Routes at a glance
To ride the SL Moka for its whole run, be at Shimodate for the mid-morning departure. From Tokyo that means a shinkansen to Oyama (about 40 minutes) and the JR Mito Line (about 20 minutes).
Moka Railway does not accept IC cards: buy paper tickets or pay on board.
| Route | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo → Oyama (shinkansen) → Shimodate (JR Mito Line) → Moka Railway | about 2 hr to Moka, 3 hr to Motegi | The route for the steam train |
| Utsunomiya → Moka by bus | about 50 min | From the JR station west exit |
| Utsunomiya → Motegi by JR bus | about 1 hr 20 min | About hourly |
| Tokyo → Moka by car (Kita-Kanto Expressway, Moka IC) | about 1 hr 45 min | Motegi is 40 min further |
Reaching Mobility Resort Motegi
The circuit is about 8 km from Motegi station. A few buses run on ordinary days and special shuttles on major race weekends, when direct buses also operate from Utsunomiya and sometimes from Tokyo. Otherwise take a taxi or drive.
Getting around
Ordinary Moka Railway trains run about hourly. Around Moka, taxis or rental bicycles from the station reach the cotton hall and some farms. A car gives far more freedom, particularly for strawberry farms and Motegi.
On MotoGP weekend, roads around Motegi are heavily congested and accommodation for miles around sells out months ahead.
