Japan by coach
Traveling by bus in Japan is definitely one of the safest and cheapest ways of traveling while ensuring at the same time that you don't miss out on the beautiful natural landscapes around the country. Thanks to the well connected bus network between Japan cities it is easy to reach the majority of the most popular destinations within the country in a day.Table Of Contents
Intercity buses in Japan
The timetable for popular intercity bus routes like Tokyo - Kyoto or Kyoto - Tokyo can be found online, but for some shorter intercity bus routes you might have to go to the bus station. Tickets are sold both online and on the spot, but after the COVID-19 pandemic an increasing number of travellers prefer buying their tickets online.
Domestic routes
As mentioned above there are more than 278 domestic intercity bus travel combinations in Japan. Below you will find some of the most popular Japan travel routes with minimal or no stops along the way:
Airport buses in Japan
International airports:
Haneda (Airport)
Fukuoka (Airport)
New Chitose (Airport)
Naha (Airport)
Kagoshima (Airport)
Sendai (Airport)
Kumamoto (Airport)
Nagasaki (Airport)
Hiroshima (Airport)
Domestic airports:
Osaka (Airport)
Kobe (Airport)
Oita (Airport)
Matsuyama (Airport)
Miyako (Airport)
Kochi Ryoma (Airport)
Asahikawa (Airport)
Tokushima (Airport)
Izumo (Airport)
Bus companies in Japan
70 intercity bus companies operating in Japan are very different in size. The largest Japan company Shinkansen JR Central connects more than 29 cities, whereas the smallest intercity bus company Skyliner and Tokyo Subway only has service to 1 cities.
Below we have listed some of the most popular bus companies in Japan. Full list of bus companies in Japan can be found here.
Bus stations in Japan
In most cities there is a dedicated bus station, in smaller cities the bus station might be a parking lot with a shelter or a section on the road marked for multiple buses. In some cities buses also stop at public road bus stops or at gas stations and hotel parking lots. In larger cities you will find bus stations with amenities like toilets, luggage storage, kiosks, fast food restaurants and other useful services for travellers. In Japan there is a total of 153 bus stations, below we have listed 6 of the most popular bus stations, for a full list of bus stations in Japan click here.
Hire a coach in Japan
Here you can see a list of some companies offering bus rental in Japan:
Sugizaki Kanko
Kintetsu Bus
New Prince Highway Bus
Kintetsu Bus ZKN16
Public transportation in Japan
Buying tickets for public transportation varies from city to city, sometimes they are bought at dedicated sales points and other times they are bought on the bus for example, so be sure to check which options are available for the city you are travelling in.
Here is a list of some Japan companies operating both local and suburban bus lines.
Shinki Bus
Shimotsui Dentetsu
Seibu Bus
Sugisaki Kanko Bus SS2
Tohoku express bus ZTH5
Kirakira Bus
Sanei Kotsu