As you approach Kurobe Gorge Railway‘s Unazuki Station, you will inevitably notice the three-story building that looks like an inn opposite the road. While it does look like a nice place to spend a night, it is actually a museum (only on the ground floor). You can learn about the mechanisms of hydroelectric power generation in an easy-to-understand manner by examining the water turbine models and watching the short films.
Table of Contents
- About Kurobe Hydropower Museum (黒部川電気記念館)
- What to See and Do in Kurobe Hydropower Museum
- Kurobe Hydropower Museum’s Opening Hours and Access Information
Exploring Unazuki Onsen With a Tour
If you prefer a guide to introduce you to the charms of Unazuki Onsen, how about joining one of the below tours?
- Full Day Tour to Kurobe Gorge and Unazuki Onsen from Kanazawa
- Book via Viator
- Book via GetYourGuide
About Kurobe Hydropower Museum (黒部川電気記念館)
Kurobe Hydropower Museum used to be the former Kurobegawa Electric Power Station before it was turned into a museum in 1987. The facility that belongs to the Kansai Electric Power Company (関西電力) introduces the history and information related to the construction of Kurobe Dam and how power is generated using the water flowing in Kurobe River.
The Kurobe River is a rapid stream with a total length of approximately 86km that passes through the rugged mountainous area. As it has an abundant amount of water from snowmelt and rainfall, many dams and 12 hydroelectric power plants were constructed along the river, making it the number one power source in Japan.
Because Kurobe Gorge Railway’s trolley trains were part of the power plant’s construction work, visiting Kurobe Hydropower Museum before taking the trolley train can make the ride a lot more meaningful.
For foreign visitors, the short films in the theater have English, Chinese, and Korean subtitles. Outside the museum, the trolley train used to build the Kurobe Dam is on display.
What to See and Do in Kurobe Hydropower Museum
Inside the museum, there is a large model of Kurobe Dam at 1/60th scale. Above the model, the footage on the screen is the live footage from the camera at Kurobe Dam. The most exciting thing is you can change the angle of the camera. So whether it is the mountains surrounding the dam or how crowded it is, move your fingers, and you can view it all!
A large mountain panoramic model related to the power generation infrastructure at Kurobe Gorge can also be found. The model, with a scale of 1:7500, includes the trolley train track and the power plants along the Kurobe River. Small human dioramas placed on the model also tell you how hard it was to build all the infrastructure at Kurobe Gorge. Traveling on the train that ran through the cliff was so dangerous that it had “We can’t guarantee your safety (安全を保証しません)” printed on the ticket!
Furthermore, take a virtual tour of Kurobe Gorge Railway’s trolley train. The seats in the theater are similar to the actual train seats, making the virtual experience closer to the real experience. So if the weather is bad, visit the Kurobe Hydropower Museum to experience the trolley train while staying dry comfortably.
Kurobe Hydropower Museum’s Opening Hours and Access Information
- Kurobe Hydropower Museum is open from
- 7:30 am to 6 pm from the 18th of April to November
- 9 am to 4 pm from Wednesday to Monday from December to the 17th of April
- Entry is free.
- Most people spend around 15 minutes at the Kurobe Hydropower Museum.
- The museum is around a 3-minute walk from Unazuki Onsen Station.
- Find out more about how to get to Toyama Chihō Railway’s Unazaki Onsen Station HERE (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ
Explore Other Parts of Unazuki Onsen
Unazuki Onsen where Kurobe Hydropower Museum is located is at the entrance of Kurobe Gorge. It is one of the most picturesque destinations in Toyama Prefecture. In addition to the natural spots and hot spring facilities, it also has a couple of museums, cafés, and confectionery shops that might interest you.
So refer to our Unazuki Onsen article for more information and plan your visit!
