Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
3 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
4 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
5 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
6 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Japan Tateyama-machi Snow Canyon

Snow Canyon

A massive wintry wall of snow up to 66 feet tall flanks a highway through Japan's mountains.

Tateyama-machi, Japan

Added By
Nick
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
The wall of snow.   Thomas Au
The wall of snow.   Thomas Au
The snow wall dwarfs busses.   Pietro Zanarini
Walls of snow line the road.   Thomas Au
The cleared road forms a snake-like pattern in the snow.   つだ
The wall even makes buildings look small.   Ankur P
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Mt. Tateyama, one of Japan’s Three Holy Mountains, is no stranger to snow. Mounds of the solid substance coat the area. In the winter, traveling along the road that snakes along the mountain is impossible. Yet each spring, those who do venture into the winter wonderland are greeted by a wondrous wall of solid snow.

The wall reaches as much as 66 feet high. It hugs the edges of a roughly quarter-mile stretch of road, forming a “snow canyon” with the pavement as its base. It looks like something straight out of Game of Thrones—an icy, impenetrable barrier forged with something greater than human strength.

But this wall wasn’t forged with any sort of icy magic. Every March, fleets of bulldozers begin clearing the snow along the highway. Little by little, the massive machines shove the snow out of the way. Once they’ve come within six feet or so of revealing the pavement buried below, teams of workers bearing rotary blowers set to work blasting away the last bits of snow. The final result is a driveable pathway, carved between two mammoth wintry walls.

Driving through the cleared mountain pass is one of those rare life experiences that truly makes you feel small. It’s possible to drive or hop on a tour bus that’ll take you along the cleared road. The walls dwarf buses, making them look like tiny toy cars. You'll want to get out and join the other folk wandering along the foot of the wall and try to snap a photo that truly depicts the scale.

Related Tags

Snow Walls Winter Roadside Attractions Roads Mountains

Know Before You Go

Remember to dress appropriately as the temperature in the plains and cities at this time of year is hinting at shorts weather, but by the time you get to the walls it can feel like mid-winter again!

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Hidden Japan: Sado Island, Nara & Kyoto

Explore a different side of Japan.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

nicholasabateman

Edited By

themisanthrope, Kerry Wolfe

  • themisanthrope
  • Kerry Wolfe

Published

January 23, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/snow-canyon-japan
Snow Canyon
Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route
Tateyama-machi
Japan
36.576081, 137.591594
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Firefly Squid of Toyama Bay

Namerikawa, Japan

miles away

Fureai Sekibutsu no Sato (Village of Statues)

Toyama, Japan

miles away

Buried Forest Museum

Uozu-shi, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Japan

Japan

Asia

Places 786
Stories 110

Nearby Places

The Firefly Squid of Toyama Bay

Namerikawa, Japan

miles away

Fureai Sekibutsu no Sato (Village of Statues)

Toyama, Japan

miles away

Buried Forest Museum

Uozu-shi, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Japan

Japan

Asia

Places 786
Stories 110

Related Places

  • Purano Jhangajholi, Nepal

    Mulkot Mirror Wall

    This twisty section of highway in the Himalayan foothills is lined with thousands of small mirrors.

  • Modern cars still pass under this ancient Roman arch.

    Lincoln, England

    Newport Arch

    Modern commuters still pass through this 2,000-year-old Roman archway.

  • Rotterdam, Netherlands

    Street Posts Museum

    An unexpected public exhibit showcases the diversity of Dutch street posts.

  • Looking down Lake Como road at sunset

    Blanca, Colorado

    Lake Como Road

    The worst road in Colorado is the main gateway to some of its highest peaks.

  • Musical Road Ahead

    Palmdale, California

    R. Lee Ermey Musical Road

    The road plays 30 seconds of the Marine’s Hymn when driving over the grooved pavement.

  • National Route 66 Museum

    Elk City, Oklahoma

    National Route 66 Museum

    An Oklahoma museum that celebrates the history of the "Mother Road."

  • Apishapa Arch

    Aguilar, Colorado

    Apishapa Arch

    A short tunnel built straight through a magmatic dike.

  • The Angel of Shavano

    Maysville, Colorado

    Angel of Shavano

    This distinctive snowfield on the slopes of a Colorado fourteener has several legendary origin stories.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.