When you want to travel from the Tokyo area to day trip areas such as Lake Kawaguchi and Hakone, or to Osaka, etc. on a low budget, highway buses are convenient. We have previously introduced an article comparing the Busta Shinjuku and the bus terminals around Tokyo Station, but unlike Shinjuku Station, Tokyo Station has more than 5 bus departure and arrival points, so even Japanese people may be confused about which bus stop to use. Therefore, in this article, we will thoroughly introduce the departure and arrival points of highway buses at Tokyo Station. Whether you are planning to visit Japan soon or are in the middle of planning your trip, please take this as a reference!
※This article is based on information as of October 2023. Please check the official website for the latest information on prices, bus routes, and the number of buses.
About the main bus terminals around Tokyo Station
JR Tokyo Station is mainly divided into Yaesu and Marunouchi areas, and the ground exits include Yaesu North Exit, Yaesu Central Exit, Yaesu Central South Exit, Yaesu South Exit, Marunouchi North Exit, Marunouchi Central Exit, and Marunouchi South Exit. Many bus terminals are scattered in the Yaesu area. Here, we will introduce seven bus terminals that are often used by foreign tourists.
By the way, depending on the bus company and destination, the price, time, and number of services vary, so make sure to check well before boarding.
① Tokyo Yaesu Bus Terminal
The "Bus Terminal Tokyo Yaesu" is located underground of "Midtown Tokyo Yaesu". This bus terminal consolidates the high-speed bus stops scattered around the Yaesu exit, and the first phase area opened in September 2022. The second and third phase areas are also scheduled to open sequentially.
Inside the terminal, the basement 1st floor is the ticket counter and information counter, and the basement 2nd floor is the bus stop. It is a convenient location that can be accessed from the 1st floor entrance of "Tokyo Midtown Yaesu" and the Yaesu underground street on the basement 1st floor of the Yaesu exit side of Tokyo Station.
The business hours of the Yaesu underground street are from 05:00 to 23:00, so please access from Tokyo Midtown Yaesu outside these hours.
There are information counters, ticket vending machines, vending machines, coin lockers, waiting spaces, etc. on the basement 1st floor. The basement 2nd floor, where the bus stops (No. 11 to 16) are located, has convenience stores, vending machines, waiting spaces, etc. In addition, on the basement 1st floor of Midtown Tokyo Yaesu, which is on the same floor as the Yaesu underground street and the bus terminal, there are many cafes such as Starbucks Coffee and many restaurants.
Spot Information
- Business hours: 05:00 to the last bus (24:35) *Ticket window is open from 06:20 to 20:00
- Main destinations: There are many bus companies and routes to Tohoku, Kanto, Hokuriku, Koshinetsu, Tokai, Kansai, Chugoku-Shikoku, and Kyushu.
- Airport routes: None
②Tokyo Station Yaesu South Exit JR Expressway Bus Terminal Bus Stop
Right after exiting the Yaesu South Exit ticket gate at Tokyo Station, you will find the Tokyo Station Yaesu South Exit JR Expressway Bus Terminal bus stop. There are often many people lined up in the departure queue at the bus stop, so you will hardly get lost.
The JR Expressway Bus, operated by JR Bus Kanto, departs and arrives here, making it the largest bus terminal in the Tokyo Station area. There is an information counter labeled "JR Expressway Bus" with ticket machines and waiting spaces (see photo above). The information counter has an electronic bulletin board, so check the bus stop and line up at the bus stop 15 minutes before departure. The long-distance bus stops are numbered from 1 to 9.
At the Tokyo Station Yaesu South Exit JR Expressway Bus Terminal bus stop, there are ticket machines, waiting spaces, shops, and coin lockers. There is also a manned information counter, so if you have any questions, please go to the counter. Directly above, there is an open space with a large roof and deck about 230m long. If you have time before the bus departure or if the waiting room is full, we recommend taking a walk on the deck. If you want to go to the deck, use the escalator in the photo below to go up.
Spot Information
- Business hours: The counter is open from 06:00 to 00:30 (currently, it is open from 06:00 to 00:00)
- Main destinations: There are many bus companies and routes to Tohoku, Kanto, Hokuriku, Shinetsu, Tokai, Kansai, and Chugoku-Shikoku.
- Airport routes: Yes. Airport Bus Tokyo-Narita (for Narita International Airport)
*The previous THE Access Narita and Tokyo Shuttle have been integrated and changed to AIRPORT BUS TYO-NRT.
③Tokyo Station JR Expressway Bus Stop (Nihonbashi Exit of Tokyo Station)
Just outside the Nihonbashi exit of Tokyo Station. It's a rotary, and many expressway buses that have just arrived are parked.
This is the drop-off point for "JR Express Buses" and express buses jointly operated with JR Express Buses. You cannot board here. If you take a bus that arrives at "Tokyo Station", you will often get off here, so it's convenient to remember.
④Tokyo Station Yaesu North Exit Tekko Building
Located about 5 minutes on foot from the Yaesu North Exit of Tokyo Station, it is in the rotary on the 1st floor of the Tekko Building. As it is not a large terminal where many buses stop, please use the following sign as a landmark to avoid passing by.
In addition to the Fujikyu bus heading to popular leisure facilities such as "Fuji-Q Highland", the Airport Limousine Bus (Tokyo Airport Transportation) to Narita Airport and Haneda Airport (currently suspended as of October 2023) also departs and arrives here.
There may be a staff member of the Airport Limousine Bus stationed for boarding guidance, but it is basically an unmanned bus stop. The ticket machine for the Airport Limousine Bus is located inside the Tekko building. There is no ticket machine for the Fujikyu bus. If you have not made a reservation for the Fujikyu bus in advance, you can board if there are vacant seats. In that case, please pay the fare to the bus driver. Alternatively, you can purchase in advance at the ticket counter at Tokyo Station Yaesu South Exit JR Express Bus Terminal Bus Stop. The bus stop is a rotary, so you won't get wet even in bad weather.
