Disclaimer: This is all based on my personal experience. I’ve only ensei’ed (traveled far distances for lives) a couple of times throughout my years in Japan.

I’ve been to Osaka, Nagoya, Kanazawa, Sendai, and Fukuoka from Tokyo through various means of transportation. 

The options are shinkansen (bullet train), airplane, and night/day bus.

Out of these three, the cheapest but longest option would be a bus. It isn’t the most comfortable, but if you’re traveling on a budget, this is what I recommend the most.

Prices still depend on when you travel, but ultimately it’s still cheaper than a bullet train. 

I recently took a night bus from Tokyo to Osaka during December, so prices were higher than usual. It was 7,500円 one-way and took 9 hours, while my return bus was 5,000円.

In October 2021 I paid 6,240円 for a round trip from Tokyo to Nagoya (the first bus was 3,040円 and the second bus was 3,200円).

In November 2022, I paid 3,800 円 for a round-trip day bus from Tokyo to Gunma (each bus cost 1,900円).

As I mentioned before, these are all better than a bullet train ticket which could easily cost 13,000円 for a one-way trip from Tokyo to Osaka. If you have the money to afford the bullet train, then go for it! It saves time and is much more comfortable. If you want to be cheap or you have a lot of lives to organize and travel to, a bus is the best way to save some money. You can research bus passes and train passes as well!

I’ve used 3 bus companies and had a decent enough experience with all of them:

WILLER EXPRESS

Kosokubus

Bus Bookmark

I’ve used Willer Express the most and can easily vouch for them. You can also book a women-only bus if that makes you feel more comfortable!

When booking, pay extra attention to the pick-up spot and time because they will not wait for you. I can’t imagine the stress of missing a night bus and having nowhere to go until the morning! Triple-check everything! In case you’re worried about the websites being all Japanese, I’ve booked everything just fine using Google Translate. Just take your time and double-check all the information. Willer Express does have an English website, though!

The website will list their size limit for luggages. The bus will have a trunk to load your oversized bags. I've traveled with a full size suitcase before and another time with a smaller carry on suitcase.

On the day of your trip, you go to the meet up spot and there will be a staff member with a clipboard checking people in. Tell them your name and then they will tell you your seat number. Once you board and are settled in your seat, you can pretty much do whatever as long as you aren’t being loud and disturbing other passengers. 

The bus will halt at a few rest stops, so you can stretch your legs or have a toilet break; however, the frequency of stops completely depends on the company and bus you’ve booked with. They generally have that information when you’re making a reservation.

The time limit at these rest stops also vary. Some rest stops will only have a ten-minute time limit while others have a twenty-minute time limit. When exiting the bus, there will be a time marker on the dashboard that tells you the departure time so make sure to have a wristwatch or your phone with you when exiting the bus.

Most buses will have a USB charging port for your phone, but there were times where I didn’t have access to one, so prepare a portable power bank just in case!

The entire process is pretty straightforward. Just be careful to not miss your buses at any point in time!

Good luck with your travels. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! 

Here is the itinerary from my recent Osaka trip:

Sunday December 15th at 23:00 departure from "Tokyo" Station 

Monday December 16th at 08:10 arrival at Namba Osaka Station

9 hours on the bus with frequent rest stops

Live in Shinsaibashi from 17:30 to 20:00

Monday December 16th at 23:15 departure from Umeda Station

Tuesday December 17th at 07:00 arrival at Tokyo Station

Total bus cost: 12,500円