As you may know, the number of tourists traveling to Kyoto is causing conflict with the city’s residents. One big pressure point is tourists using the local buses. A new bus called the Hands Free Bus aims to make things easier – and it could be cheaper than getting a taxi.
Kyoto is very spread out. Unlike Tokyo, where trains will take you pretty much everywhere you want to go, the train system in Kyoto doesn’t get everywhere, which has seen more tourists using the bus service. And that’s how the locals also get around, which is not making them happy!
The issue has been particularly problematic when tourists take the bus to and from Kyoto Station with luggage. The buses are small, and two or three large cases can fill the whole front area, which, as you pay your fare at the front of a bus in Kyoto as you alight, makes it hard for people to get off the bus quickly.
The bags also reduce the amount of space available for actual people to fit into the bus. And this has caused some tensions.
The general advice to circumvent this has been to take a taxi to your accommodation, but not only does that cost more than public transport, but it can be a bit nerve-racking to convey your destination to a taxi driver (although—top tip—there’s a foreigner taxi stand at Kyoto station where you’ll find drivers who speak English).
So, Kyoto City is testing a new bus called the Hands Free Bus, specifically to transport tourists, and their luggage, close to several downtown Kyoto hotels. Here’s what you need to know about it.
How the Bus Works
The bus runs seven days a week between 8.45 a.m. and 5.30 p.m., making eight loops around the city daily.
It started on October 1st and the service is scheduled to run until December 27th – autumn is one of Kyoto’s most popular seasons as people come to see the autumn leaves, so they’re testing it out at the peak.
The bus fits up to 45 passengers and the same amount of large cases, so there’s plenty of room for you and your luggage. Like a long-distance bus, cases go underneath the bus when you get on so you just go on with your handbag.
A single trip to any stop on the route costs 500 yen. You can pay for this with cash or an IC Card like Suica or Icoca. You can also buy a return ticket on the bus in cash for 800 yen (children pay half price for both). Seats are also bookable in advance.
If you come in on the bullet train. You can schedule your train arrival time. The bus leaves Kyoto station at 45 minutes past each hour, so if you arrive on a bullet train at about 20 minutes past, you should arrive at the stop in good time to load your luggage and buy a ticket if you haven’t already done so.
Where Does the Hands-Free Bus Stops
The bus loops around the main downtown area of Kyoto, along the two major roads that you’ll see flanking Kyoto Station on the east and west on the map. It travels north to Nijo Castle and then comes back down. There are five stops within this loop.
If you don’t know Kyoto, it might be a bit tricky to tell whether the bus works for you. So, the stops and some of the hotels that these are convenient for are listed below. Other hotels might also be nearby, so I’ve also given a bit of a description of where each stop is so you can see which might be near your accommodation.
Stop 1: Kyoto Station Karasuma Exit
This is where you catch the bus and, I admit that on the drawn map below it’s pretty hard to locate the exact position of the stop from the main map – you have to dig about a bit to get some good directions.
To find it, come out of Exit C2 or C7. The stop is located by the area marked Porta Yoramichi on Google Maps. Look for signs marked Okoshi Bus.
Stop 2: Kyoto Tokyu Hotel (Horikawa Gojo)
Journey time from Station: About 8 minutes
This stop is located in the Gojo Horikawa area – so if your hotel has that in its name, chances are this is your stop.
Nearby hotels on the map include the Kyoto Tokyo Hotel outside, where the bus stops, but you can also use it to easily reach the Comfort Hotel Horikawa Gojo, Hotel Livemax Kyoto Gojo, Hotel Rakurakuan, Oriental Hotel Kyoto Rokujo and Rinn Rokujo Machiya.
A good landmark to find on Google Maps is the Monument of Samegai. If your hotel is within a 5-10 minute walk of this, bus stop two is a good choice.
Stop 3: Shijo Horikawa (City Bus Stop: D Platform)
Journey time from Kyoto Station: About 13 minutes
Continuing north, if you are staying around the Omiya Station area in Kyoto, this is likely to be a good stop for you.
