Japan Bus Online – Guide to Booking Japanese Highway Bus Tickets
“Japan Bus Online” is one of Japan’s main foreign-language bus ticket booking websites. The site is available in Chinese, English, and Korean, offering online booking services for Japanese highway buses and sightseeing buses. This article will use the examples of purchasing tickets from Osaka to Arima Onsen and from Takayama to Shirakawago to explain the methods and process for buying Japanese highway bus tickets through this website. Additionally, it will introduce how to purchase tickets for the Shirakawago Illumination Tour buses departing from Takayama and Takaoka.
The “Japan Bus Online” website does not have a membership system. You do not need to register as a member in advance to purchase tickets on the site; you only need to provide your name and email address. After each ticket purchase, you will receive a reservation number and an email containing an electronic ticket. You can board the bus by printing out this email or showing it on your mobile phone.
Purchasing tickets on the Japan Bus Online website requires immediate payment by credit card. The site accepts VISA, MasterCard, American Express, and JCB credit cards.
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Note: Purchasing Japanese bus tickets on “Japan Bus Online” requires immediate payment and does not allow you to choose your own seats. However, on the Japanese-language bus ticket website “Hassha Ōrai Net” operated by the same group, you can delay payment and choose your own seats (except for buses where seat selection is not permitted).
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Purchasing Japanese Highway Bus Tickets on Japan Bus Online
Shirakawago and Arima Onsen are two popular tourist destinations often reached by highway bus. Below, we use the examples of purchasing highway bus tickets from Takayama to Shirakawago and from Osaka to Arima Onsen to explain how to buy Japanese highway bus tickets.
Note: The following screenshots are from the Chinese version of the website, but the process is the same for the English version.
Purchasing Bus Tickets from Takayama to Shirakawago
[1] On the “Japan Bus Online” homepage, set the departure point (Takayama) and arrival point (Shirakawago), then click the “Search” button.
[2] In the search results, click the “Select” button for the bus route you wish to take.
[3] Select the travel date, then choose the specific bus departure time you want from the list that appears. (Note: Highway bus tickets can generally only be purchased up to one month in advance.)
[4] Select the bus number (if there is more than one bus for the same departure time), the boarding and alighting stops (Note: Click the map link to see the station location), and the number of passengers. Then, fill in the name of the ticket purchaser (one of the passengers) (Note: This name must match the cardholder of the credit card used for payment), nationality, country/region, phone number, and email address. Check the box under “Terms and Conditions,” then click the “Next” button.
At this point, the email address you provided will receive an email from the booking system containing a verification code.
[5] After double-checking that your ticket information is correct, enter the verification code you received. Then, fill in the credit card details for payment, including the card number, expiration date, and security code. There is no field to enter the cardholder’s name here, as it is preset to be the purchaser’s name entered in the previous step. Finally, check the boxes next to the two statements and click the “Pay” button to complete the payment.
After payment is completed, a reservation number will be displayed, and you will receive an email from the booking system. This email serves as your electronic ticket. You can board the bus by printing the email or showing it on your mobile phone to the driver. (Note: Some buses may require a printed copy of the electronic ticket; if such a requirement exists, you must print the email.)
Purchasing Bus Tickets from Osaka to Arima Onsen
[1] On the Japan Bus Online homepage, set Osaka as the departure point and Arima Onsen as the arrival point, then click the “Search” button to search for buses.
[2] In the search results, click the “Select” button for the bus you want to take.
[3] Select the travel date, then choose the specific bus departure time you want.
[4] Select the bus number, boarding and alighting stops, and the number of passengers. Then, fill in the name of one of the passengers (the representative) (Note: The representative must be the cardholder of the credit card used for payment), nationality, country/region, phone number, and email address. Check the box under “Terms and Conditions,” then click the “Next” button.
You will receive an email from the booking system containing a verification code.
[5] Confirm that the ticket information is correct, then enter the verification code provided in the email. Next, fill in your credit card number, expiration date, and security code. Check the boxes next to the statements, then click the “Pay” button to complete the payment.
After payment is completed, a confirmation page with a reservation number will be displayed, and you will receive a confirmation email from the booking system. This email is your electronic ticket. You can board the bus by printing the email or showing it on your mobile phone to the driver. If you do not receive the email or accidentally delete it, you can use the reservation number and email address to log in to the “Manage My Booking” section on the website and have the email resent.
