Daytime buses
Short to mid-range (up to ~5 hours)
- Enjoy the scenery as you ride
- Tokyo ⇔ Fuji Five Lakes, Sapporo ⇔ Hakodate, and more
- Rest stops every 2–3 hours
REGIONAL BUS | DAY & NIGHT
Highway buses (day and overnight)
If cost is what you’re comparing, nothing beats the highway bus for intercity travel in Japan. Book routes nationwide, online, 24 hours a day through our partner reservation site.
- Tokyo → Kyoto (one way) about ¥ 5,000 The shinkansen is about ¥13,000, so the bus is less than half the price
- Take an overnight bus and Save a night of lodging Travel while you sleep, sightsee from the morning
- Booking Online, 24 hours No ticket counters. Reservations in advance only
DAY & NIGHT BUSES
Daytime buses and overnight buses
The dividing line is roughly five hours. Think of it as Japan’s answer to the European night train, done by bus.
Biggest savings
Overnight buses
Long haul (5+ hours)
- Travel while you sleep, sightsee from the morning
- Save a night of lodging on top of the fare
- Reclining seats and women-only neighboring seat options
POPULAR ROUTES
Popular routes and sample fares
A sample of the best sellers. Fares vary by season and day of the week, and many more routes nationwide are searchable on the booking site.
- TOKYO ⇔ KYOTO Tokyo ⇔ Kyoto Round trip from CA$78 The shinkansen runs about ¥13,000 one way, ¥25,000 round trip. The bus gets you there for about ¥5,000 each way. Overnight available
- TOKYO ⇔ OSAKA Tokyo ⇔ Osaka Round trip from CA$73 Far cheaper than the shinkansen or flying, with a wide choice of boarding points and destinations. Overnight available
- TOKYO ⇔ HIROSHIMA Tokyo ⇔ Hiroshima Round trip from CA$92 About ¥6,000 one way on weekday departures, on a stretch that costs about ¥20,000 by shinkansen. Overnight available
- TOKYO ⇔ SENDAI Tokyo ⇔ Sendai Round trip from CA$116 About 6 hours. Take the overnight bus and you arrive while you sleep, saving a night of lodging. Overnight available
- OSAKA ⇔ FUKUOKA Osaka ⇔ Fukuoka Round trip from CA$170 ¥5,000–6,000 one way. Plenty of convenient boarding points, including Namba and Universal Studios. Overnight available
- SAPPORO ⇔ HAKODATE Sapporo ⇔ Hakodate One way from CA$55 Less than half the limited express fare (about ¥9,000); the trip takes about 5 hours 40 minutes. Daytime
Search routes and book (partner site)
Opens our partner booking site kosokubus.com (in English). Booking and payment are completed on that site.
GOOD TO KNOW
Rules to know before you board
- Advance reservation only There are no ticket counters and no cash sales at the bus stop. All booking is done online, in advance.
- Suitcases go in the trunk Only bags that fit on your lap or at your feet can come aboard. Trunk rules differ by bus, and the occasional bus has no trunk at all.
- No children on laps For safety, everyone wears a seatbelt and has their own seat. Lap riding is not allowed, and child seats are not provided. Some buses offer discounts for children under 12.
- Women-only neighboring seat An option that guarantees the seat beside you goes to a woman or stays empty. Popular with solo travelers on overnight runs.
- No strong-smelling food Please skip anything spill-prone or strongly scented. Rest stops come every 2–3 hours.
- A word before you recline Say a quick word to the person behind you before reclining. That alone keeps the whole bus comfortable. It is a very Japanese rule.
Q&A
Frequently asked questions
How do I book?
Through our partner reservation site (kosokubus.com, in English), online 24/7, year-round. There are no counters or phone sales, and you cannot board by just showing up at the stop without a reservation.
Can I book for a group in one go?
Yes, if seats are available. Each bus caps how many people fit in one booking; larger groups simply split into multiple reservations.
Can I choose my seat? Can the seat next to me be kept empty?
On buses that support seat selection (shown with an icon), you can pick your seat after booking. “Keep my neighboring seat empty” requests are not accepted, but some buses offer double seats that give one person the width of two.
Can I bring a bicycle, an instrument, or skis?
It depends on the bus. Even folding bicycles may be refused for the trunk to prevent damage, so check each bus’s luggage rules before you book.
Are overnight buses rough?
Honestly, the seat grade changes everything. On a 3-across independent-seat bus with privacy curtains, you’ll sleep far better than you expect. The cheapest 4-across buses are best left to the young. The difference is only a few hundred to a few thousand yen per grade, so for overnight trips we recommend going one seat class up.
Put what the bus saves you toward hotels and meals
Bus booking happens entirely on the partner site, but for the bigger question of “bus or shinkansen on this leg?”, talk to us. We’ll plan the whole itinerary, JR Pass combinations included.