Buses in Japan are not as easy to use as trains.  The first reason for this is that all destinations on buses are only written in Japanese characters.  The second reason is that if you make a mistake you will have to pay the fare anyway as well as the fare on another bus to get you to the correct destination.  On a train you can alight, cross the platform, take a train back to where you started and try again without any extra cost.  However, if you can master the art of taking a bus you will be able to travel to areas not serviced by trains and in cities, you can leave the underground railway and see a bit of the city as you travel around.

The first thing you will need to do on any bus service is to make sure you get on the correct bus.  Ask somebody to write down your destination in Japanese characters and then show this to the driver.  Stand or sit near the driver so that he or she can tell you when to get off.

There are two types of public bus available.  Those that service areas within city limits and those that leave the city and travel to outlying areas.  Each type has its own procedure.

For buses that only travel within the city limits:

1. Enter the bus through the front door.  The fee is written on the door as you enter.  Drop the exact change into the box next to the driver.
2. If you do not have the exact change there is a change machine attached to or behind the fare box.  Feed coins or 1000-yen notes into the slots, collect the change and put the exact fare into the box.
   N.B. the change machines do not take 5000 or 10000 yen notes.
3. At your destination, exit through the rear door.

For buses that leave the city limits:

1. Enter the bus through either the rear or front door and take a numbered ticket from the box provided.  The number on the ticket corresponds to a number on a screen above the driver’s head.  The LED display beneath the number represents the fare you owe.
    
2. At the destination, pay the amount shown on the display.
    
3. There is a change machine available as on the above city bus if change is needed.
    

This content was provided by one of our users, Penny