The Kurobe River originates in Mt. Washibadake in the center of the North Japan Alps and flows through the eastern part of the Toyama Prefecture into the Toyama Bay. It is one of the largest rivers in the Hokuriku region, with a catchment area of 682 km2 and a total channel length of 85 km. The river runs between the steep Tateyama Mountain Range and Ushiro Tateyama Mountain Range, gathering numerous tributaries, and reaching a plain approximately 14 km upstream of the estuary, where the Aimoto Dam is now sited.

In the early 1990’s, the Hokuriku Electric Power Company closed and rebuilt six power plants along the lower reaches of the Kurobe River and irrigation system. As a result, the number of turbines was reduced from 13 to 6 with the installation of a single, more efficient unit at each plant. Whilst this reduced operating costs, it also resulted in a 5MW increase in generating capacity, giving the scheme a total of 33.2 MW installed capacity. The refurbishment was complete by 1993, coinciding with full-scale refurbishment of the main irrigation channel by the Hokuriku Agricultural Administration Office of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.