Myōkō () is a city in Niigata prefecture, in the central Chubu region of the main Japan island Honshu.
Myōkōkōgen merged with Arai City and Myōkō Village in 2005 to form what the city of Myōkō.
The nearest airports are:
Niigata - 2 hours 15 mins by car. By public transport, take a bus to Niigata station (25 min, ¥410), then take the train (details below). Alternatively, Kubiki Hire operate Share Taxis (dead link: December 2020) once a day for ¥3000 per person one way; ask for Takada station, from where you can take the train (¥580, 50 min, Japan Rail Pass not valid).
Toyama - 2 hours by car. Buses connect the airport to Toyama station (25 min, ¥410).
Matsumoto (Domestic flights only) - 1 hour 45 mins by car. Buses connect the airport to Matsumoto Bus Terminal (30 min, ¥600), which is just across the street from the East Exit of Matsumoto station.
Of course, many visitors will prefer to fly into Tokyo, or perhaps Nagoya-Centrair. If you are flying into Narita, you may be interested in the overnight bus between Narita and Nagano station, which is operated jointly by Narita Airport Transport and Alpico Kotsu and costs up to ¥6900 (cheaper outside peak periods). Changing at Nagano to the Kita-Shinano Line, you will reach Myōkō-Kōgen at 08:30.
Until 2015, Myōkō was on the JR Shin'etsu Line. That year, the Shinkansen was extended from Nagano to Kanazawa, and services on the line are now run by the Shinano Railway and the Echigo Tokimeki Railway. The dividing point between the two is at Myōkō-Kōgen station, which is closest to the prefectural border.
Neither of these lines are part of the JR network, and therefore they are <u>not</u> valid with the Japan Rail Pass. The Rail Pass will get you as far as Nagano, Jōetsu-Myōkō, or Naoetsu; these stations are 45, 35, and 60 minutes from Myōkō-Kōgen respectively, and you will have to pay ¥830, ¥500, and ¥670 respectively to reach Myōkō-Kōgen. These prices are included in the totals listed below.
No highway buses serve Myōkō. The nearest places served by highway buses are Nagano station, Takada station (for buses to Niigata and Tokyo), and Kida Bus Stop on the Hokuriku Expressway (which is 10 minutes walk from Kasugayama station on the Echigo Tokimeki Line).
Myōkō Kōgen gets about 13m of snowfall annually, making it an ideal spot for the avid skier and snowboarder. There are three major ski resorts surrounding the massive Mount Myōkō. Myōkō Kōgen is also one of the oldest ski resorts in Japan, with some hotels and onsens dating back to the 1930s.
Primary administrative division