Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

This page is to present some of the details for getting to Matsumoto and the wedding.

I am beginning to feel as though I am organizing a tour group to the holy land. Although all the information here may appear daunting at first, it is more or less a complete compendium and guide for all the guests that will be coming from all corners of Japan and the world. For the most part, getting to the wedding will merely mean finding out which group is leaving at which time, and then sticking with the group.

Transportation from Narita Airport
Check this page for information on the Narita Express, JR (Japan Rail) East, and getting to and from Narita airport.

As we get closer to the wedding date, and the arrival of guests and logistics have been better worked out, we will be able to let our guests know who is travelling by which means, and there will be opportunities to travel by group. The wedding party and a number of guests will be travelling up to Matsumoto the day before the wedding.

Transportation to Azumino Family Chapel
Transportation to Myojinkan

Transportation to Matsumoto

Matsumoto is located approximately 225 km northwest of Tokyo, in the middle of the Japan 'North Alps'. Matsumoto is a city of approximately 200,000 inhabitants, and is situated on the central east side of the Matsumoto valley. You can get to Matsumoto by train, plane, bus, automobile, or bicycle (it's been done).

By Train: the train is probably the easiest way to get to Matsumoto. From Tokyo there are express trains (called "Azusa" or "Super Azusa") leaving every hour, and more often during peak season. The express trains from Tokyo leave from Shinjuku station, but there are some trains which originate further east of Tokyo. The total travel time varies from 2h36 to 2h55. Trains are very punctual, leaving and arriving on the minute they are scheduled.

The web sites for JR East are:
http://www.jreast.co.jp/ (in Japanese) and http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/ (in English)

A one-way ticket from Tokyo to Matsumoto is approximately 6,710 yen (reserved) or 6,200 yen (non-reserved). If there are no seats left, you can stand in the aisles. The train line is operated by JR East, and you can use a Japan Rail Pass for this. There are also multiple-trip discount tickets which are useful if travelling in groups of two: they can be purchased in booklets of 4 one-way tickets, and cost 18,440 yen (reserved) or 16,760 yen (non-reserved) for a saving of 2,100 yen per ticket.

*Some express trains go further north than Matsumoto. The "Super Azusa #3" leaving from Shinjuku station at 8:00 AM goes as far as Minami Otari, and arrives in Toyoshina station at 10:56 AM or Hotaka station at 11:01 AM. Taking this train would get you to Azumino directly, and you could then either wait for the local train, take a taxi to the Chapel, or enjoy lunch locally before the wedding. (See Transportation to Azumino for more information).

There are also express trains (called "Shinano") to Matsumoto serving the Kansai region (including Kobe, Osaka, and Nagoya). The express train leaves from Nagoya to Matsumoto on approximately an hourly basis, and the travel time to Matsumoto is approximately 2 hours. Almost all of the Shinano trains continue up to Nagano city (site of the Nagano winter olympics), but a couple of trains travel up into Azumino instead. The "Shinano #5", leaving Nagoya station at 8:30 AM continues up beyond Matsumoto towards Hakuba, and arrives in Toyoshina station at 11:13 AM or Hotaka station at 11:18 AM. (See Transportation to Azumino for more information).

By Plane: JAS operates regular flights from Fukuoka (in Kyushu), Matsuyama (in Shikoku), Osaka (in the West), and Sapporo (in Hokkaido). There are no flights from Tokyo, as this travel corridor is well served by the trains and highways. Matsumoto airport is located in the south part of Matsumoto valley, and taxi transportation to Matsumoto (25 minutes; 2,500 yen), and then a short trip by train to Azumino is necessary. Check plane schedules: there may be only one flight per day. Furthermore the majority of flights seem to arrive in Matsumoto in the early or late afternoon.

By Bus: there are a number of "highway" buses which travel the expressway to Matsumoto. The primary advantage of the buses is that they are less expensive than the train, and one doesn't have to concentrate on the bumper to bumper traffic jams. The bus costs 3,400 yen one-way and 5,950 yen for a round trip ticket. The primary drawback of the buses is that since they travel the same roads as the summer tourist car traffic: on a bad day you can expect to be held back by 40km traffic jams out of Tokyo. The variance in the estimated time of arrival is greater than the mean expected travel time, and bounded on the fast side by a travel time of approximately 3.5 hours.

By Car: the highway to Matsumoto is well built and easy to drive. The Chuo Kosoku freeway goes directly from Tokyo up to Okaya (180 km) where it then continues up to Matsumoto as the Nagano Kosoku freeway (20 km). On a regular day without traffic, one can expect to travel to Matsumoto easily in 2.5 hours. The highway is a tollroad, and the fare is 4,850 yen one way from Tokyo. For information on the highway, try out the following sites (in Japanese):

Japan Service and Parking Area Association
Japan Highway Association
As well, there is a page you can use to check out the expected traffic jam conditions:
http://www.japan-highway.go.jp/hdc-index.html

On July 29, the expected traffic jam between the first toll booth on the highway (Takaido) and Otsuki (an exit about 1/3 of the way to Matsumoto) is expected to be approximately 50 km in length. This will add approximately 2.5 hours to the 2.5 hours typical trip time, making it 5 hours in total.

Car rentals are possible in Japan. Toyota, Mazda, and Nissan all have their own car rental services available. I have used Toyota rent a car at times, and recently found the Eki-mae rent a car to be more economical and convenient. Rates are approximately 7,000 to 8,000 yen per day for a small car.

This site created by Eric Fandrich and Midori Fandrich. Please drop us a line!