65-foot-tall snow corridor in Japan where cars actually drive has people wondering how it isn’t a real-life Mario Kart stage
Published on Mar 10, 2026 at 8:21 AM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Mar 09, 2026 at 7:22 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
If you go to Japan, you might find a huge 65-foot-tall snow corridor that cars can actually drive through, and it absolutely looks like something straight out of Mario Kart.
The route is the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, and it connects the Toyama and Nagano prefectures. It is located in the Northern Japan Alps.
It’s an incredible mountain sightseeing route that opened on June 1st, 1971, and is described on its website as ‘world-class’ and one of the best things to see in Japan.
Not only can you drive in it, but it’s also become one of the most popular tourist attractions in Japan.
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Why this snow corridor in Japan is so spectacular
The route itself is 23 miles long, with an elevation difference as dramatic as 6,480ft.
It passes through Tateyama/Mt. Tate in the Hida Mountains, with many stunning sights along the way.
Included in this is Japan’s largest dam, the Kurobe Dam.
From the top of Mt. Tate, you can even see Mount Fuji if the weather is clear.
But the most dramatic part of the route is the remarkable snow corridor.
Murodo-daira along the route has some of the heaviest snowfall in the world.
It can reach 23ft deep, and it is particularly noticeable near Murodo Station.
The huge walls look like something straight out of a Mario Kart stage.
In fact, they are so wild, a video game is probably the best place for them.
With so much snow, once the road itself is cleared, giant snow walls emerge on either side of the trail.
These end up looking like solid walls positioned alongside the road.
It makes for a spectacular sight as cars and buses pass through them.
This is how long it takes to travel the Mario Kart-style route.
While it may look like it’s from Mario Kart, we promise that this is a real road in Japan, and a variety of transportation methods can get through it, including a funicular, bus, trolleybus, aerial tramway, and walking.
It can take several hours to traverse the whole route, depending on the speed and conditions.
But it’s not a location you would want to hurry yourself through.
Which is ironic, given that in Mario Kart, you need to be as fast as possible.
With such spectacular scenery, it is little wonder it could take so long to pass along the snowy road.
And with so much snowfall, the huge walls never have a chance to melt.
Should you wish to soak up the Swiss Alps while in Japan, the Tateyama Kurobe route is the place to be.
Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route timeline
1956: Kurobe Dam Construction Begins: A monumental engineering project launches to meet Japan’s post-war energy demands, requiring a massive workforce of 10 million people over its duration.
1963: Kurobe Dam Completed: After seven grueling years and overcoming severe geographical challenges, Japan’s tallest arch dam (186 meters) is finished.
1964: Mountain Tourism Initiated: The Kanden Tunnel and other roads originally built to haul dam construction materials are repurposed and opened to passenger transport.
1970: Tateyama Ropeway Opens: This engineering marvel is completed as a 1.7km single-span ropeway. It was built entirely without support towers to avoid the path of avalanches and protect the natural landscape.
June 1971: The Route Fully Opens: With the final tunnel and transport links connected, the continuous 37km alpine route officially opens to the public, linking Toyama and Nagano prefectures.
Present Day: A Global Phenomenon: Operating annually from mid-April to November, the route is now a premier destination, most famous for the towering 20-meter-high ‘Snow Corridor’ (Yuki-no-Otani) that forms every spring.
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Henry joined the Supercar Blondie team in February 2025, and since then has covered a wide array of topics ranging from EVs, American barn finds, and the odd Cold War jet. He’s combined his passion for cars with his keen interest in motorsport and his side hustle as a volunteer steam locomotive fireman at a heritage steam railway.
