Getting To Myoko Kogen
There are various options for getting to Myoko Kogen Japan. The Myoko travel information and booking options include
bus transfers to/from the airports to Myoko Kogen and
trains to Myoko. Other Myoko transport information includes
driving to Myoko,
getting around the Myoko areas, other
ski resorts nearby, and
flight tips and bookings.
Where is Myoko Kogen?
Myoko Kogen is located about 270km northwest of
Tokyo Japan, a trip that takes about 3.5 hours depending on connection timing. Myoko Kogen is one hour north of Nagano City, but rather than being in the Nagano Prefecture it’s situated just over the border in the Niigata Prefecture. Myoko Kogen is situated in the heart of the Joshinetsu National Park and dominated by the 2,454 metre high Mount Myōkō.
Myoko Kogen is an area made up of various ski resorts and villages:
- Akakura Onsen ski area has the town of Akakura Onsen at its base.
- Akakura Kanko Ski Resort (aka Akakan aka Shin-Akakura) has Akakura Kanko or Shin-Akakura at its base, as well as the outskirts of the village of Akakura Onsen.
- Ikenotaira ski resort has Ikenotaira Onsen village at its base.
- Suginohara ski area has Suginosawa Onsen at its base.
- Seki Onsen ski area has Seki Onsen village at its base.
- Further down the hill near the Myoko Kogen train station is the town of Myoko.
Flights
Tokyo Narita and Tokyo Haneda are the main gateway airports of choice for most travellers, but Toyama is another option with flights into Japan coming via Beijing or Seoul (with Asiana). Toyama airport is 156km (1:45 hours) southwest of Myoko Kogen. Another option is Komatsu airport, 241km southwest of Myoko Kogen, with flights coming via Shanghai.
To search for flights and compare lots of different airlines and routes, use one of our recommended
flight aggregators.
If you’re flying into one of the Tokyo airports, unless you want to catch a taxi to Myoko or overnight in a
hotel near the Tokyo train station, a
Narita hotel or a
Nagano hotel, you’ll need to consider your flight times. Arrivals into Narita should ideally be before 7pm, whilst for return flights you’ll ideally want a late afternoon flight out of Tokyo.
Travel Between Airports and Myoko Kogen
There are two main options for getting from Haneda or Narita Airport to Myoko Kogen:
- Direct transfer with an airport to Myoko Kogen bus.
- Train/train/train or bus combo
Airport to Myoko Kogen Bus
Getting an airport to Myoko bus transfer is an easy way to get there. It may take a fraction longer to get there compared to train travel, and there are only a couple of shuttles a day so you might be waiting at the airport, but you can avoid the stress of negotiating timetables and lugging your bags around train stations. You can book a scheduled Myoko bus with Nagano Snow Shuttle. The trip takes about 5.5 - 6 hours. Myoko buses that arrive in the evening with Nagano Snow Shuttle include a drop-off at your Myoko accommodation (make sure they allow check-ins in the early hours of the morning), whilst those arriving earlier in the day provide a drop off at the Akakura bus stop. From there, most accommodations will provide a pick-up service.
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For your return trip, you have the option of heading to the Tokyo Shinjuku train station instead of the airport, so you can do a stopover in Tokyo for a couple of days.
Train to Myoko Kogen
Travelling by train to Myoko Kogen includes a train from Narita Airport to Tokyo, then a bullet train (Shinkansen) to Nagano, and then a local train or bus to Myoko Kogen. From the Narita international airport the total trip takes about 3.5 to 4 hours depending upon connection timing. The other advantage of taking the trains is that it provides a great insight into part of the Japanese culture.
PART 1: Trains from Narita Airport to Tokyo and then to Nagano
The Narita Express train (NEX) goes from the Tokyo Narita Airport terminals to the city of Tokyo, and takes about 1 hour. There are frequent departures from the airport railway terminals.
Upon arrival at Tokyo Station take the escalators up and follow the signs for the Nagano Shinkansen Asama. Departures are very regular during the main part of the day, but you can check Hyperdia for schedules if you’re on tight timelines or travelling late in the day. The last train to Nagano leaves about 10pm, so you’d need to get the NEX no later than about 8:45pm to make it (otherwise you'll need to stay overnight in a Narita Airport hotel). The Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo to Nagano takes about 100 minutes. If you arrive late in Nagano, you may need to stay overnight in one of the Nagano hotels.
