Transfers · Fares and times checked 14 Oct 2026
Tokyo to Myoko Kogen
The short version
- Get to Tokyo Station: Narita Express from Narita, or the monorail and JR from Haneda.
- Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagano: about 1 hour 30 minutes, ¥8,650 reserved.
- Kita-Shinano Line local train, Nagano to Myoko-Kōgen: about 45 minutes, ¥850.
- Bus, taxi (about ¥3,000) or lodge pick-up to Akakura or Ikenotaira.
Personally I'd suggest the Nagano route with skis sent ahead. Ask your lodge about a station pick-up when you book; it saves the last and fiddliest leg.
Step 1: the airport to Tokyo Station
From Narita: the Narita Express (N'EX) runs straight to Tokyo Station, fastest in 53 minutes, ¥3,140 in a reserved ordinary seat. The N'EX Tokyo Round Trip Ticket is ¥5,200 for both ways within 14 days; check the eligibility rules when you buy.
From Haneda: Myoko Tourism's route is the Tokyo Monorail to Hamamatsucho (about 15 minutes), then JR to Tokyo Station (about 5 minutes). The Hokuriku Shinkansen usually leaves from platforms 22 or 23.
Step 2: shinkansen to Nagano, local train to Myoko-Kōgen
Every Hokuriku Shinkansen stops at Nagano: the Kagayaki, Hakutaka and Asama trains. At Nagano you leave the JR gates and change to the Shinano Railway Kita-Shinano Line, a separate company. Myoko Tourism notes the connection is sometimes only 5 to 10 minutes; if so, board and pay on the train or at Myoko-Kōgen rather than queueing for a ticket.
| Leg, one way | Adult | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo → Nagano, unreserved | ¥7,920 | about 1 h 30 |
| Tokyo → Nagano, reserved (normal season) | ¥8,650 | about 1 h 30 |
| Nagano → Myoko-Kōgen, Kita-Shinano Line | ¥850 | about 45 min |
| Total, unreserved | ¥8,770 | about 2 h 30 |
| Total, reserved (normal season) | ¥9,500 | about 2 h 30 |
Reserved shinkansen seats are ¥200 less in the quietest periods and ¥200 to ¥400 more in busy ones. Children pay about half. The JR Pass covers the shinkansen but not the Kita-Shinano Line.
The other way: via Jōetsu-Myōkō
Jōetsu-Myōkō, one stop past Iiyama, is the Hokuriku Shinkansen station named after Myoko, but it sits on the Jōetsu side, north of the resorts. Only Hakutaka trains stop there. From Jōetsu-Myōkō, the Echigo Tokimeki Railway Myōkō Haneuma Line runs back up to Myoko-Kōgen in about 35 minutes (¥790). Tokyo to Myoko-Kōgen this way is ¥9,920 unreserved, and Tokyo to Jōetsu-Myōkō alone is ¥9,860 in a reserved seat in the normal season.
| Hakutaka leaves Tokyo | Arrives Jōetsu-Myōkō |
|---|---|
| 6:28 | 8:27 |
| 7:52 | 9:54 |
| 8:41 | 10:39 |
| 9:32 | 11:23 |
| 10:33 | 12:28 |
| 11:24 | 13:13 |
| 12:24 | 14:13 |
| 13:24 | 15:13 |
| 14:24 | 16:14 |
| 15:24 | 17:14 |
| 16:32 | 18:31 |
| 18:04 | 20:12 |
| 19:04 | 21:11 |
| 20:12 | 22:11 |
Direct trains on the autumn 2026 timetable, as listed on 14 October. Winter times can shift, so check your date when you book. Local-train connections at either end vary; plan the whole trip in one route search.
Step 3: Myoko-Kōgen Station to your lodge
Myoko Tourism's guide taxi price from Myoko-Kōgen Station to Akakura Onsen is about ¥3,000 for a medium taxi (4–5 people) and ¥4,100 for a large one (9 people). Taxis are cash only and the drivers speak Japanese, so have your lodge's name written down, or ask the lodge to book. Many lodges offer a station pick-up.
