After trains, another option for getting around Tokyo is via buses.

I have already mentioned some bus options with respect to getting to Narita airport. In this post, I will be talking about local buses that run regular routes with stops every few blocks. Within Tokyo, the main bus system is run by the metropolitan government and is called Toei Bus, or more colloquially ToBus (都バス)

Why would you want to take a local bus if the train system is so go. Well, sometimes the bus is the most direct route, and with kids, that can be important. For example, to get from where I lived, Toyosu Station (Y-22), to Tokyo Station by train requires one transfer and use of two different train lines, the subway and JR. So imagine you are going with kids in a stroller. There is one set of stairs down to get from street level to the concourse level at Toyosu station. Another couple flights of stairs after the turnstiles to get to the platform. Then once you get to Yurakucho station, the transfer station, there is a flight of stairs up from the platform, and then another flight of stairs up to ground level. Once you’re past the turnstiles in JR Yurakucho station, it’s another flight of stairs up to the platform level. Finally, after you go one stop to Tokyo station, it’s another flight of stairs down to get to ground level. Not to mention that Yurakucho station and Tokyo station are busy stations during the day and Tokyo station is huge!

With a bus, it may take twenty minutes, but you just sit and watch the city go by.

Some buses may have stairs, but in my experience, most of the local buses in Tokyo are level buses with no stairs, more for the elderly than for children though. Another warning is that the buses are not that wide or designed well for strollers. So it might be easier to fold up the stroller and just have your child on your lap.

There are generally two ways that buses fares are calculated, flat-rate or by distance.

Flat-rate is the easiest. You pay one fare to get on the bus and can get off at any stop. These buses are easily recognized because you get on at the front of the bus and pay at the machine right by the driver. If you have a SUICA or PASMO card, it’s easy, just tap and go.

You can pay by cash and usually there is a change machine for 1,000 yen notes. Sorry, you probably can’t get change for 5,000 yen or 10,000 yen notes, so break it beforehand.

Leave the bus from the back door.

By-distance buses usually board from the back door. If you are paying by SUICA or PASMO, tap the card on the machine by the door. If you’re paying cash, take a number ticket from the machine that should be there. If you’re at the first stop, they may not give you a ticket. There will be a board at the front of the bus with boxes labeled “なし" (which means “nothing"), 1, 2, 3, and so on. Below these labels will show the fare that you have to pay when you get off, depending of what number ticket you have.

For example, let’s say you get on the first stop and don’t get a ticket. The bus starts moving and under “なし" the fare may change to “130", indicating that if you get off at the next stop, you need to pay 130 yen. Further down the route, the “なし" fare may become “210", and the “1" fare becomes “130". So if you are holding a “1" ticket, you pay 130 yen when you get off and if you don’t hold a ticket, you pay 210 yen. So if you ever lose you ticket, you automatically have to pay the maximum fare to that point.

If you’re paying by SUICA or PASMO, just tap when you get off and it’s all taken care of. If you’re paying cash, drop your ticket along with the correct fare into the collection box. I don’t think the drivers check very much, but they do have a screen that shows how much you’ve dropped in the box.

While each bus company may be different, but usually child fares are half the adult fare and for children elementary school age (6 to 12). Check the bus company website or ask the driver about “kodomo ryoukin" (子ども料金)

Let me know if you have any questions!