Mt Kurobegoro (2840m) is in the Hida Mountain Range and is one of Japan's 100 major mountains. It is for intermediate hikers and many hikers visit it throughout the year. The most popular hiking course is the north-south course which takes four days and covers Yakushi, Kurobegoro, Sugoroku mountains and Kamikochi.

Mt Kurobegoro features a large cirque on its north side, which begins beyond the smooth ridge line at Mt Yakushi in the Tateyama Mountain Range, extends along Tarobe plateau and ends at Mt Kitanomata. This cirque, or 'kar', appears as if the mountain side had been scooped away, but was actually eroded by a gracier.

If you are at the bottom of the cirque, the extraordinary atmosphere of the place will make you draw breath. You cannot help but be moved by the natural beauty of the site with its traces of snow, abundant water and alpine flora.

Kurobe Gorge is located between the Tateyama mountains and the Ushiro Tateyama mountains (Mt Hakuba, Mt Kashima-Yariga) in the Japan North Alps. The scale, depth and power of the gorge make it the premier valley in Japan both in name and reality. It has been designated as a Special Natural National Monument and a Special Beauty Spot, and is included in the Joshinetsu Plateau National Park.

Along the valley, there are many places to visit such as Kurobe 'eternal snow', Dashiroppo Peak, Couple Rock and Kurobe Lake formed by Kurobe Dam. The Kurobe Gorge Railway, or Torokko Electric Railway, runs for about 20km from Unazuki to Keyakidaira, and is very popular with tourists. The railcars have open windows, so you can directly enjoy the wonderful natural scenery. The views are especially dynamic in spring, with the fresh green foliage, or in fall, with the red leaves.

Located to the east of Mikuriga Lake, Midoriga Lake is a crater lake on the Murodou plains, which is a lava area surrounded by three mountains: Yuzan, Bessan and Jo-dosan.

Midoriga Lake formed in the crater left by an erupting volcano. At 1.6m deep, the water is quite shallow and rocks on the bottom can be clearly seen.

The transparent water reflects the beautiful scenery of the mountain ranges. The real mountains balanced by their reflected image makes an artistic composition. In seasons when lingering snow or fall foliage can be seen, the beauty of the reflected image increases.

By the sides of the lake, the pathways connecting with Mikuriga Lake and Jigoku valley are filled with hikers and sighteers throughout the year. In this area, there are also many alpine as well as water-loving plants such as Fauria crista-galli and Pedicularis chamissonis var. japonica, which is pretty enough for visitors to enjoy when in flower.