Lake Kurobe Cruise Boat to End Service this Season; Attracting Many Tourists with Commemorative Event

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Many tourists enjoy a cruise on the Garve sightseeing boat on Aug. 11 at Lake Kurobe in Tateyama, Toyama Prefecture.

TATEYAMA, Toyama — To prepare for the Garve sightseeing boat service coming to an end later this year, a commemorative event was held on Aug. 11. at Lake Kurobe in Tateyama, Toyama Prefecture.

The event was blessed with fine weather and attracted many tourists, who took commemorative photos in the wheelhouse and received tickets with a button pin as part of the “Last Year Campaign.” Elementary school students accompanied by an adult could board the boat for free.

A 38-year-old office worker from Hanyu, Saitama Prefecture, who was there on vacation, said, “I was overwhelmed by nature here. The color of the lake was beautiful, and the cruise was pleasant.”

The tour has allowed visitors to enjoy Kurobe’s glorious nature while gazing up at the Northern Alps since the original sightseeing boat, Kurobemaru, debuted in 1969, according to Kanden Amenix Co. Due to a decrease in passenger numbers and the aging of the vessel, the Garve is scheduled to end its service on Nov. 10.