A cheaper way to explore – Japan’s Highway and overnight buses.

For those coming to Japan, you have probably already explored the transportation options and various passes available to make your journey cheaper and more convenient. For those living in Japan, it’s no lie that travelling and transportation start to add up. The Shinkansen is very pricey, and many of my colleagues have said that if they are going beyond Osaka, they take a flight instead as it’s far cheaper. Japan’s rail options are numerous, from expresses, limited expresses, monorails, subways, local trains and the costly Shinkansen. But there is another option for those who want to travel more cheaply and have more flexibility with their time. The two options are the Highway express bus or night bus. The main operator you should check out is Willer; they offer thousands of options across the country, all for a significantly lower cost than the Shinkansen, plane or Express.

Seats can be booked online or at larger bus stations; if you book early, you get more choice on seats and time slots. There are many routes on offer from the usual big city to big city or even excursions to tourist hotspots off the beaten track. From Saga alone, there are many options which go as far as Tokyo, Osaka, Universal Studios Japan and Hiroshima. There are also many options for exploring around Kyushu and Airport buses. For longer trips, there will be scheduled stops at service stations; these can be fun to explore, and I sometimes wish the stops were longer, as service stations have a lot of food offerings for travellers.

For night buses, the seats have more room and are usually in a row of 3 with space; the curtains are pulled early, which can be a little restrictive if you’re a poor sleeper or sleep later in the night. After my night bus experience, I decided never again. The seats didn’t recline much; I couldn’t get comfortable and had a bad back the whole weekend. But it was certainly cheap. This option is great for solo travellers or those without back issues and who are lucky enough to fall asleep anywhere easily.

Buses allow for more exploration, and they can be a comfortable air-conditioned way to enjoy the Japanese scenery. I enjoy travelling by highway bus and have seen a lot more of the countryside in this manner. Travellers can enjoy rural roads, scenic passes, coastal panoramas and much more via the Japanese road network. I would certainly recommend trying one out and opening more options for trips, as routes go to places off the railway line. They are an affordable but slower method of transportation; they can also be affected by weather and road conditions, so allow extra time. The downside for me is the night bus isn’t comfortable, and I am the lightest sleeper, so I end up not enjoying the trip as I’m tired or in pain. But for those who can sleep easily, this is a great option.  If you have time, you should book the highway bus!