How to get there
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 town of Akakura Onsen.
- Ikenotaira ski area 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 Kogen.
Flights
Tokyo Narita is the main gateway airport of choice for many 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.
Driving Times to Myoko Kogen
From Tokyo – 4.5 to 5 hours
From Nagoya – 5 hours
From Osaka or Kyoto – 7 hours
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. The Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo to Nagano takes about 100 minutes.
The most economical way to cover the fares for the NEX and the Shinkansen is to purchase a JR East 4 day pass which provides 4 days of train travel over a one month period. Purchase a voucher and then exchange it for the rail pass at the train station. See our
Japan railways page for tips on using the trains in Japan and purchasing the voucher.
For train travel to Nagano from Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, or other parts of Japan, see
Hyperdia for routes, schedules and fares.
Getting from Nagano to Myoko Kogen
You may wish to stop in at the Nagano train station information centre. They have maps for Myoko Kogen and loads of other resources.
Option 1: 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). The ski resort area is approximately 10-15 minutes 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 2: 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 a one way adult fare costs ¥1,400 (2011 rates).
Option 3: Shuttle
This is a good option if you’ve caught one of the last Shinkansen into Nagano (the last arrives just before midnight), or if you don’t want to lug your gear any further. The shuttle provides a direct transport service to Myoko hotels and pensions for ¥4,400.
Click here to make a reservation.
Otherwise if you have no budgetary concerns you can catch a taxi.
Private Transport Providers from Airport
Chuo Taxi provides a shuttle service from the Tokyo airports to Myoko Kogen and the Niigata area. The cost from Narita is ¥13,500 per adult one way. The trip generally takes longer than the train, but has the advantage of not having to carry your bags on trains and buses.
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 buses to Suginohara and Ikenotaira ski resorts only go once an hour. There’s no English version of the shuttle timetable at the bus stop, although your accommodation may be able to help you with the latest timetable. The trip to Suginohara takes about 25 minutes and it’s about 15 minutes to Ikenotaira.
Getting to Seki Onsen
There used to be a shuttle bus between Akakura Onsen and Seki Onsen that operated a few days a week, but it doesn’t appear to be in use anymore.
The drive from Akakura Onsen to Seki Onsen takes about a half hour. If you don’t have your own car you’ll need to catch a taxi which will cost about ¥5,000 each way.
It’s also possible to ski from Akakan (with a guide) to Seki but not back.
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. To get to
Hakuba,
Nozawa Onsen or
Shiga Kogen from Myoko, the cheapest way is to get back to Nagano via train or bus, and then get a bus out to the other ski resort. However this can be a little time consuming. A quicker option is to get a taxi or private shuttle. As a guide to costs, a taxi to Nozawa Onsen is about ¥21,000.
There used to be a shuttle between Myoko Kogen and Nozawa Onsen, but this wasn’t in operation when we visited.
Other nearby ski resorts include Iizuna Kogen Ski Resort, Kurohime Kogen Snow Park, and Togakushi Snow World.