Kyoto Bus

May 7, 2016

by Nodoka Furubayashi and Takanori Asano

When people get off at Kyoto station, they will see a lot of buses outside. People may want to take a bus, but they don’t know which bus to get on. There are several kind of buses in Kyoto, but it is the green buses, called ‘Kyoto City Buses’, that are used the most. If tourists visit Kyoto, they will certainly see them.

We did an informal survey of foreigners in the popular Shijo-Kawaramachi shopping area of downtown Kyoto city. Most of the foreigners we spoke with had the following questions:

*Are there any valuable tickets?

*Where is the nearest bus stop?

*When will the bus come here?

*Is there any Wi-Fi spot around here?

Valuable tickets

Four 230 yen tickets and one 180 yen ticket are included in one commutation ticket. The price is 1,000 yen.

People can use this ticket within flat fare section. It’s available to use it from Monday to Saturday 10 to 16 (except Sunday and holiday).

This card is useful for the subway Karasuma Line and the Kyoto City bus. There is no date requirement. People can use this magnetic card in Kyoto City Bus and subway. If we pay 3,000 yen, we receive a 3,300 yen value for the bus and also the subway. In this way we can save 300 yen.

When passengers make a transfer, for example, from bus to subway with the trafica card, the fare of subway is discounted.

People can use this ticket for a whole day in Kyoto City. If passengers get off a bus outside of the designated area, they will have to pay the difference in fare.

Tourists can use this card for only Kyoto City buses. If they pay 2,000 yen, they get a 2,250 yen value.

People can use this ticket for subway and bus throughout the Kansai area. This card has two types: 2 days or 3 days free. People can enjoy the period of value. They don’t have to buy another ticket for the train. It means passengers can go through the ticket gate without buying a new ticket.

It can also be used to go to and from the Kansai Airport station. This is most convenient for international visitors.

People can use this ticket for a whole day within a flat fare section. If passengers get off a bus outside of the different area, we will have to pay the difference in fare.

This ticket costs only 500 yen. Tourists can buy this ticket inside buses or from a ticket machine.

Kyoto Bus App for Smartphones

Information about bus locations, including bus stops where display units aren’t provided, is given through Poke-Roke (bus locations in a pocket) on the internet via cell phones.

In the system using Poke-Roke, a Poke-Roke code is assigned to each bus stop to enable finding a destination from among the many bus stops in the city.

People can get notifications about current bus locations or when the bus will arrive. All the information can be displayed on cell phones via this app.

Kyoto has so many of temples, shrines, and castles that it can be difficult to know where to begin exploring. It is important to choose an area that interests people the most and allow enough time to enjoy it without rushing. To help us with our planning, an app called ‘Arukumachi-Kyoto’ will guide Tourists through the maini locations of interest in Kyoto. With it we can not only get information about famous landmarks in Kyoto, but also about what to do in Kyoto, how to ride a bus, and how to ride a train. In this way, tourists can enjoy their time more in Kyoto with Arukumachi-Kyoto.

The Special Raku Bus

The Raku bus is used by many tourists as a sightseeing route of city buses. It was started in January 2005. There are three types of buses, 100, 101, 102.

100 (the color is pink) departs from Kyoto railway station (D1). This bus take you to Kiyomizu-temple and Gion and more places around Gion.

101 (the color is green) departs from Kyoto railway station (B2). This bus take you to Nijo-jo and Kinkakuji and more places around Sijyo.

102 (the color is yellow) departs from Kitaoji bus terminal. This bus take you to Kinkakuji and Ginkakuji and more places around Imadegawa.

Using a Raku Bus, tourists can get some valuable information about Kyoto and see some nice places easily. Moreover, the price is only 220 yen.

KYOTO Wi-Fi

The biggest problem for foreigners is how to connect to internet and local networks with their phone in Japan. For these people, there is a free Wi-Fi in Kyoto. It is called KYOTO Wi-Fi and it is a service provided by Kyoto City and its partners.

Using it is easy. First, tourists simply select the wireless network (KYOTO Wi-Fi) on their Wi-Fi setting screen. On the terms of service screen, they then select the preferred login method, either “Log-in with SNS account authentication” or “Log-in with email address authentication”.

It is possible to connect to KYOTO Wi-Fi in some cafés, fast food restaurants, and at the bus stops. Tourists can connect to KYOTO Wi-Fi at the bus stop and check the time schedule about the Kyoto city bus.

As you can see, riding the bus in Kyoto is a helpful way to get around and learn more about the city. We hope that you will ride the bus comfortably in Kyoto and enjoy this great city.