The bus stop is on the main road running through the area, opposite a hotel called Kyoto Hotel Urban Shijo Premium.
Other hotels within a short walk include the Prince Smart Inn Kyoto Shijomiya, Onefive Kyoto Shijo, AB Hotel Kyoto Shijo Horkiawa, Travelodge Kyoto Shijo Omiya, FUGASTAY Shijo Omiya and Agora Kyoto Shijo.
Stop 4: Ana Crowne Plaza Kyoto (Nijo Castle)
Journey time from Kyoto Station: About 20 minutes
The clue is in the title for this one – if you are staying at a hotel close to Nijo Castle, this is the stop for you.
In addition to the ANA Crowne Plaza, which the bus stops directly outside, other nearby hotels include the Hotel the Mitsui Kyoto, Kyoto Four Sister’s Residence, The Hedistar Hotel, and Toyoko Inn Kyoto Nijojo Minami.
Stop 5: Karasumaoike (City Bus Stop: Platform B)
Journey Time from Kyoto Station: About 26 minutes
If your hotel is close to Karasuma Oike station, you should get off at this stop.
Hotels that are include the Ace Hotel Kyoto, The Hiramatsu Kyoto, The Royal Park Hotel Iconic Kyoto, Shizutetsu Hotel Prezio Kyoto Karasuma Oike, Hearton Hotel Kyoto and Tokyu Stay Kyoto Sanjo Karasuma
Stop 6: Shijo Karasuma (Sky Hop Bus Stop)
Journey time from Kyoto Station: About 30 minutes
This stop is a few minutes walk north of the Karasuma station. If you’re staying near this, or near Nishiki Market or the Samurai and Ninja Museum, it’s the best stop for you.
The nearest hotel to it is Hotel Check-In Shijo Karasuma. Other hotels it could work for include Mitsui Garden Hotel Kyoto Shinmachi Bettei, Kyoisuki, Hotel M’s Est Shijo Karasuma and Toyoko Inn Kyoto Shijo Karasuma.
The bus then goes back to Kyoto Station to make the loop again.
If you get on at Kyoto station and have to get off at Shijo Karasuma, it might seem time-consuming to make the 30-minute loop to your hotel—but think of it as a good way to get orientated or take a free city tour!
If your hotel isn’t on the list above and you’re staying in downtown Kyoto, the bus might still work for you. I have only named hotels within about 5-minute walking distance of the stops. If you expand that to ten minutes, lots of other hotels will be covered, so use the markers above to see if your hotel might still work.
Where It Doesn’t Cover
There are some popular areas to stay in Kyoto that I don’t think the bus covers well.
If you’re staying in Gion or Higashiyama, the bus doesn’t go far enough east to make it worthwhile taking for you.
It doesn’t go anywhere near Arashiyama (but, as we pointed out in our guide to the best areas to stay in in Kyoto, you probably won’t want to stay out here on your first trip anyway.
It also doesn’t cover where I normally stay, the area between Gojo and Karasuma Gojo station, but that’s a very short taxi ride away from Kyoto Station, so if you’re staying here, it won’t cost too much more in a cab as two people would pay on the bus anyway.
If you’re staying right by Kyoto Station, it will be far easier for you to walk to your hotel than to take public transport anyway.
The bus is on trial until December 27th this year. If the uptake is good, I guess they will continue it and maybe offer a second route a little further east, as many popular hotels are located there.
Where to Book Tickets
If you decide to book your seat in advance, you can do so here.
Note the terms and conditions are quite strict – unlike the Airport Limousine Bus in Tokyo you can’t make changes to your booking once you’ve made it.
You also have to book at least two hours before the bus you want is due to depart. That would just give you enough time to book once you’re safely on the Shinkansen and know there are unlikely to be any delays.
You don’t have to book in advance to use the bus though.
I hope this helps explain the new Hands-Free Bus Service – but it’s not the only way Kyoto is trying to make it easier for tourists with luggage. There’s also a new taxi-based luggage delivery service, especially for Kyoto hotels, and it’s quite an interesting idea.
