Arrival Information
Arrival dates and times are different depending on whether you will be coming to the campus directly from the Narita airport or different locations within Japan. Please see the instruction below to plan your arrival.
International Students & Travel from Abroad
The school will provide a shuttle bus from the airport to campus only for students who will be arriving on the dates and times listed below. If your flight does not arrive on the date/time shown below, you will be responsible for your transportation to campus, which could cost anywhere from US$100 - US$450. Please note that the shuttle bus is for students only. If you are traveling with your family, please see the “Travel from within Japan” section below.
Arrival Airport
Narita International Airport (NRT)
Arrival Date in Japan
August 11, 2022 (JST) for students who need to quarantine on campus (Yellow Unvaccinated category)
Aug. 16, 2022 (JST) for students who do not need to quarantine (Yellow Vaccinated and Blue categories)
*Please note that the above dates are the dates for you to arrive in Japan. Your departure date might be earlier, depending on your country of departure.
Arrival Time
Between 6:00 AM and 6:00 PM (JST)
*The shuttle buses from Narita Airport to campus will leave around 2:00PM and 8:00PM.
If you cannot book a flight that arrives between 6:00AM – 6:00PM on August 11 (if you need to quarantine) or August 16, please contact us at [email protected] as soon as possible to find out about your options for getting to campus.
Tourist Visas for Parents
Japan is currently not issuing tourist visas, except for limited guided tours. Therefore, it is unlikely that international parents will be able to enter Japan in August. We will let you know if the situation changes.
Once you have booked your flight to Japan, please submit the survey as soon as possible.
If you are not able to book a flight that lands in Narita Airport on the dates/times listed above, please contact [email protected] for advice.
Once you have booked and submitted your flight information, the next step is to apply for your visa if you don’t have a Japanese passport. Please go to the Student Visa page on this website for more information.
If you are booking a round trip ticket, note that December 16 (Friday) is the last day of the term. Students can leave campus after 4:00 PM on December 16. It will take about 3 hours to travel from campus to Narita or Haneda Airport by bullet train, so please plan accordingly. Many international students will be leaving campus on December 17 (Saturday). We recommend that international students depart on December 17, allowing them more travel time to the airport. Students will need to be back on campus by January 8.
The final day of the school year will be June 2, 2023. Residences will close at the end of the day on June 3, 2023.
Domestic Students & Travel from within Japan
Except for students arriving from overseas to Narita Airport, all students will be responsible for arranging their own transportation to campus. We are tentatively planning on offering a shuttle service from Shinano Oiwake Station, which is the closest local train station from our campus, on the morning of August 17. More information will be sent by email in July.
Arrival Date and Time for Students Traveling Domestically
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM on Aug. 17, 2022 (JST)
By Train: Getting to UWC ISAK Japan from Tokyo Station
If you are traveling to UWC ISAK Japan from within Japan, the fastest and easiest way to get to campus is by shinkansen (bullet train). The trip from Tokyo Station costs approximately 6,000 JPY (one-way, reserved seat) and the estimated time to Karuizawa is 70 minutes. You will need to make your own arrangements for the train. Additional information about getting to Karuizawa from Narita Airport can be found on the Location page of our main website.
By Car: Driving Directions to UWC ISAK Japan
If you need directions to campus, please download our map from the website.
We will share a survey in July so you can let us know your travel plans.
For All New Students
Once you decide on your travel method to the campus, make sure to submit your relevant travel survey (Travel Survey for International Travel / Travel Survey for Domestic Travel).
Registration with Your Local Embassy
If you are not a Japanese citizen or resident of Japan, you might want to register your information with your country’s embassy in Japan. This will ensure that the embassy knows you are living in Japan, and will make it easier for you to access embassy information or assistance if needed. Please check the website of your country's embassy in Japan for more information. Each embassy has its own registration process and requirements, but you can probably register online, either before or after you arrive in Japan. You can read more information on this website as well
Hotel/Lodging Information
Mid-August is a peak vacation period in Japan, and we recommend that all families who plan to stay in Karuizawa during that time make hotel reservations as early as possible. Please note that we do not have any guest housing on campus for parents and family members.
Please see our list of Karuizawa area hotels for some of the many options available to you.
UWC ISAK Japan is located closest to the Shinano-Oiwake and Naka-Karuizawa train stations on the local Shinano Railway Line which runs through Karuizawa. There are many hotels in the Karuizawa area, and families should be able to book a hotel via an online travel website such as TripAdvisor. Hotels and pension near Karuizawa Station, Naka-Karuizawa Station or Shinano-Oiwake Station are convenient to campus.
Our Welcome Day events should end before 4:00 PM, so families who come to campus on that day can return to Tokyo or elsewhere at the end of the day’s events.
Packing your luggage
You can find more information and suggestions about packing on the What to Bring page on this website. Students are welcome to bring their own luggage with them. However, because of the limited space on the bus from the airport, we may only have room for one item of luggage per student on the bus for those who will be taking the bus from the airport. We recommend that you put everything you will need right away and also important documents in one item of luggage and take that with you on the bus.
Sending your luggage
You can either send the rest of your luggage from Narita Airport or from your home to campus. Please follow the instructions below when shipping your items to campus.
- Sending luggage from your home
*If you are arriving in Japan early and you would like to ship a suitcase from the airport or your hotel, please also follow these instructions.
Step 1: Put the student’s full name and grade (G10 or G11) on the luggage tag.
Step 2: Please have your items delivered on August 12 or 15 (JST), if possible
- Sending luggage from Narita Airport on August 11 or 16
Step 1: Put the student’s full name and grade (G10 or G11) on the luggage tag.
Step 2: Courier services in Japan usually provide next-day delivery, so you do not need to select a delivery date if you are sending luggage from the airport on August 11 or 16.
Step 3: The cost is approximately 2,500 JPY per suitcase or large package. Students/families are responsible for the cost.
UWC ISAK Japan mailing information:
(*Please put the student's full name and grade (G10 or G11) on the mailing tag.)
5827-136 Nagakura, Karuizawa-machi Kitasaku-gun, Nagano JAPAN 389-0111
〒389-0111 長野県北佐久郡軽井沢町長倉 5827-136
Phone number: 0267-46-8623
