Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route to Murodo

We headed out early from Toyama to start the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. Our destination for the day was Murodo and Hotel Tateyama, the highest point on the route. We got to Murodo fairly early and went out for a walk in the snow. The weather got worse throughout the day, though there was a brief period where it cleared up a tiny bit. But afterwards, there was strong blowing wind and blizzard-like conditions and visibility.

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Kanazawa

We headed out early in the morning to catch the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kanazawa. Once we arrived, we visited Kenroku-en, a garden, and the Kanazawa Castle Park. Afterwards, we briefly visited a small shrine and a samurai district before heading back to the station.

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Old Post Office Tower

We visited the Old Post Office Tower this morning. It is operated by the National Park Service and provides access to a observation room above the tower’s four clock faces. There is also some historical information about the Old Post Office building on the path from the entrance to the elevators.

As it is in a newly redeveloped structure, one would expect that this historic section of the building would have been updated as well to provide a great visitor experience. However, it is a sad little place. Some of the window openings are protected by clear plastic, possibly plexiglass, sheets that are in terrible condition. Other windows are covered by strands of thick metal wire that run top to bottom. And there is a NPS staff member whose only job seems to be to yell at visitors when they touch the metal wire as touching it is prohibited. Definitely one of the worst NPS visitor experiences anywhere.

A little bit of investment is needed to at least replace the terrible windows with some quality glass. That would solve multiple problems at once. This place has so much potential!

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