Purchasing Japanese Sightseeing Bus Tickets on Japan Bus Online
In addition to highway buses, you can also purchase tickets for some Japanese sightseeing bus tours on “Japan Bus Online,” such as the Shirakawago Illumination Tour tickets. Sightseeing bus tours are special bus services that transport passengers between the boarding point and tourist attractions according to a fixed itinerary, usually without a tour guide on board.
Purchasing Shirakawago Illumination Bus Tickets
During the Shirakawago Illumination event held annually in January and February, Nohi Bus, Toyama Chihō Railway Bus, and Kaetsunō Bus operate limited-time Shirakawago Illumination bus tours. Tickets for these tours can be purchased on the Japan Bus Online website.
For detailed information and the latest updates on the Shirakawago Illumination bus tours, please refer to the “Information on bus tours operated by various companies during the Shirakawago Illumination event and methods for purchasing tickets” section within the article “Complete Guide to Shirakawago Illumination: Dates, Transportation, Tickets, Accommodation, and Itinerary Planning.”
The following are the booking pages and sale start times for the 2026 Shirakawago Illumination buses operated by each bus company on Japan Bus Online:
| Nohi Bus | Course A: Shirakawago Light-Up Bus | Course B: Shirakawago Light-Up Bus with Observatory Ticket (Includes Observatory Ticket) |
|---|---|---|
| Toyama Chihō Railway Bus | Gassho Village Strolling Course | Round-Trip Bus Course with Observatory Admission Ticket (Includes Observatory Ticket) |
| Kaetsunō Bus | Course A (Depart Takaoka): Gassho Village Strolling Course | Course S (Depart Takaoka): Course with Observatory Admission Ticket (Includes Observatory Ticket) |
| Ticket Date | Sale Start Time (Japan Time) |
|---|---|
| January 12, 2026 | October 3, 2025, 14:00 |
| January 18, 2026 | October 10, 2025, 14:00 |
| January 25, 2026 | October 17, 2025, 14:00 |
| February 1, 2026 | October 24, 2025, 14:00 |
Below, we use the example of purchasing a Shirakawago Illumination bus tour ticket departing from Takaoka with Kaetsunō Bus to explain the method for purchasing Japanese sightseeing bus tickets.
Note: The following screenshots are from the Chinese version of the website, but the process is the same for the English version.
[1] On the Japan Bus Online homepage, switch to the “Sightseeing Bus” tab in the search bar, select the destination (Shirakawago), then click the “Search” button.
In addition to searching from the homepage, you can also go directly to the Shirakawago Area Sightseeing Bus page and click on the sightseeing bus tour for which you want to purchase tickets. Alternatively, you can click on the booking links for each bus company provided above to go directly to the booking page.
[2] Click the “Select” button in the search results.
[3] Select the travel date, then choose the specific bus departure time you want from the list that appears.
[4] Select the bus number (if there is more than one bus for the same departure time), the boarding stop, and the alighting stop (Note: Click the map link to see the station location), as well as the number of passengers.
[5] Fill in the name of the ticket purchaser (one of the passengers) (Note: This name must match the cardholder of the credit card used for payment), nationality, country/region, phone number, and email address. Check the box under “Terms and Conditions,” then click the “Next” button.
You will receive an email from the booking system containing a verification code.
[6] Check that the ticket information is correct, then enter the verification code you received. Next, fill in the credit card details for payment, including the card number, expiration date, and security code. The cardholder is preset to be the purchaser’s name entered in the previous step, so no additional entry is needed. Finally, check the boxes next to the two statements and click the “Pay” button to complete the payment.
After payment is completed, a reservation number will be displayed, and you will receive a confirmation email. This email serves as your electronic ticket. You can board the bus by printing the email or showing it on your mobile phone to the driver. If the purchased Shirakawago Illumination bus tour includes a shuttle bus ticket to the Tenshukaku Observatory, the driver will distribute the ticket upon boarding.
Ticket Refunds
After purchasing tickets, refunds are generally possible unless otherwise specified. The refund policy and deadlines may vary depending on the ticket type or bus company. Typically, the refund deadline for highway bus tickets is 24 hours before the departure date. A handling fee of 100 yen per person applies. After processing the refund, the amount minus the handling fee will be credited back to the credit card account used for payment.
To request a refund, go to the “Manage My Booking” page on the website. Enter your reservation number and email address to access your booking record, then follow the instructions to cancel the ticket.
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