High in the Japanese Alps, an easy walk hides a wilder story

From the alpine plateau of Murodo, you could imagine being in a wilderness far from civilisation. Lakes settle in dips and folds, volcanic vents puff clouds of steam, rockfalls scar steep slopes and - very occasionally - a distant bear might be spotted. But for most people, the 60-90-minute circuit walk that crowns Murodo is an easy amble on a wide and mostly cobblestoned path. Getting there is half the fun.

The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route is an epic day-trip from the seaside city of Toyama (two hours west of Tokyo by Shinkansen) to Nagano via the rugged and chilly 3000-metre heights of Tateyama Mountain Range, all done using a string of transport modes, including train, bus, cable car and ropeway. Serious hikers use Murodo as a starting point for multi-day hikes, peeling off on other trails deeper into the mountains, where huts and lodges provide nightly refuge. Japan's highest onsen is a 10-minute detour off the circuit walk.