Recently I took the night bus from Hiroshima to Tokyo. The night bus is probably the cheapest way to travel long distances in Japan. You save on accommodation for the night you are traveling and you arrive early at your destination the next day ready to make the most of the day. The discomfort of sleeping on a bus can be hard for many though and is worse than a capsule hotel.
Night bus from Hiroshima to Tokyo
Hiroshima is over 800 km from Tokyo and costs around 20,000 yen by bullet train and takes about 4 hours. Flights are about an hour and vary widely depending on the season, airline, and how early you buy your ticket. The night bus I am on costs me 8,000 yen and will take about 12 hours from Hiroshima Station to Tokyo Station.
Affordable and reliable
Boarding the bus is easy enough, you show the driver your printed ticket or on your phone, load up your bags, and hop on to find your assigned seat. Some buses have different configurations depending on the route. This one had 2 rows of seats on each side but others will have 3 rows of separate seats and even a 2nd floor (like the one I used to take to and from Matsue). The bus will make at least 2 stops. The 1st one is usually shortly after starting the journey and again just before arriving at the destination. These stops will have vending machines, restrooms, and garbage disposal facilities, and depending on the route full-fledged restaurants and gift shops. The driver will make announcements for the length of stops, lights out, and more. Fast forward and at 08:xxAM I arrived at Tokyo Station, groggy but ready for big city adventures. Have you ever been on a night bus in Japan or any other country? Let me know in a comment below!
