- Narita Airport
- Haneda Airport
- City Trains
- JR Trains
- Metro
- Private Rails
- City Bus
- Sightseeing Bus
- Taxi
- Highway Bus
- Suica Card
- PASMO Card
- Shinjuku Station
- Transport Passes
- Haneda Airport to Tokyo City
- Narita Airport to Tokyo
- Narita Airport to Haneda Airport
- Travel from Tokyo to Kyoto
- Travel from Tokyo to Osaka
- Travel from Tokyo to Nara
Highway Bus Travel from Tokyo
Highway bus, aka expressway bus or long-distance bus, is also an importation means of transportation in Tokyo. It links Tokyo city and surrounding areas, peripheral attractions as well as farther cities around Japan. Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal is the major and biggest hub of highway buses in Tokyo.Bus ticket is often cheaper than a train ticket, especially much cheaper than the Shinkansen, but it takes longer time on the way.
Apart from the ordinary buses running during the day, overnight bus that arrives at the destination early the next morning is also popular among budget travelers as it may save one night’s hotel expense.
Highway Bus in Tokyo
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Where Can We Go by Highway Bus from Tokyo?
Destinations include:Tohoku region: Sendai, Fukushima, Akita, Aomori
Kanto region near Tokyo: Chiba, Narita Airport, Kanagawa
Mt. Fuji & its environs: Mt. Fuji/Lake Kawaguchi, Hakone, Gotemba
Kansai region: Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Kobe, Himeji
Nagoya, Shizuoka, Nagano, Matsumoto, Gifu, Niigata, Kanazawa, Takayama, Okayama, Hiroshima, Fukuoka...
Major Highway Bus Routes to/from Tokyo:
Destination |
Approx. Duration |
Ticket Fare |
Haneda Airport |
50-60min |
JPY 1,400 |
Narita Airport |
1h 47-55min |
JPY 1,800-3,600 |
Lake Kawaguchi / Mt. Fuji |
2h |
JPY 2,200 at least |
Gotemba |
1.5h |
JPY 1,800 |
Hakone |
2h |
JPY 2,240-2,480 |
Karuizawa |
3h 15-23min |
JPY 2,600-3,300 |
Sendai |
5h 45min |
JPY 4,900 |
Nagoya |
6h |
JPY 3,800-5,200 |
Osaka / Kyoto |
7.5-9h (overnight) |
JPY 6,900-9,000 |
How to Buy or Book the Ticket?
Get a Bus Ticket at a Bus Station
At an expressway bus station like Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal, you can step into the station to buy the ticket on spot. The ticket counters and ticket vending machines are applicable, with both cashes and credit card can be utilized.
Ticket Dispensers at Shinjuku Bus Station
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Online Booking of Bus Tickets
As there are multitudinous bus operators as well as third-party bus booking platforms, online booking becomes easy but also eye-dazzling to choose. Searching on their website, you could find the bus you want. Some bus operators have their ticketing machine in convenience stores as well.Popular Highway Bus Booking Platform: Japan Bus (Nihon Bus), Japan Bus Lines, Highway Bus, Japan Bus Online
If the electronic ticket you get is attached with the QR code, you can scam the QR code at designated check-in counter directly.
If your electronic ticket has no QR code or you are asked to print the ticket, you have to print the ticket beforehand and show the paper document to the ticket inspector or the driver.
Can I Use a Transportation IC Card to Take Highway Bus in Tokyo?
On the long-distance bus to a destination far away from Tokyo, such as that to Osaka or Kyoto, a transportation card can’t be used for payment.Usually, Suica card or PASMO card can be applied on the highway buses to Narita Airport, Haneda Airport, and nearby attractions like Mt. Fuji. However, it is not always applicable on every bus or at every station/stop. For example, on a Limousine bus to/from Narita Airport, you can swipe a transportation IC card if it departs from the airport terminals. On the contrary, it is hardly usable if you go from Tokyo downtown to the airport, with only a few departure stops allow passengers to use transportation cards.
Where to Take Highway Bus – Bus Stations in Tokyo
Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal
Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal, with JR Shinjuku Station in the north adjacently, is the major highway bus station in Tokyo. You can take a bus there to your destination countrywide.
Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal
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Location: south to JR Shinjuku Sta.; 2 minutes’ walk upstairs from New South Gate of JR Shinjuku Sta.
Service hours: 04:00-01:00 the next day (before 06:00 in the morning, there are only some buses to Haneda / Narita Airport, especially to Haneda Airport)
Ticketing systems stop service in succession, at 24:00 at latest
How to get there:
JR trains: to JR Shinjuku Sta. via Yamanote Line, Chuo-Sobu Line, or more JR lines;
Metro: to Shinjuku Station via Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line, Toei Subway Shinjuku Line, or Toei Subway Oedo Line
Private Railways: to Shinjuku via Keio Line, Keio New Line, Odakyu Line
Destination |
Duration |
Ticket Fare |
Haneda Airport |
40-55min |
JPY 1,400 |
Narita Airport |
1h 37-50min |
JPY 3,600 |
Hakone |
2h 25-40min |
JPY 2,480 |
Mt. Fuji / Lake Kawaguchi |
1h 45min |
JPY 2,200 |
Shizuoka Sta. |
3h 13-37min |
JPY 3,000-3,400 |
Kusatsu Onsen |
4-5h |
JPY 3,550-4,000 |
Nagoya |
3h 52min - 5h 15min |
JPY 3,300-5,700 |
Nagoya (overnight) |
6h 35min - 7h 14min |
JPY 3,900 at least |
Osaka |
7h 53min |
JPY 4,800-6,700 |
Osaka (overnight) |
About 8h |
JPY 6,900-8,800 |
Kyoto |
About 7h |
JPY 4,800-6,500 |
Kyoto (overnight) |
7h 7min |
JPY 6,900-8,800 |
Small Bus Stations in Tokyo
Although Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal stands out in Tokyo, there are still some smaller highway bus stations, mainly including Tokyo Station JR Expressway Bus Station, Shibuya Mark City Bus Station and Ikebukuro Sunshine City Bus Station. Comparatively speaking, these stations are quite smaller, with ticket counters and not many parking space.
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Tokyo Station JR Expressway Bus Station
Location: near Yaesu South Exit of Tokyo StationTurn right at the Yaesu South Exit, next to bus stops
Service Hours: 06:00-00:30
How to get there:
JR city trains: to Tokyo Sta. via Yamanote LineMetro: Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line
City bus: 東42-1, 東15, 東16 to Tokyo Sta. Yaesuguchi (Yaesu Exit)
Destination |
Duration |
Ticket Fare |
Narita Airport |
1h 2-10min |
JPY 1,300 / 2,600 (late night) |
Gotemba Premium Outlets |
1h 25min |
JPY 2,000-2,200 |
Lake Kawaguchi (Kawaguchiko Sta.) |
2h – 2h 22min |
JPY 2,200 |
Ikaho-Onsen / Kusatsu-Onsen |
2h 28min – 3h 19min to Ikaho-Onsen; 4h 2-53min to Kusatsu-Onsen Bus Terminal |
JPY 3,000 to Ikaho-Onsen JPY 4,000 to Kusatsu-Onsen |
Roadside Bus Stops in Tokyo City
According to different bus operators, there are also some roadside bus stops for passengers to get on/off. They are concentrated around large transportation hubs like Tokyo Station, Shibuya & Shinjuku, and popular spots like an attraction or a big hotel. The specific site for boarding is up to your bus route and the company.For example, at the Yaesu North Exit, passengers can also catch the Airport Limousine bus and Keisei buses for Chiba.
Read More: Highway Bus in Japan