Spot Information
- Main bus companies and their destinations: Fujikyu Bus (Fuji-Q Highland, Fujisan Station, Kawaguchiko Station, sightseeing boat/ropeway entrance, etc.), Airport Limousine Bus (Narita International Airport, Haneda Airport ※Haneda Airport line is currently suspended as of September 2023), Keihin Kyuko Bus (Haneda Airport)
- Airport routes: Yes (as mentioned above)
⑤Tokyo Station Yaesu Street Bus Stop
The 'Tokyo Station Yaesu Central Exit Bus Stop' is about a 5-minute walk from Tokyo Station Yaesu Central Exit. Exit the Yaesu Central Exit, cross the pedestrian crossing, and walk along Yaesu Street. If you are carrying a suitcase, make sure to allow extra time. The bus stop is right outside the 'Yaesu Underground Mall Exit 22' (see image below). On rainy days, it's better to access from the Yaesu Underground Mall to avoid getting wet.
There are many buses running between Tokyo and Tohoku, including express buses to the Tohoku region such as Sendai (Holiday Star), Yonezawa/Yamagata (Rainbow), as well as Kyoto/Osaka (Flying Sneaker, Flying Liner), Toyama/Kanazawa (Kimasshi), and others. Except for the daytime Holiday Star, all are overnight buses.
Just like the Tokyo Station Yaesu North Exit Tekko Building, this is not a large manned bus terminal. There is only a roofed bus stop along Yaesu Street. There are no ticket machines or staff. If you are taking an overnight bus, especially in winter, bring warm clothing.
Spot Information
- Business hours: During bus operation (no manned account/counter)
- Main bus companies and their destinations: Tohoku Express Bus (Sendai, Yamagata, Kyoto/Osaka, Toyama/Kanazawa, Okayama, etc.)
※The "New Star" service to Sendai, which used to depart from here, has been moved to the JR Express Bus Terminal at the Yaesu South Exit of Tokyo Station. - Airport routes: None
⑥ Yaesu South Exit, Kajibashi Parking Lot Bus Stop
It's a 10-minute walk from the Yaesu South Exit of Tokyo Station. Along the way, you'll cross a pedestrian crossing and find the entrance to the Kajiyabashi parking lot. Depending on the time of day, there may be frequent comings and goings of highway buses stopping in the parking lot. Be careful of vehicles in the surrounding area. Since it's a bit of a walk from Tokyo Station, make sure to allow plenty of time for your journey.
Highway buses mainly serving long-distance routes such as Tohoku, Chubu, and Kansai regions depart from here.
There is a prefab waiting room, but it is only open when buses are in operation.
Spot Information
- Operating hours: During bus operation (No manned account or counter)
- Main bus companies and their destinations: Willer Orion Tour (Morioka, Hirosaki, Aomori, Sendai, Yamagata, Kanazawa, Nagoya, Kyoto, Umeda, USJ, Kobe Sannomiya), Sakura Highway Bus (Kyoto, Umeda, Namba, Kobe Sannomiya, Toyama, Kanazawa, etc.), JamJam Express (Sendai, Morioka, Niigata, Nagoya South, Umeda, Sannomiya, Kyoto, USJ, Namba), etc.
- Airport routes: None
⑦Tokyo Station Marunouchi North Exit Bus Stop
It is located in front of the entrance of "Marunouchi Oazo", a 3-minute walk from the Marunouchi North Exit of Tokyo Station. It's a small bus stop just like the ones you see in the city, so don't miss it.
The night bus (Yuhi-go) to Tsuruoka and Sakata Station operated by Kokusai Kogyo Bus and Shonai Kotsu Bus, and the airport limousine bus to Haneda Airport operated by Tokyo Airport Transportation (Airport Limousine Bus) depart from here.
This is an unmanned bus stop. There are no ticket machines or roofs. In case of bad weather, wait at Marunouchi Oazo and move to the bus stop just before departure time.
Spot Information
- Business hours: During bus operation (no manned account/counter)
- Main bus companies and their destinations: Kintetsu Bus, Shonai Kotsu Bus (Tsuruoka, Sakata in Yamagata), Tokyo Airport Transportation (Airport Limousine Bus) (Haneda Airport)
- Airport routes: Yes (as mentioned above)
What's next for the bus stops at Tokyo Station?
As mentioned above, there are many unmanned bus stops around Tokyo Station, not just manned bus terminals, and it is difficult for Japanese people to distinguish between them. The bus stop changes depending on the bus company and destination. Moreover, depending on the bus stop, you may have to walk about 10 minutes from Tokyo Station.
The "Bus Terminal Tokyo Yaesu" was opened on the B2 floor of Tokyo Midtown Yaesu to eliminate such inconvenience. You can access it without getting wet even on rainy days, and it is equipped with a waiting room, convenience store, etc. The bus stops scattered around the Yaesu exit area are consolidated, and they are being developed little by little in three phases, with full operation scheduled for the fiscal year 2028. Once fully operational, it will be one of the largest terminals in Japan with a total of 20 lanes.
However, even after the opening of the "Bus Terminal Tokyo Yaesu", the bus stops around Tokyo Station will not be completely unified. The "Tokyo Station Yaesu South Exit JR Expressway Bus Terminal Bus Stop" located at the Yaesu South Exit of Tokyo Station, and the "Tokyo Station Yaesu North Exit Tekko Building" located at the Yaesu North Exit, are expected to continue to be used as they are. When taking a highway bus from Tokyo Station, make sure to check where the bus stop is and carefully look at the website of the bus company to confirm the access method in advance.
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