Local buses also run from the station towards Akakura and Ikenotaira. The winter timetable for 2026–27 was not published when I checked.
No changes: the Mt Myoko Shuttle
MKK Tour's Mt Myoko Shuttle runs coaches to Ikenotaira (Alpen Blick), Akakura and Lotte Arai from 19 December 2026 to 23 March 2027. It only runs when booked, and bookings close 13 days before departure. Each passenger gets one bag in the hold.
| From | Leaves | Akakura | One way |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haneda | 8:00 | 14:10 | ¥11,500 |
| Narita / Haneda | 10:00 / 10:30 | 16:40 | ¥12,500 from Narita |
| Narita (overnight) | 21:20 | 7:50 next day | ¥13,500 |
| Haneda (overnight) | 22:20 | 7:50 next day | ¥12,500 |
| Tokyo Station (overnight) | 23:50 | 7:50 next day | ¥10,500 |
- The 10:30 from Haneda runs 4 January to 6 March only.
- The overnight services run 25 December to 21 March, with no departures on several midweek nights in January. Check the operator's calendar for your date.
- Pick-ups: Narita Terminal 3 bus stop 6, Haneda Airport Garden 1F bus stop 5, and Tokyo Midtown Yaesu B2 for Tokyo Station.
- Lotte Arai is ¥1,500 extra. No child fares; infants on a parent's lap ride free.
The overnight coach from Tokyo Station is the cheapest way up and you wake up in Akakura, but it is a night on a coach. More on the airport options, luggage and the JR Pass is on getting to Myoko Kogen.
Your day, three ways
Morning landing at Haneda
The 8:00 shuttle if you can clear arrivals in time, otherwise monorail, JR and a late-morning shinkansen to Nagano. Either way you are in Akakura by mid-afternoon.
Landing at Narita around midday
N'EX to Tokyo and the shinkansen to Nagano. Arrive early evening and take a taxi or pick-up from Myoko-Kōgen.
Landing at night
Sleep near the airport and take the morning train, or the overnight shuttle (from 25 December) to wake up in Akakura.
Once you arrive
Still choosing a base? See where to stay in Myoko. Then rental to have gear waiting and where to eat on your first night.
Questions people actually ask
- How do I get from Tokyo to Myoko Kogen?
- Take the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagano (about 1 hour 30 minutes), then the Shinano Railway Kita-Shinano Line local train to Myoko-Kōgen Station (about 45 minutes). From the station it is a short bus, taxi or lodge pick-up to Akakura or Ikenotaira.
- How much is the train from Tokyo to Myoko?
- Via Nagano, ¥8,770 one way with an unreserved shinkansen seat, or about ¥9,500 with a reserved seat in the normal season. Via Jōetsu-Myōkō it is ¥9,920 unreserved. Children pay about half.
- Is Myoko on the Joetsu Shinkansen?
- No. Myoko is on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, which runs from Tokyo through Nagano and Jōetsu-Myōkō. The Joetsu Shinkansen is a different line to Niigata city.
- Should I change at Nagano or Jōetsu-Myōkō?
- Nagano for most trips: every Hokuriku Shinkansen stops there and it is the cheaper way. Jōetsu-Myōkō only gets the Hakutaka trains, so use it when the times suit you better.
- Is there a bus from Tokyo to Myoko?
- Yes, in winter. The Mt Myoko Shuttle runs from Haneda, Narita and an overnight service from Tokyo Station (23:50, ¥10,500), reaching Akakura early the next morning. It only runs when booked, and bookings close 13 days before departure.
Checked 14 Oct 2026 against: Ekitan Tokyo–Myoko-Kōgen fares · Ekitan Tokyo–Jōetsu-Myōkō timetable · JR seasonal surcharges · JR East N'EX fares · N'EX Tokyo Round Trip Ticket · Myoko Tourism: Haneda to Myoko · Myoko Tourism taxis · MKK Tour Mt Myoko Shuttle 2026–27.