Why go
Buses work best when the route and boarding procedure are checked in advance. Confirm the direction, stop name, payment method, and final service time; traffic makes them less predictable for tight connections across central Tokyo. Use Tokyo City Buses as the planning lens; details in Tokyo City Buses connect each choice with concrete places and timing.
The full story
By bus The few areas within Tokyo that aren't easily accessible by train are served by various bus companies. Buses operating within 23 wards of Tokyo have a fixed fare regardless of distance , which is paid upon boarding from the front door. The fares are not transferable; however most buses do accept Suica or PASMO fare cards (see above). If you use a "Suica" or "PASMO" card to board a Toei Bus, you will receive a ¥100 discount on your next Toei Bus ride as long as it is within 90 minutes of the previous ride. Compared to the trains, the buses run much less frequently, carry fewer passengers, and are much slower. This makes them amenable to the elderly residents of Tokyo, but rather inconvenient for travelers, who will also have to deal with lack of information in English and sometimes very well hidden bus stops. Bus routes can be fairly complicated and are often not listed in detail at the bus stops; signs on the buses themselves often list only two or three main stops in addition to the origin and destination. Inside the bus the next stop is usually announced several times, sometimes by a taped voice and sometimes by a mumbling driver. Recently taped announcements in English are used on some lines, but are still rare.
Useful to know
- Confirm current details from the relevant official operator before relying on this tokyo city buses advice.