Location: Ashikuraji, Tateyama-cho, Nakashinagawa-gun, Toyama
Official Web site:.http://www.kurobe-dam.com/
View of the levee from the observatory
It is a very major dam that needs no further explanation. It is also commonly known as the "Kuroyon Dam," but "Kurobe Dam" is its official name. Everyone in Japan must have heard of it, even if only by name. Even before Kamima became interested in dams, he knew the name and that the height of the embankment was the highest in Japan, but after becoming interested, he never had the chance to visit, and it was only in the third year of his interest that he finally arrived at the sacred site.
You see this photo angle everywhere. That's how famous the dam is. The song "Star on Earth" by Miyuki Nakashima, the theme song of NHK's "Project X," was playing at the observatory. I heard she also sang the song in Kohaku, but not near the embankment but in the Kuroyoshi Tunnel. There are various rumors about that too...
Kurobe Dam Model
It is not possible to drive directly into the Kurobe Dam embankment. You must take the sightseeing route called "Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. There are two ways to approach the dam: from the Toyama side (Tateyama) or from the Nagano side (Ogisawa, Omachi City). From the Nagano side, you will pass through the Kanden Tunnel, but you can take a trolley bus, which runs on electricity, from Ogisawa Station to Kurobe Dam Lake Station.
On the left is a model at the Kurobe Dam station. It was built where the wall was actually dug.
Cenotaph "Dedicated to His Eminence"
The Kurobe Dam and power plant are very famous for their difficult construction work, which was featured in the movie "Kurobe no Taiyo" starring Yujiro Ishihara and the NHK program "Project X". This is a cenotaph to mourn the souls of those who died in the construction of such a difficult project. It is said that 171 people died during the construction of the dam. When you visit the dam, please put your hands together in prayer.
Also, regarding the movie "Whiteout" starring Yuji Oda, the model is Okutadami Dam, but the actual location is Kurobe Dam.
View of the embankment from the right bank wing dam
Now, let's change the mood and cover a dam. The mountains in the upper part of the photo are the Tateyama mountain range, and even though it is the 20th of July, there is still snow on the ground. On this day in 2003, the rainy season had not ended, and it could have rained at any time.
View of the levee from the new observation platform on the right bank
Here is a view of the embankment from the new observation deck that was just completed in 2003 to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the dam's construction.......................It is being used for tourist releases from 6/26 to 10/15, and it seems to be a popular way to see those tourist releases up close. I hope you can walk that catwalk too....
View downstream from the levee
I would have loved to have been able to look up the levee and photograph it from downstream as well. I have heard somewhere that it is possible to walk there, but from the top it looks like there are no paths, so it may not be possible with light clothing.
View of the dam lake from the embankment
It is a very large dam lake. You can take a sightseeing boat to visit this dammed lake. Take the sightseeing boat "Garbe" from the left bank. Tickets for the Garube and the Kanden Tunnel Trolleybus are sold as a set at Ogisawa Station, which is a good deal.
View of remaining snow downstream from the left bank wing dam embankment
It looks like dirty Styrofoam, but it is very hard-looking remaining snow. Even in summer, there is still snow on the ground, which suggests a harsh winter. Winter is my favorite season, so I would love to visit in winter as well. It must be a totally different atmosphere from the summer season.
View of the Incline from near the Galve Ticket Office on the left bank
View of the embankment from the cruise ship "Garbe
It is quite an extraordinary angle. The Garbe is a flat boat, so the photo is taken looking up from the lake surface. Driftwood is everywhere in the dam lake, and it is completely different in size and beauty from the driftwood you see in the local dam. In the souvenir shop, you can find wood crafts made from driftwood.
View of the embankment from the Kampadani Suspension Bridge
The sightseeing boat "Garbe" can be seen at the bottom of the embankment. It looks much smaller from here.
Anyway, Kurobe is a walk. From the Kurobe Dam lake to the embankment, you have to climb up a long series of stairs, and the length of the embankment top is also long, and it is a long way to Gulbe. It is not easy for the elderly or smokers. Everything is that big and spacious. On the long stairway from the Kurobe Dam Lake Station, there are chairs on the landing, but many of the elderly people I went down with dropped out one after another, and some of them were resting on those chairs. Kamima is young, so he doesn't need to take a break! I thought to myself, "Kamima is so young, he doesn't need to take a break!
View of the top end from the left bank wing dam
Because there are so many tourists, people always enter the subject when trying to photograph the embankment. Moreover, since it was the first day of summer vacation, there were many families, making it extremely difficult to take pictures.
driftwood
Driftwood from the dam lake was grouped together in a circle in one place. It was a very beautiful circle, so I couldn't resist taking a picture of it.
View of the right bank incline from the dike
Trolleybus at Ogisawa Station
This is the aforementioned "trolleybus". There is a pantograph on the bus. A true collaboration between a bus and a train!
By the way, the man on the right of the bus is not my father.
souvenir
These are souvenirs I got at Kurobe Dam this time. The right photo book is titled "Kurobe Dam Alpine Route", which includes a record of the construction of Kurobe Dam and stills from the movie "Kurobe no Taiyo" in the appendix.
To be frank, it was an impulse purchase. On the left is a sponge cake bake called "Kurobe no dum-dum-kun. This is a souvenir I definitely wanted to buy in advance. I took this picture in my room, which is very messy. I am such a "dame-dame-kun", aren't I?
dam characteristics
| da mu | form (something takes) | Arch-type dome overflow dam |
|---|---|---|
| Objective | generation (e.g. power) | |
| Bank height | 186m | |
| Bank length | 492m Left bank wing dam 69m Within Right bank wing dam 56m | |
| Dam volume | 1,582,000m3 | |
| savings water (esp. cool, fresh water, e.g. drinking water) pond | Watershed Area | 188.5 km2 |
| Reservoir area | 349ha | |
| Total storage capacity | 199,285,000m3 | |
| Effective water storage capacity | 148,833,000m3 | |
| Name of Dam Lake | Kurobe Lake (Lake Otagaki) | |
| River Name | Kurobe River System Kurobe River | |
| Year of launch | 1956 | |
| Year Completed | 1961 | |
Other facilities/observations
| Parking lot | × | Parking is not available for cars around the dam site. Rather, I can't go, so it's an "X". The park item is because the Kurobe Dam itself belongs to the "Chubu-Sangaku National Park". It is "○" in a manner of speaking. Anyway, it is huge! That's all I can say. There are many things to see and do, so you will not get bored, but if you are not confident in your stamina, it will wear you out considerably. |
|---|---|---|
| Toilet | ○ | |
| Park | ○ | |
| PR Exhibition Hall | ○ |
Comment
Construction Hazama