Karuizawa

Weekday departures: 60/day in the available timetable data · Sat & holiday departures: 68/day in the available timetable data

Earliest / latest departure in the available data (weekday): 6:34 / 23:20

Busiest hour in the available data: 8:00–9:00 (6)

0:00 ─ 23:00

Figures are typical departures in the timetable data, not a live service count.

Timetable data as of 17 April 2026.

The timetable data is incomplete for some or all lines at this station, so the weekday and Sat & holiday figures are departures in the available timetable data, not totals.

Lines where the timetable data is complete: Hokuriku Shinkansen

Lines where the timetable data is incomplete:

• Shinano Railway Line: no timetable data

• Shinano Railway Line: Ueda (Nagano)
• Hokuriku Shinkansen: Annaka-Haruna ⇄ Sakudaira

Karuizawa Station opened on 1 December 1888 as the terminus of the JGR line from Ueda. On 1 April 1893 the line was extended to Yokokawa with an Abt-rack section over the Usui Pass, completing the trunk route between Takasaki and Naoetsu; in 1909 the route was named the Shin'etsu Line, and it was renamed the Shin'etsu Main Line in 1914. Every train crossing the pass coupled helper locomotives at Karuizawa; JNR switched the section to double-headed EF63 adhesion working on 15 July 1963 and ended Abt operation on 30 September that year. JR East took over on 1 April 1987. With the Nagano Shinkansen opening on 1 October 1997 the Yokokawa–Karuizawa section was abolished, and Karuizawa–Shinonoi passed to the Shinano Railway.

On 11 May 1912 the Yokokawa–Karuizawa Abt section was electrified at 600 V DC third-rail — the first electrified trunk-line section in Japan.