Nozawa Onsen is located in the Nagano Prefecture, making it easily accessible from Tokyo. You have a few different options for getting to Nozawa Onsen from Tokyo and other cities. Check out which option is best for you.

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How To Get To Nozawa Onsen

Nozawa Onsen is located in the Nagano Prefecture, making it easily accessible from Tokyo. You can fly into either Haneda or Narita International Airports in Tokyo and then you have a few options for making your way to Nozawa. You can take a direct coach transfer, private shuttle or the famous Shinkansen Bullet Train. Read on below for all the details and if you require assistance or would like a quote, speak to one of our Japan travel specialists.

Shinkansen + Local Bus

Taking the famous Shinkansen or the “Bullet Train” is the fastest way to get to Nozawa, with the overall journey from the airport taking under 4 hours. The trip involves a few connections, so if you’re travelling with young children or have lots of luggage you may prefer a direct transfer.

If you’re traveling from Haneda or Narita Airport here’s how you get to Nozawa Onsen.

From Narita Airport take the Narita Express to Tokyo Station or if you’re coming from Haneda Airport you’ll need to take the monorail to Hamamatsucho Station and then the train to Tokyo station.
From Tokyo Station, take the Shinkansen to Iiyama Station. The Bullet Train crosses the country in less than 2 hours at speeds of up to 300km/h.
From Iiyama Station you can take the Nozawa Onsen Liner Bus which runs multiple times a day and will take you to Nozawa Bus Terminal.
From here you can either walk or take a take to your accommodation.

We provide all our customers with a connection timetable prior to your trip to make the trip easy. If you have any issues during your journey, just ask one of the friendly Japanese staff at any of the stations and they will be happy to assist.

Direct Coach Transfer

The direct coach transfer is available from Haneda Airport or Narita Airport in Tokyo. The trip takes around 5 and a half hours each way but it’s perfect if you’re looking for a hassle free trip and if you don’t want to haul your luggage on the trains. A coach transfer is also ideal if you’re arriving at night as the trains may not be running that late. The coach will drop you off at the Nozawa Onsen Bus Terminal where you can walk, take a taxi or your accommodation may offer a pick up service.

Shared Taxi

A shared taxi such as the Chuo Taxi offers door to door service and is the best option if your flight doesn’t line up with the times of the Airport Shuttle or is too late for the Shinkansen. This must be pre-booked and a driver will meet you upon your arrival in Tokyo and will drop you off at your accommodation in Nozawa Onsen.

Travelling From Other Cities

Japan is famous for its JR rail network which makes getting around the country easy. If you’re visiting Nozawa Onsen from other cities in Japan such as Kyoto, Osaka or Kanazawa, you can take the Shinkansen or “Bullet Train”. There are some helpful sites for planning your journey from city to city, we recommend Hyperdia or the Japan Travel App by Navitime.

Buying a JR Rail Pass is often the most cost effective option if you’re spending time in other cities before or after your ski trip. Speak to one of our Japan specialists and they’ll be able to recommend the best option for you.

Luggage Delivery Service

If you’re brining your own skis or snowboard and spending time in other cities of Japan, there is a convenient luggage delivery service. You can send your luggage ahead to the airport or accommodation and pick it up when you arrive. This is perfect if you’re wanting to spend time in Tokyo or other cities before or after your ski trip but don’t want to haul your luggage on the trains.

If you want to send your ski gear you can arrange this at the airport or your hotel reception. Luggage delivery usually takes about 1 – 3 days depending on where you send it from and costs between ¥1500-3000 depending on size and
distance.

Visit Yamato Transport or “Black Cat” for more info.

nicky sullivan

Lizzie was so helpful, gave us some options and advice to help us pinpoint where we wanted to go. And once we had booked provided some really helpful travel advice and answering questions we had. Easy to deal with, everything was smooth and we had a great time.

Shelly Drewitz

Calum was awesome at helping us every step of the way with our trip. We got a great deal on the accommodation and ski lift, and we will definitely come back to Mountainwatch next time based on his excellent service.

Mark K Grant

I booked my Japan ski holiday through Mountainwatch. Very professional and when we arrived in Japan all was laid out for us. The accommodation was even nicer than expected. KIrsty was very good to work with and made things very easy!!!! will book again next season.

Jess

Great experience booking through this company, our contact Anna was brilliant, and organised a fantastic ski trip for us. The travel was all clearly laid out, the accommodation was lovely, the ski field was fantastic, great range of local dining options and bars.

Brett A

Mountain Watch are great, well organised and excellent advice on locations and accommodation. Highly recommended!

darren martin

Thanks Kirsty for helping arrange our family trip to Myoko for Xmas 2025, we had an amazing time

Jan Kelly

Thanks Kirsty, once again your arrangements for us in Japan worked very well. We’ll have no hesitation about touching base with you before we make another booking….. not sure if we’ll be organised by June, but we’ll see. Have a great season yourself and keep up the good work at MountainWatch. Regards Jan and Tom

Samantha Farr

Our trip to Hakuba and Tokyo was so smooth and easy thanks to the help of Justine. Hotel was great and in a perfect location and it was very smooth having all our extras like lessons and rentals booked and sorted before we arrived. Would 100% book through Mountainwatch Travel again!

John Durham

This is the second year that Kristy has organized travel arrangements for a skiing holiday to Furano in Japan, for us. It is the second time that those arrangements have been fulfilled seamlessly. No hassles, as planned and on time. Perfect, and will use Mountainwatchj Travel again. John Durham

Simone B

We booked through Anna O’Malley for our stay in Nozawa onsen Village in Japan. Seamless service, prompt, and pricing reasonable. The Shimataya View Hotel, was a lovely stay. Room size was large, great views, and Amazing service from Staff. Momoi and Eloisa couldn’t help enough- from dinner reservations to organising luggage to Tokyo. Property is older, though clean, well maintained. 10 min walk to slopes, 5 min walk to village centre. I recommend Mountain Watch, and this property. Photos are the view from our room.

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