Yuzawa & Minamiuonuma by public transport Yuzawa Town and neighbouring Minamiuonuma City - located around 200km to the north north-west of the Tokyo region in Niigata Prefecture - are together home to around 20 individual ski and snowboard resorts including some of the most popular and well-known resorts in Japan. With easy and quick access by both train and road and a lot of choice in a relatively compact area, the region is one of the more popular destinations for people in the Kanto region in particular. With heavy and consistent snowfalls each winter and the town being the inspiration and setting of the famous Nobel prize-winning novel 'Yukiguni' (Snow Country), Yuzawa can certainly lay claim to being the original Snow Country. Yuzawa area by public transport Getting to resorts from the station Town map Expressway bus and day trips Getting from Yuzawa to nearby snow regions Joshinetsu region map Additional Yuzawa resources on SnowJapan Yuzawa by car Go to our guide for getting to the Yuzawa and Minamiuonuma area by car

What is Yuzawa?

Naeba and Kagura are located a little further out of the main town area than most of the other ski and snowboard resorts, but they are still geographically within Yuzawa town. Naeba has hosted international events in the past and will be hosting the 2016 Alpine Skiing World Cup between 12th-14th February 2016. Also famous for being the venue for the annual Fuji Rock Festival in late July, Naeba is a name that most Japanese people will know. Kagura is famous for a very long season usually stretching from late November until late May - and some excellent powder conditions for much of the peak season. Naeba and Kagura resorts are connected by the 'Dragondola'.

Minamiuonuma is the name of the city just to the north of Yuzawa town. Some of the resorts in Minamiuonuma are very close to the centre of Yuzawa making them easy to get to - and they feel like part of the same area.

Getting to the Yuzawa area by train

The Joetsu Shinkansen (‘bullet train’) line connects central Tokyo with Niigata City. The train starts from Tokyo Station, stopping also at Ueno Station with many of the trains stopping at Echigo Yuzawa Station on the way to Niigata. The fastest train from Tokyo Station takes people to Yuzawa in just 66 minutes.

Two local train lines also go through Yuzawa Town - the Joetsu-sen, connecting Takasaki City in Gunma Prefecture with the Nagaoka City area of Niigata Prefecture) and the Hokuhoku-sen (which actually officially operates from Muikamachi Station, but some trains run straight through from Echigo Yuzawa Station. The Hokuhoku-sen goes to the Naoetsu area of Niigata Prefecture.

The main train station in Yuzawa Town is called Echigo Yuzawa Station.

Yuzawa Town is unique in that it is actually home to two Shinkansen train stations. The second Shinkansen station is called GALA Yuzawa Station and is less than 2km further on from Echigo Yuzawa Station and actually located in the same building as the gondola that takes you to the slopes of the GALA Yuzawa ski resort.... ultra convenience! More information on that here.

Most people visiting from the Tokyo and Kanto region use the quick and convenient Joetsu Shinkansen to get to Yuzawa.

The normal charge for the Joetsu Shinkansen journey from Tokyo Station to Echigo Yuzawa Station is just under 6500 yen one way, but various discounts are available with various ski packages and they are worth looking into.

Echigo Yuzawa Station is located right in the centre of Yuzawa Town and there are two main exits – the West Exit and the East Exit. The main tourist ‘onsen road’ area of Yuzawa is found just outside and to the right of the West Exit of the station. In mid-winter Echigo Yuzawa station is often very busy and bustling with interesting food stands and omiyage souvenir shops to browse.

Taxis are available from both the West Exit and East Exit and many of the major ski and snowboard resorts as well as some of the major hotels in the area also offer shuttle buses and pick-ups from the station – some are free and some for a small charge. If you are staying in Yuzawa it is probably worth asking your accommodation if they will come and pick you up from the station.

More resort-specific shuttle bus information can be found below.

Joetsu Shinkansen Joetsu Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Echigo Yuzawa Station and beyond >> Full Joetsu Shinkansen details >> Diagram showing regional train line connections

Joetsu-sen Joetsu-sen from Takasaki Station to Echigo Yuzawa Station >> Full Joetsu-sen details >> Diagram showing regional train line connections

See also:

>> Joetsu Shinkansen train line
>> Joetsu-sen local train line
>> Hokuhoku-sen local train line

Maiko Snow Resort looking towards Yuzawa town

Getting to ski and snowboard resorts from Echigo Yuzawa Station

* The distances shown above are the main routes that are usually taken by shuttle buses - various short cuts exist!

See also:

>> This map alongside googlemaps
>> Naeba town map (Naeba and Kagura)
>> Ishiuchi town map (Ishiuchi and Maiko)
>> Joetsu Shinkansen train line
>> Joetsu-sen train line
>> On the above map click on the resort names, train lines and expressway names for more details.

Minamiuonuma valley

Getting to the Yuzawa area by expressway bus

The bus uses the Kanetsu Expressway and takes just under 3 hours to get to Yuzawa and costs between 2500 yen and 4100 yen depending on the day and time of day.

The bus picks up people from the following areas:

	Shinjuku Station West Exit (late night only)
	Ikebukuro Station East Exit
	Shimo-Ochiai Station
	Nerima (near the city office)
	Kawagoe Matoba

The first stop in Niigata is at the bus stop on the expressway by the Yuzawa IC.  The exit is a few km from the centre of Yuzawa and you'll probably need to get a taxi (or perhaps ask your accommodation to see if they can pick you up).

This expressway bus option is cheaper than the Shinkansen train but not as fast, comfortable or convenient. 

Day trips from Tokyo

Many travel and tour companies offer day trips from the Tokyo region to various resorts including those in the Yuzawa area by train or bus or a combination of both.

Sometimes these offer excellent value for money though they often offer you less time on the slopes. Check out the local train stations and travel companies for information on these offers... if you can speak and read Japanese you might be surprised at how many options there are available!

Getting from Yuzawa to nearby snow resort regions

Important:
The times shown below are simple guidelines to indicate the train journey times between the stations mentioned and may vary depending on the trains and connections used. The lower number indicates travel time, the higher number indicates a sample journey including connecting times. Times from stations to ski resort areas are not included. Please check for specifics.

See also:

>> Regional train lines connection map
>> Regional expressways connection map
>> On the above map click on the resort names, train lines and expressway names for more details.

View from Yuzawa Kogen
　

Additional Yuzawa and Minamiuonuma resources on SnowJapan

For detailed information on how to get to Yuzawa and Minamiuonuma by car, please go to this section.

SnowJapan Travel index >>