Traveling by intercity highway bus is one way to save money on long distance journeys in Japan. For really long distances you may also be able to take an overnight bus — which will also save you the cost of staying in a hotel.
A highway express bus at Sannomiya Bus Terminal
In Kobe, the three main highway bus terminals can be found at Shin-Kobe Station, at the Sannomiya Bus Terminal and at the Shinki Bus Terminal. Of these, Sannomiya Bus Terminal is centrally located and has the most services.
You can buy tickets from ticket offices at the bus terminals on the day of travel. But if you want to be sure of a seat and buy tickets in advance, you can also book some tickets online on the Japan Expressway Bus Net website.
Highway Buses from Shin-Kobe Station
Shin-Kobe Station is the high-speed Shinkansen terminal for Kobe and is located in the north of the city. A small number of daytime highway bus services depart from this station, which are mostly headed for destinations on Awaji Island or on Shikoku.
A highway express bus at Shin-Kobe Station
On the first floor of the station building there is a highway bus ticket office which is run by West Japan JR Bus Company and which is open from 8:00 until 20:00. Two boarding points for buses are located about 50 meters to the left of the first floor exit. Here is a map showing the location of the boarding points.
The highway express bus ticket office at Shin-Kobe Station
From boarding point 1 you can catch highway buses bound for Tokushima in Shikoku and destinations on Awaji Island like Yumebutai, Higashiura, Tsuna, and Sumoto.
From boarding point 2 you can catch highway buses bound for Takamatsu in Shikoku, for Kobe Airport and for the local hot spring resort town Arima Onsen.
A highway express bus at Sannomiya Bus Terminal
Highway Buses from Sannomiya Bus Terminal
Sannomiya Bus Terminal is the main highway bus terminal in Kobe and several bus companies run long-distance highway bus services from here that connect Kobe with cities across the country. This terminal can be found on the first floor of the Mint Kobe shopping mall, which is located directly to the east of JR Sannomiya Station’s East Exit. Here is a map showing its location.
The ticket counter at Sannomiya Bus Terminal
Inside the terminal there is a ticket counter, an electronic display showing departure times and boarding points for each service and a waiting area with seats and drinks vending machines.
The ticket counter here is open from 7:00 until 21:00.
Inside Sannomiya Bus Terminal
This terminal has a total of eight boarding gates, but boarding gates 1 to 3 are for local Kobe City Bus services while boarding gate 8 is just for local hotel shuttle buses. Details of the other boarding gates are listed below, but you should also check the gate for your departure on the electronic display when you arrive at the terminal.
Departure information on the electronic display
Boarding gate 4 has services bound for Yumebutai and Higashiura on Awaji Island, the local hot spring resort town of Arima Onsen, and seasonal City Bus services for Kobe Municipal Arboretum (a botanical garden in the north of the city).
Boarding gate 5 has services bound for destinations on Awaji Island such as Sumoto, Minamiawaji, and more destinations on Awaji’s northwest coastline.
Boarding gate 6 has services bound for the Kobe Sannomiya Ferry Terminal and for destinations in Shikoku like Takamatsu, Kochi, Tokushima and Matsuyama.
Boarding gate 7 has long distance services bound for destinations in regions such as Kanto, Tokai, San’in, San’yo, Kyushu and northern Kansai.
In the Kanto region these include overnight bus services for Shinjuku and Tachikawa in Tokyo, for Yokohama, for Chiba, and for Tokyo Disneyland.
In the Tokai region these include overnight services for Nagano and Shizuoka, and daytime services for Nagoya.
In the San’in region these include daytime and overnight services for Yonago, Tottori and Kurayoshi.
In the San’yo region there is currently one overnight service for Iwakuni, Tokuyama, Hagi, and Nagato.
In northern Kansai (also called Kita-Kinki) these include daytime services for Fukuchiyama and Maizuru.
Highway Buses from Shinki Bus Terminal
The Shinki Bus company also operates highway buses from Sannomiya, but has its own bus terminal. However, because different companies often share services, buses running from the Shinki Bus Terminal may belong to other companies and a small number of Shinki Bus services may actually depart from the Sannomiya Bus Terminal.
Shinki Bus Terminal
The Shinki Bus Terminal can be found under the elevated tracks a little to the north of the Sannomiya Bus Terminal and northeast of JR Sannomiya Station. Here is a map showing its location.
Shinki Bus operates overnight buses running from the Shinki Bus Terminal to Shibuya and Shinjuku in Tokyo. There are also daytime highway buses that run from Kobe to Universal Studios Japan in Osaka; destinations in the Chugoku region like Okayama, Hiroshima, Matsue and Izumo; destinations in Shikoku such as Tokushima, Kochi and Matsuyama; and destinations on Awaji Island such as Goshiki, Fukura and Sumoto.
Shinki Bus Terminal Ticket Center
The ticket center at Shinki Bus Terminal is open every day from 6:50 to 20:05 and above the ticket center is a timetable showing all the bus services and their departure times. This terminal also has a waiting area with seats and drinks vending machines. There are 18 boarding points at this terminal, but the number for your bus will be shown on your ticket. For details of timetables and fares, check the official English-language Shinki Bus website.
Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved.
