Kurobe Dam Gushes Water as Annual Discharge Event Begins; Enthusiasts Gather to Watch Water Roaring into Gorge

The Yomiuri Shimbun

1:00 JST, June 27, 2025

TOYAMA — Kurobe Dam, Kansai Electric Power Co.’s hydropower dam located 1,454 meters up in the mountains in Tateyama, Toyama Prefecture, began its annual water release on Thursday, signaling the arrival of summer in the Northern Alps.

The discharge is done to maintain water levels downstream in Kurobe Gorge and to preserve the scenic landscape. The event usually begins around this time of year and runs from early morning to the evening every day until Oct. 15.

At 6 a.m. on Thursday, about 15 tons of water per second roared as it gushed from the two valves of the 186-meter-high arch dam, the tallest in Japan.

Despite light rain, tourists from within and outside of Japan cheered while taking photos.

“The contrast between the remaining snow on the Northern Alps and the emerald green dam lake is beautiful,” said Minoru Kishimoto, 69, who came from Kobe with his wife. “I was overwhelmed by the scale.”