By Train
Suwa City is located on the JR Chuo Line, providing easy access from Tokyo, Osaka, or Nagoya. Reserved seating and green cars are available. Tickets should be purchased in advance, but there are often open seats for same-day purchasing.
Tokyo
- Shinjuku → Kamisuwa StationJR Chuo Line - Limited Express Azusa - 2.5 hours
Osaka
- Osaka → NagoyaShinkansen - 1 hour
- Nagoya → Shiojiri StationJR Chuo Line - Limited Express Shinano - 2.5 hours
- Shiojori Station → Kamisuwa Station JR Chuo Line - 20 minutes
Nagoya
- Nagoya → Shiojiri StationJR Chuo Line - Limited Express Shinano - 2.5 hours
- Shiojori Station → Kamisuwa StationJR Chuo Line - 20 minutes
By Bus
Bus routes are slightly cheaper and slightly longer in duration when compared with the train routes.
Tokyo
- Shinjuku → Chino, Kami-Suwa, Shimo-Suwa, or Okaya StationsExpress bus - 3-4 hours
https://www.alpico.co.jp/access/express/suwa_shinjuku/
Osaka
- Osaka （Umeda) → Okaya, Kami-Suwa or Chino StationsExpress bus – 6-9 hours
https://www.alpico.co.jp/access/express/suwa_osaka/
By Car
Suwa is highly accessible by car. Here are the recommended highways and driving duration estimates.
- From Tokyo (Chuo Expressway) – 2.5 hours
- From Osaka (Meishin Expressway; Chuo Expressway) – 4.5 hours
- From Nagoya (Chuo Expressway) – 2 hours 40 minutes
- From Nagano (Nagano Expressway; Chuo Expressway) – 1 hour
International Airport Access
If you are traveling from overseas, here are simple directions from some main airports to the nearest connection points.
Haneda International Airport
- To Shinjuku: Keikyu-Kuko Line to Shinagawa; Yamanote Line from Shinagawa to Shinjuku – 70 minutes
Narita International Airport
- To Shinjuku: Keisei Skyliner to Nippori; Yamanote Line from Nippori to Shinjuku – 70 minutes
Chubu Centrair International Airport, Nagoya
- To Nagoya: Airport Rapid Limited Express μ-SKY towards Shin-Unuma – 30 minutes
Kansai International Airport (Only available in Summer)
- To Osaka:JR Kansai Airport Rapid Service towards Kyobashi – 65 minutes
Domestic Airport Access
Matsumoto Airport in Nagano offers domestic flights. There are three airports in Japan connected to Matsumoto Airport.
Osaka Airport
- Flight time – 60 minutes
Sapporo Airport
- Flight time – 90 minutes
Fukuoka Airport
- Flight time – 110 minutes
Matsumoto Airport to Suwa City
- By Car: 40 minutes
- By Public TransportationLimousine Bus (from Matsumoto Airport to Nagano Station) and Train (from Nagano Station to Kami-Suwa Station) – 1.5-2 hours
By Airport Taxi
For the ultimate convenience, there are two companies offering a direct taxi service from Haneda International Airport, Narita Airport and Chubu Centrair International Airport to the Suwa area.
Alpico Taxi Company
- from Haneda International Airport and Chubu Centrair International Airporthttp://www.alpico.co.jp/taxi/en/airport/
Chuo Taxi Company
- from Haneda International Airport and Narita Airporthttp://chuotaxi.co.jp/publics/index/10/