Getting to Myoko Kogen
Myoko Kogen is situated in the heart of the Joshinetsu National Park, about 270km northwest of Tokyo, a trip that takes about 3.5 hours depending on connection timing. Myoko Kogen is one hour north of Nagano City, just over the border in Niigata Prefecture.
Flights
Tokyo Narita and Tokyo Haneda are the main gateway airports of choice for most travelers, 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. Komatsu airport is 241km southwest of Myoko Kogen, with flights coming via Shanghai.
If you’re flying into one of the Tokyo airports, unless you want to catch a taxi to Myoko or overnight in a hotel in Tokyo or Narita, you’ll need to consider your flight arrival times. Arrivals into Narita should ideally be before 6 pm, whilst for return flights you’ll ideally want a late afternoon flight out of Tokyo.
Travel Between Airports and Myoko Kogen
There are three main options for getting from Haneda or Narita Airport to Myoko Kogen or Hakuba
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Private Airport Shuttle
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Bus from the Airport
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Shinkansen and local trains
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Car rental
Private Airport Shuttle
Booking a private shuttle might be a good option for large groups, or if late arrival times make public transportation impractical. After a long flight, it’s hard to beat you and your bags being delivered to the front door of your chalet in comfort. We recommend starting with Chuo Taxi Company.
Airport to Myoko Kogen by Bus
Getting an airport shuttle to Myoko bus stop is one of the easiest public transportation options to take. It may take a fraction longer to get there compared to train travel, but you can avoid the stress of negotiating timetables and lugging your bags around train stations. You can book a scheduled bus to Myoko with Nagano Snow Shuttle which has a couple of departure times per day from Haneda Airport and four departure times from Narita Airport. The trip takes about 5.5 hours. Myoko buses that arrive in the evening with Nagano Snow Shuttle may include a drop-off at your chalet, whilst those arriving earlier in the day provide a drop-off at the Akakura bus stop. For your return trip,with Nagano Snow Shuttle, 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.
Airport to Myoko Kogen by Train
Traveling 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. Use the handy Hyperdia website for all train times and fares.
STEP 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 traveling 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 a hotel in Nagano city.
The other alternative is to catch a train from Narita Airport to Ueno via the Keisei Skyliner and then the bullet train from Ueno to Nagano. Check out Hyperdia for the fastest route for your travel time.
For train travel to Nagano from Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, or other parts of Japan, see Hyperdia for routes, schedules and fares.
STEP 2: Getting from Nagano Station to Myoko Kogen
By 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).
Our chalets in the Akakura area are approximately 10-15 minutes drive from the Myoko Kogen Station. From the station there is a taxi stand or the shuttle bus stop. The buses operate between 7am and 7pm and run to the Akakura Onsen village.
By 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, or if you have no budgetary concerns.
Driving to Myoko Kogen
Driving to Myoko Kogen is ideal if you want the flexibility to explore the wide variety of the ski resorts near Myoko and it’s easy enough to navigate around considering that most car rentals come with GPS navigation systems. We highly recommend renting a car at the airport, Tokyo or in Nagano. If traveling in the winter, be sure that your vehicle has 4WD and snow tires or metal snow chains as this is a strict requirement for winter access to most of our chalets. Rental outfits in Nagano tend to stock more winter-ready cars than those in Tokyo.
If you are looking to rent a vehicle from a major airport, city or in/near the resort you are staying at, search & compare options with Rental Cars.com. Most cars have a free cancellation policy up to 48 hours from pick-up.
Here are a few local rental options:
https://rent.toyota.co.jp/eng/
https://www.europcar.com/location/japan/nagano/nagano
https://nissan-rentacar.com/english/
Drive times to Myoko:
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From Nagano – 50 minutes
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From Narita Airport – 4 to 4.5 hours
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From Tokyo – 4 to 5 hours
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From Nagoya – 5 hours
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From Osaka or Kyoto – 7 hours
Getting Around Myoko Kogen
Around Akakura
There are free shuttle buses that do loops around town and between Akakura Onsen ski resort and the Akakura Kanko ski area. For the local taxi service, which includes jumbo taxis and ski racks on most vehicles, contact Kogen Taxi.
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. Check your chalet for 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 Ski Resort but there are only a couple of schedules per week and it only operates in the peak of the season. Check with the Myoko Information center for the latest schedule.
Alternatively, the easiest way to get between Akakura Onsen and Seki Onsen is self-driving. The drive takes about 20 minutes.
Madarao and Tangram
There is a shuttle bus between Madarao and Tangram during peak snow season. We suggest getting off at Tangram as it is a shorter ride on the bus, and then purchasing a ticket that covers both resorts.
