Famous for hosting the 1998 Winter Olympics, Nagano’s deep snow and location in the Japanese Alps has made it the skiing and snowboarding heartland of the nation.

Nagano’s location northeast of Tokyo makes it easily accessible from major urban centers.

From Tokyo, the Hokuriku Shinkansen goes directly from JR Tokyo Station  to Nagano Station, the hub for most of the region’s major resorts and ski areas. The same train stops at Iiyama Station as well.

From Tokyo’s airports, the Nagano Snow Shuttle connects directly to Hakuba, Nozawa Onsen, and Shiga Kogen; it also runs between the three resorts.

Hakuba and Shiga Kogen are most easily reached via Nagano City, and Nozawa Onsen via Iiyama. Direct buses to the resorts are also available from Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya.