station and Nagano Station cannot be refunded after purchase. However, the number of passengers can be reduced, but refunds can only be processed at the Ogizawa Station ticket office. When boarding the bus, you will need to present the electronic ticket from the online ticket system or a printed copy of the electronic ticket. For more details, please refer to this webpage. Additionally, bus tickets purchased here cannot be used for intermediate stops.

Note: The image above is from the official website tutorial.

[Step 5] After confirming that the ticket information is correct, click “Enter payment information” to proceed to payment.

[Step 6] Enter your credit card information, including the credit card number (Credit card number), expiration date (Expiration date), and security code (CSC). Then click “Confirm payment information” to complete the payment.

After successfully purchasing the ticket, the ticket information will be displayed, including a QR Code. You can scan this QR Code at the self-service ticket machine at the station to collect your ticket. You can print this page, save a screenshot on your phone, or log in to the online ticket system on your phone to display the QR Code when collecting your ticket.

Note: The image above is from the official website tutorial.

(3) Changing Tickets

After purchasing tickets online, the only content that can be changed online is the number of passengers. You can log in to the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route Online Ticket System to change the number of passengers (increase or decrease the number) before 2:59 PM the day before the ticket date (Japan time).

If you increase the number of passengers, you will need to pay for the additional tickets. If you decrease the number of passengers, the refund for the reduced tickets will be credited back to the credit card used for the purchase. Changing the number of passengers through the online ticket system before the deadline does not incur a handling fee.

To change the number of passengers, log in to the online ticket system and go to My Page. Click on “Confirm reservation“, then click “Change” in the displayed ticket record to make changes.

After the deadline (2:59 PM the day before the ticket date), you cannot change the number of passengers through the online ticket system. However, if you have not yet collected the ticket, you can make changes at the ticket counter at the station (Tateyama Station, Ogizawa Station, or Dentetsu Toyama Station) on the day of travel. At the ticket counter, in addition to changing the number of passengers, you can also change the departure time (for the Tateyama Cable Car from Tateyama Station to Bijodaira or the Kanden Tunnel Electric Bus from Ogizawa Station to Kurobe Dam).

Even if the original departure time has passed, you can still make changes as long as the ticket has not been collected, but the new departure time must be on the same day as the original ticket. Changing the number of passengers or departure time at the station ticket counter incurs a handling fee of 500 yen per ticket.

Additionally, please note that bus tickets purchased through the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route Online Ticket System for the route bus between Ogizawa Station and Shinano-Omachi Station and the express bus between Ogizawa Station and Nagano Station cannot be refunded. Refunds for reducing the number of passengers can only be processed at the Ogizawa Station ticket office.

(4) Canceling Tickets

Tickets for the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route purchased online can be canceled through the online ticketing system. Cancellations made before 2:59 PM (Japan Time) on the day before the ticket date are free of charge. If canceled after this deadline but before the departure time (the Tateyama Cable Car from Tateyama Station to Bijodaira or the Kanden Tunnel Electric Bus from Ogizawa Station to Kurobe Dam), a 500 yen fee per ticket will be charged. Cancellations are not possible after the departure time.

However, tickets purchased during the advance sale period from February 28, 2025, to April 8, 2025, have special cancellation rules. If canceled 10 days before the travel date, no fee is charged. If canceled after this period, a 1,000 yen fee per ticket will be charged.

To cancel a ticket, log in to the online ticketing system, go to My Page, click on “Confirm reservation“, and then click “Cancel” on the displayed ticket record to proceed with the cancellation.

Note: The above image is from the official website tutorial.

5. Ticket Pickup

After purchasing Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route tickets online, you need to collect the physical paper tickets before use. Tickets can be picked up from 12:00 PM (noon) on the day before the travel date. Physical tickets can be printed from self-service ticket machines at Tateyama Station, Ogizawa Station, and Toyama Station of the Toyama Chihou Railway. To print the ticket, simply scan the QR code from the ticket record on the machine and confirm on the screen to print the ticket.

Note: The above image is from the official website tutorial.

Below are the locations of the self-service ticket machines at Tateyama Station, Ogizawa Station, and Toyama Station of the Toyama Chihou Railway (official website tutorial images).

Purchasing and Using JR Passes Including Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route Tickets

In addition to purchasing individual tickets for the various transportation options on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, there are also several passes available that include transportation on the Alpine Route as well as JR trains and buses connecting nearby major cities.

Examples include the “Alpine-Takayama-Matsumoto Area Tourist Pass“, the “Tateyama Kurobe Alpen Ticket“, and the “Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route Shinjuku Ticket“. If you are not driving to Tateyama Kurobe, purchasing these JR Passes or package tickets can generally save you a significant amount of money.

1. Alpine-Takayama-Matsumoto Area Tourist Pass

The “Alpine-Takayama-Matsumoto Area Tourist Pass” is a JR Pass jointly offered by JR Central and JR West. This pass allows unlimited rides on the eight types of transportation on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route during its validity period, as well as unlimited rides on JR trains between Nagoya and Toyama, and between Nagoya and Shinano-Omachi.

