Finally you’ve made it to Japan! What fun is it to come all the way just to stay in a normal hotel, right? Here, we will introduce a hotel with views that will make you gasp and say, “I can’t believe my eyes!” This hotel, located high above the clouds, is the one and only, Hotel Tateyama!
Hotel Tateyama is built at an altitude of 2,450m on the breathtaking “Tateyama Kurobe Alpen Route.” This is a world where you can still find pure white snow from spring to early summer (April to late June). Known in Japan as “the resort closest to the stars,” staying here feels like visiting a natural planetarium with an overwhelming view of the starry night sky.
Wait a second. Do you mean to tell me that I don’t have to climb a mountain to reach this place? It is incredibly easy to get up there using a series of unique mountain transports!
The view from above the clouds we’ve dreamed of since we were kids
Most travel experiences just give you a place to sleep, but staying at Hotel Tateyama is designed to help you enjoy the fantastic natural theater of the Alpen Route.
After arriving, you can watch the sun set across the horizon from above the clouds. After dinner, head to the roof to gaze at the stars. Since you are above the clouds, on clear days, it feels like you can almost reach them!
The next morning, wake up to watch the sun rise from atop the clouds (weather permitting).
You are free to take a leisurely morning stroll amidst the grandeur of Mother Nature.
You may even run into rare wildlife like the cute “okojo” (short-tailed weasel), often called a “mountain angel,” or the “kamoshika” (Japanese serow), a protected species.
No crowds! Walking tour of the popular Yuki-no-Otani (Snow Walls) available only for hotel guests!
Located near the hotel is the mighty Yuki-no-Otani, where visitors walk between snow walls up to 20m high. While this area is usually packed with tourists, hotel guests have a special privilege. You can participate in a private walking tour offered daily only to hotel visitors, allowing you to experience the silence of the snow walls after the day-trip crowds have departed!
Seasonal tours all year round if you stay at Hotel Tateyama!
If you choose tours with a stay at Hotel Tateyama, in addition to the tours that allow you to enjoy snow in early summer in June on the Alpen Route, you can enjoy other wonderful adventures in the mountains after July!
Enjoy the alpine flora that blooms profusely in summer from July to August, and then the miraculous colors of fall from September to October!
The Last Chance to Visit
Hotel Tateyama has announced that it will be closing its doors permanently on August 31, 2026, after 54 years of operation. If you have always dreamed of staying at the “resort closest to the stars,” this year is your final opportunity to experience it before it closes for a major renewal or final shutdown.
