Transportation Around Yuzawa Town

One thing that visitors ask often about is local transportation.

There are several options how to get to, and get around Snow Country Niigata: taxi, local train, shinkansen, bus, pushbike, car/car hire, aeroplane, ferry and of course…walk, snowshoe, ski or snowboard!

Getting to Yuzawa

JR East operates the Joetsu Shinkansen which brings most visitors into Echigo-Yuzawa station from Tokyo on the east coast and continues on to finish at Niigata City on the west coast, they offer special tickets for tourists too. In winter you can travel direct to Gala Ski Resort by shinkansen. Did you know that Yuzawa is the only Ski Resort Town in the world to be serviced by a high speed shinkansen? Here is the Joetsu Shinkansen timetable from Tokyo, to Tokyo. Catching the shinkansen from Tokyo or Ueno station can be a bit stressful because several train lines share the same platform and it’s not that difficult to get on the wrong train! Just keep checking the sign and remember, trains are extremely punctual here so check the time your train is due and get on THAT ONE! Hint: If you don’t mind the prospect of standing for an hour, a non-reserved seat is about 2,000 yen cheaper. Wikipedia has more info.
The Tokyo Wide Pass is a great way to buy a shinkansen ticket to get to Yuzawa and also travel around a bit: https://www.jreast.co.jp/e/tokyowidepass/

The local Joetsu Line train is a beautiful ride through the mountains and takes you to several ski resorts in the area. See our YukiGuni Times map for the train stations serviced by the Joetsu Line. You can catch the Joetsu Line from Takasaki station, just outside of Tokyo area and it will take you on a slow route through the mountains to Yuzawa. Could be a great option if you’re on a budget and have plenty of time. Wikipedia has more info.

You can catch a comfortable bus from Narita airport to Nagaoka city Niigata, then train back into Yuzawa – a very inexpensive, yet a little roundabout way to get to Yuzawa. Check out Willer Express.

We hear there are also private bus companies offering shuttle from Narita and Haneda direct to Yuzawa too…

The ferry from Niigata City takes you to Hokkaido, so you can spend time skiing in Niigata and then take a leisurely cruise all the way up north. You can take your car too! There is an extremely attractive Japan Ferry Pass available here: http://jlc-ferry.jp/jfp21/.

Finally, fly from Shanghai to Niigata City, catch a short ride to Niigata City train station, get on a shinkansen and be in the snow within 2-3 hours! Routes also fly from Tokyo Narita, Vladivostok, Russia and Seoul, Korea. If your goal is to ski ski ski, or snowboard snowboard snowboard, and you don’t want to waste time in long queues at Narita or Haneda airports, then making your way through the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, Niigata City airport is simply a breeze…

In and Around Yuzawa

Again, you can catch the Joetsu Line train to link you up with various local ski resorts.

The local bus system is far more complicated. Year round there are several local buses operating regular routes. In winter there are several shuttle buses running to and from selected ski areas.

This article aims to make a start at showing you their timetables.

Echigo-Yuzawa station west exit (up the stairs):

Echigo-Yuzawa station east exit (down the escalator):

This timetable is for the local bus lines that generally arrive and leave from the east side of Echigo-Yuzawa Train Station (in Japanese):

Our new friends at Culmina are in the process of translating all the local bus timetables, you can see their page on Transportation here:

Here is a map of Echigo-Yuzawa station showing the location of shuttle bus stops heading to various areas during winter (it’s dated 2016-2015 but as far as we know it hasn’t changed):

Here is the timetable for free shuttle bus from Echigo-Yuzawa station to the Hatsukaishi entrance of the Ishiuchi Maruyama Ski Resort (winter only):

Here’s a really colourful timetable for a free shuttle bus between Gala-Yuzawa Kogen-Naspa Ski Garden which goes as far as Lion’s Mansion (Hatsukaishi area of Ishiuchi):

Taxis can be hailed either side of Echigo-Yuzawa station. The fares are not cheap but they get you where you need to go. If you don’t speak Japanese you’ll need a map or address in Japanese to show the driver. Trying to catch a taxi on a Friday night or Sunday night could prove difficult due to the amount of arrivals and departures at that time…

There are two car hire places in Yuzawa, the first is on the west side of Echigo-Yuzawa station. Once outside the exit, turn right and go down the street a little bit, opposite 7-Eleven and up the stairs:

The second is on Highway 17, across the road from Noguchi supermarket (We hear they can hire out cars but not sure, you must speak Japanese to find out…):

Regarding pushbike hire, not sure…we can find out for you if you ask…

One more point, you can actually ski between ski resorts too, Yuzawa Kogen – Gala – Ishiuchi Maruyama have a joint lift pass. Kagura – Naeba also have a joint lift pass.