Kurobe Gorge Railway

Japan's deepest V-shaped canyon runs through the Northern Alps of Toyama, carved by the Kurobe River to depths that leave you staring up at sheer cliff walls from open-top trolley cars. The railway, originally built for dam construction workers, now carries sightseers 20 kilometers through 41 tunnels and over 21 bridges. Three stops along the route give access to riverside hot springs, including Kuronagi Onsen with outdoor baths perched above the gorge. Autumn foliage from late October through mid-November is the most popular time, when maple and beech blaze along the canyon walls. The railway runs April through November.