The other alternative is to catch a train from Narita Airport to Ueno via the Keiser Skyliner and then the bullet train from Ueno to Nagano. Check out Hyperdia for the fastest route for your travel time.
See our Japan rail travel page for more information on the JR East Pass (Nagano Niigata) including is it worth purchasing a JR East Pass.
For train travel to Nagano from Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, or other parts of Japan, see Hyperdia for routes, schedules and fares.
Part 2: Getting from Nagano to Myoko Kogen
Option A: Train
On arrival at Nagano Station take the escalator up, go through the ticket gates for the JR Shin-etsu Line, and take a train to Myoko Kogen Station (40 minutes). NB This train line is not included on the JR Rail Pass.
The ski resort villages are approximately 10-15 minutes drive from the Myokokogen Station. Many accommodation places provide complimentary pickup from the train station, otherwise you’ll have to catch a taxi or bus. The buses operate between 7am and 7pm and run to the Akakura Onsen village.
If travelling to Seki Onsen, rather than getting off at Myoko Kogen station, continue onto Sekiyama station.
Option B: Bus
Upon exiting the gates at Nagano station turn left to the east exit and take the lift down to the bus stops. There are one to two buses to Myoko Kogen each day (get the latest bus timetables from the train station information centre). The bus takes about 1:20 hours and the fare is reasonably inexpensive.
Option C: Taxi
This is a good option if you’ve caught one of the last bullet trains into Nagano (the last arrives just before midnight), or if you don’t want to lug your gear any further, and you have no budgetary concerns.
Driving to Myoko Kogen
If you’re not on a guided multi-resort tour, driving to Myoko Kogen is ideal if you want the flexibility to explore lots of the ski resorts near Myoko and it’s easy enough to navigate around considering the recent advances in GPS technology. You can rent a car at the airport, Tokyo or in Nagano.
Drive times to Myoko:
- From Nagano – 50 minutes
- From Narita Airport – 4 to 4.5 hours
- From Tokyo – 4 to 5 hours
- From Nagoya – 5 hours
- From Osaka or Kyoto – 7 hours
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Getting Around Myoko Kogen
There are free shuttle buses that do loops around town and between Akakura Onsen ski resort and the Akakura Kanko ski area.
Getting to Suginohara and Ikenotaira from Akakura Onsen
Catch a Mt Myoko bus from opposite the post office at the bottom of the Akakura Onsen main road. The inexpensive buses to
Suginohara and
Ikenotaira ski resorts only go once an hour. Your accommodation should may be able to help you with the latest timetables. The trip to Suginohara takes about 25 minutes and it’s about 15 minutes to Ikenotaira.
Getting to Seki Onsen
There is a shuttle bus between Akakura Onsen and
Seki Onsen, but there are only a couple of schedules per week and it only operates in the peak of the season. Check with the Myoko tourism association for the latest schedule.
Otherwise if you’re not on a
multi-resort tour, the easiest way to get between Akakura Onsen and Seki Onsen is self-driving. The drive takes about 30 minutes.
Other Ski Resorts Nearby
There are various other major ski resorts near Nagano, so Myoko Kogen can easily be combined with another ski area on your holiday to Japan. It's easy to get to
Hakuba,
Nozawa Onsen,
Madarao/
Tangram or
Shiga Kogen from Myoko with
Nagano Snow Shuttle (Inter-Resort) or Myoko Shuttle.
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Day Trips to Nearby Ski Resorts
One great way to travel and explore nearby ski areas is to book a
Myoko Powder Tour which can incorporate transport and guiding at ski hills near Myoko, or there are other
guided trips based in Myoko too.
Distances from Akakura Onsen:
- Arai - 21km north - daily buses between Akakura Onsen and Arai
- Tangram – 14km southeast (interconnected with Madarao)
- Madarao – 19-23km southeast - daily buses between Madarao and Akakura Onsen
- Kurohime Kogen – 10km south (6km from Suginohara)
- Kijimadaira – 40km southeast
- Ryuoo – 49km southeast
- Togakushi – 30km southwest
- Iizuna Kogen – 28km southwest