Traveling from Nikko to Nagano

Hi there!

I'm wondering if it's managable to travel from Nikko to Nagano by heading west rather than southwards through Tokyo. My plan is to leave Tokyo, visit the Nikko area and go west towards Yumoto onsen through the Gunma prefecture and onwards to Oze national park and some other places. I don't mind taking local busses and am willing to stretch this trip over a few days time. I'm aiming for the last week of april, my biggest concern is that busses don't operate yet due to late snow or cold weather? I hope someone can provide some handy info, thanks a lot!

Regards Coen (Netherlands)

Usually people transit at Omiya when using the trains/shinkansen - you don't go all the way back into Tokyo. There are some other local lines that you can take, like the Ryomo Line via Ashikaga, but you still need to go south and still hit the corners of greater Tokyo/Saitama. Sit is possible do it with local trains if you really wanted.
Look at the roads/rail on a map and you'll see where things tend to go.
I wouldn't expect much demand for a bus service going west of Nikko into the mountains when the infrastructure is designed for the majority - going to Takasaki/Karuizawa/Ueda/Nagano.

Too bad, the only direct bus from Nikko to Gunma (Katashina village) operates from 1 May. https://kan-etsu.net/files/lib/5/725/201807181202227902.pdf