How to get from Tokyo to Nagano (and Iiyama): a beginners guide

International travel for the uninitiated can be a bit scary at the best of times.  Throw in a couple of connecting flights, some trains and a bus, and it is enough to send even the  most seasoned traveler catatonic!  However, fear not: travel in Japan is easy.  Signposts are in English, the Japanese staff are …