Japan guide

Getting around

Local buses

City and country buses don't all work the same way. In some cities you get on at the back and pay at the front when you get off; elsewhere you pay as you board. Watch which door people use, and have an IC card or coins ready.

9 steps · 4 common mistakes· Show in Japanese (2)
A green-and-cream Kyoto city bus on a street in Kyoto.

Photo: Mutimaro / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Getting on

A traveller gets on a city bus by the rear door and touches an IC card on the reader; a numbered-ticket machine is next to the door.

Step by step

  1. Check the route number and destination on the front of the bus.

  2. Get on by the door marked 入口 (entrance) — the one other passengers use. In many cities it is the back door.

  3. Tap your IC card on the reader by the door, or take a numbered ticket (整理券, seiriken) if there's a machine.

Common mistakes

  • Forgetting to tap your IC card when you get on — tell the driver where you boarded when you get off.

On the bus

Step by step

  1. Watch the fare board at the front. Your fare is shown under your ticket number.

  2. Press the stop button (とまります) before your stop.

  3. Stay seated until the bus has stopped.

Common mistakes

  • Walking to the front while the bus is still moving.

Paying and getting off

The fare box beside a bus driver's seat, marked 運賃箱 (fare box), with slots for coins, tickets and IC cards.Photo: Cassiopeia sweet / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Step by step

  1. At the front, tap your IC card — or put your ticket and the exact fare into the fare box.

  2. No coins? Use the change slot on the fare box before your stop — it takes 1,000 yen notes.

  3. Get off by the front door.

Common mistakes

  • Expecting change from the fare box — use the change slot first.
  • Trying to pay with a 10,000 yen note on the bus.

Good to know: If your IC card balance is too low, tell the driver — on many buses you can pay the rest in cash.

Sources

Sources (checked 2026-11-05). Facts, numbers and prices on this page come from these official pages.

  1. Local governmentTaking the Kyoto City Bus(opens in a new tab)Kyoto City: how to ride the city bus
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