Kurobe River

The Kurobe Gorge in Toyama Prefecture is one of the deepest mountain gorges in Japan, carved by the Kurobe River through steep granite walls that block most sunlight by midday. Rafting tours put you directly into this landscape, paddling through calm sections and working through rapids with a guide while the walls rise on both sides. Canyoning in the side gorges involves more vertical movement, with rappelling, jumping, and sliding through narrow water channels cut into the rock. Both activities run from late spring through early autumn when water levels allow, and the tours typically depart from the Unazuki onsen area at the gorge's entrance.