Japan is an advance city. With beautiful skylines and convenient public transportation, one does not really need a car to get around town or to any other places in Japan. However, it can be a little confusing for a foreigner to ride a bus in Japan for the first time. Here are some guidelines for you in case you are going to travel to Japan and however, decides to take bus rides around this beautiful country.
Whether or not you are travelling to Japan for fun or for business, it will be very helpful to know how to converse in some basic Japanese. This is because many Japanese do not understand any other language other than their own mother tongue. This might lead to many unnecessary confusions and many misunderstandings if you are not able to ask for directions and for help in a foreign country.
Rising a bus in Japan in pretty convenient and not to mention a cheaper option compared to taking the train. However, do find out what route you are going to take before you hop on a bus to avoid hopping on the wrong bus! If you are unsure on where to check for route directions and which bus to take, you can check online on various websites like Japan bus WEB ( http://www.bus.or.jp/e/index.html ), Highway Bus net ( http://kakuyasubus.jp/ ).
If internet is not an option, go to the travel agencies for help. Planning your route and checking which bus to hop on and bus fares in advance is extremely crucial if you speak only minimal Japanese as there are major language barrier in Japan. For some long distance travel, seats and tickets may need to be purchased in advance. These advance booking can be done at certain convenience store, any major bus terminals or any travel agencies.
Be sure to know where is the nearest bus terminal if you decide to ride a bus for various activities while you are in Japan. For certain cities, most bus terminals are located next to the railway station while is most major cities, bus terminals are almost everywhere. Check with the reception at your hotel or ask those working in the convenience store, you should be able to check it quite conveniently.
If you are unsure as to what time to board the bus, it is usually 10 minutes before the stated time on the ticket. However, if this is your first time taking a bus in Japan, it is best to be there earlier just in case there were some mistakes or misunderstandings while purchasing your ticket. Besides that, you can be assure that you will be able to board the right bus if you are around early.
Buses in Japan are equipped with toilets so there is no need to worry about doing your ‘business’ on the bus. And you can also bring your own food onto the bus as most buses do not sell food while on the road. If you are hungry and did not bring any food of your own, these buses will make announcements before they are about to stop at any rest areas so there is no need to worry.