The specific areas covered by the “Alpine-Takayama-Matsumoto Area Tourist Pass” include:

JR trains between Nagoya and Toyama via the Tokaido Main Line (Nagoya to Gifu) and the Takayama Main Line, including limited express, express, rapid, and local trains (ordinary cars only, no Green Car). Stops include Gifu, Mino, Gero Onsen, Takayama, and Hida Furukawa.
JR trains between Nagoya and Shinano-Omachi via the Chuo Main Line (Nagoya to Shiojiri), the Shinonoi Line (Shiojiri to Kitamatsumoto), and the Oito Line (Kitamatsumoto to Shinano-Omachi), including limited express, express, rapid, and local trains (ordinary cars only, no Green Car). Stops include Ena Gorge, Narai, and Matsumoto.
Trains on the Toyama Chihou Railway between Toyama and Tateyama Station, including limited express, rapid, and local trains (non-reserved seats only).
Route buses between Ogizawa Station and Shinano-Omachi, passing through Omachi Onsen.
Six types of mountain transportation on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route between Tateyama Station and Ogizawa Station (Tateyama Cable Car, Tateyama Highland Bus, Tateyama Tunnel Trolleybus, Tateyama Ropeway, Kurobe Cable Car, and Kanden Tunnel Electric Bus).

For more detailed information on the “Alpine-Takayama-Matsumoto Area Tourist Pass”, please refer to the article “Alpine-Takayama-Matsumoto Area Tourist Pass: Purchase, Exchange, Usage, and Riding Guide”.

2. JR Central’s “Tateyama Kurobe Alpen Ticket”

The 「立山黒部アルペンきっぷ」」 (Tateyama Kurobe Alpen Ticket) is a JR Pass offered by JR Central, similar to the “Alpine-Takayama-Matsumoto Area Tourist Pass”. It is primarily targeted at domestic Japanese travelers, but there are no restrictions on foreigners purchasing it, so if it suits your needs, you can buy and use it.

Note: The 立山黒部アルペンきっぷ page on the JR Central official website was deleted this year, and the 2025 brochure cannot be found on the website. This package may no longer be sold starting this year.

The “Tateyama Kurobe Alpen Ticket” can be purchased at major JR stations (Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, Himeji, Nagoya, Toyama, Gifu, Shizuoka, Hamamatsu) and at branches of major Japanese travel agencies within the covered area. The sale period is from April 1 to November 23 each year, and the usage period is from April 15 to November 30, excluding the periods of April 27 to May 6 and August 10 to 19.

The usage method of the “Tateyama Kurobe Alpen Ticket” is similar to the “Alpine-Takayama-Matsumoto Area Tourist Pass”. When ascending Tateyama Kurobe, you need to exchange for a boarding ticket, and the method and location for exchange are the same. When riding JR reserved seats, you need to obtain a reserved seat ticket at the ticket counter.

The validity period of the “Tateyama Kurobe Alpen Ticket” is eight days. Depending on the departure point and the JR lines used, it is divided into the following four versions, with different prices for each version and departure point. (Note: The prices shown in the screenshots below are for 2022. For the latest prices, please refer to the official website.)

“Hida Course (via Takayama Line and Chuo Line)” (Hida version, using JR Takayama Line and Chuo Line)
“Shirasagi Course (via Hokuriku Line and Chuo Line)” (Shirasagi version, using JR Hokuriku Line and Chuo Line)
“Kyoto City, Osaka City, Kobe City, Himeji Departure Course (via Hokuriku Line and Chuo Line)” (Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Himeji departure version, using JR Hokuriku Line and Chuo Line)
“Kyoto City, Osaka City, Kobe City, Himeji Departure Course (round trip via Hokuriku Line)” (Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Himeji departure version, using JR Hokuriku Line round trip)

3. Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route Shinjuku Ticket

The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route Shinjuku Ticket is a discounted package offered by Keio Electric Railway Bus. The package includes a one-way express bus ticket from Shinjuku Station in Tokyo to Ogizawa Station in Nagano Prefecture, as well as a one-way ticket for seven types of transportation on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route from Ogizawa Station to Toyama Station on the Toyama Chihou Railway. The transportation options include the Kanden Tunnel Electric Bus, Kurobe Cable Car, Tateyama Ropeway, Tateyama Tunnel Electric Bus, Tateyama Highland Bus, Tateyama Cable Car, and Toyama Chihou Railway.

Note: This Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route Shinjuku ticket may no longer be on sale, because the official website information is for 2023 and has not been updated in the past two years, and after clicking the ticket purchase link, it shows that there are no related products.

The “Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route Shinjuku Ticket” is divided into two types based on the departure time of the express bus from Shinjuku Station to Ogizawa Station: “Night Bus” and “Day Bus“. The “Night Bus” is an overnight bus from Shinjuku Station to Ogizawa Station, departing at 23:15 and arriving at Ogizawa Station at 5:32.

However, please note that the overnight express bus from Shinjuku Station to Ogizawa Station does not operate daily. The “Day Bus” operates during the day, with 2 to 3 departures daily, but the “Day Bus” only goes to Shinanomachi.

From Shinanomachi to Ogizawa Station, passengers need to take a local bus, and the ticket includes the local bus fare from Shinanomachi to Ogizawa Station. The ticket is valid for two days, allowing passengers to disembark midway and stay overnight in Shinanomachi or nearby Omachi Onsen before continuing their journey up the mountain.

The price of the “Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route Shinjuku Ticket” for the “Night Bus” is 18,400 yen (9,900 yen for children), and the price for the “Day Bus” is 18,000 yen (9,000 yen for children). The fare for the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route from Ogizawa Station to Toyama Station in 2025 is 12,170 yen, and the fare for the express bus from Shinjuku Station to Ogizawa Station is 7,500 yen, totaling 19,670 yen. Therefore, purchasing the “Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route Shinjuku Ticket” saves you 1,670 yen, which is approximately a 92% discount.

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