Dream Kyoto-go (ドリーム京都号)
Dream Kyoto-go is an overnight inter-city highway bus (nicknamed 'Dream-go') that connects Tokyo Prefecture and Kyoto City in Kyoto Prefecture.
This article lists the history and the operation of Dream Kyoto-go as well as those of Dream Nara-go (daughter buses), Ladies Dream Kyoto-go (buses for the exclusive use of women), Seishun Dream Kyoto-go (low-priced buses), Seishun Dream Kyoto Nara-go (low-priced buses), Chuo Dream Kyoto-go (buses which arrive and depart at Shinjuku) and Seishun Chuo Dream Kyoto-go (buses which arrive and depart at Shinjuku).
Summary
June 10, 1969, with launching Tomei highway bus service, they began the operation of an overnight highway bus that ran between Tokyo and Kyoto via Nagoya ('Dream Kyoto-go' at present). As many passengers had used it between Tokyo and Nagoya, December 3, 1969, they began Nagoya route bus service ('Dream Nagoya-go' at present) and Kyoto route bus quit stopping at Nagoya.
For a long time, they had operated only one bus (one round-trip a day) between Tokyo and Kyoto, however, after Japanese National Railways had been privatized and JR had started, highway buses became popular and they increased the number of the operation. October 15, 1988, they changed the nickname of Kyoto route overnight highway bus from 'Dream 3/4-go' to 'Dream Kyoto-go' and increased the number of the operation to two round-trip a day, besides they extended the route to JR Nara Station and began the operation of 'Dream Nara-go' (one of the buses of 'Dream Kyoto-go' ran between Tokyo and Nara via Kyoto). The passengers of 'Dream Nara-go' could use the excursion tickets when they got on/off at Kyoto Station. March 20, 1990, they began the operation of 'New Dream Kyoto-go' ('Chuo Dream Kyoto-go' at present) that ran between Shinjuku and Kyoto via Chuo Expressway.
As 'Seishun Dream Osaka-go,' a low-priced bus which ran between Tokyo and Osaka, had become profitable, December 20, 2002, they began the operation of 'Seishun Dream Kyoto/Nara-go,' a low-priced bus between Tokyo and Kyoto/Nara. The low-priced buses (nicknamed 'Seishun') became highly profitable, July 18, 2003, they began the operation of 'Seishun New Dream Kyoto-go' ('Seishun Chuo Dream Kyoto-go' at present). March 1, 2004, they began the operation of 'Ladies Dream Kyoto-go,' a bus for the exclusive use of women.
Operating company
JR Bus Kanto
West Japan JR Bus
Dream Kyoto-go
1-go and 2-go (101-go and 102-go at the off season)
Shinkiba Station – Tokyo Station (Depart at Yaesu south exit and arrive at Nihonbashi exit. The following 'Tokyo Station, Yaesu exit' is the same meaning.) – Kasumigaseki (Tokyo Prefecture) – Tomei Mukaigaoka – Tomei Eda – Kyoto Station, Karasuma exit (Only on the up route the buses stop at Kasumigaseki, Tomei Mukaigaoka and Tomei Eda for the passengers to get off.)
81-go and 82-go (seasonal buses operated at weekend, holiday, the day before holiday and busy time)
Ueno Station, Iriya exit – Tokyo Station, Yaesu exit – Kasumigaseki – Tomei Mukaigaoka – Tomei Eda – Kyoto Station, Karasuma exit (Only on the up route the buses stop at Kasumigaseki, Tomei Mukaigaoka and Tomei Eda for the passengers to get off.)
Ladies Dream Kyoto-go
1-go and 2-go (101-go and 102-go at the off season)
Tokyo Station, Yaesu exit – Sinjuku Station, New south exit, JR Highway Bus Stop – Ikejiri-ohashi Station – Tomei Mukaigaoka – Tomei Eda – Kyoto Station, Karasuma exit (Only on the up route the buses stop at Ikejiri-ohashi Station, Tomei Mukaigaoka and Tomei Eda.)
Dream Nara-go
1-go and 2-go (101-go and 102-go at the off season)
Tokyo Disneyland (TDL) – Tokyo Station, Yaesu exit – Kasumigaseki – Tomei Mukaigaoka – Tomei Eda – Tomei Yamato – Tomei Atsugi – Kyoto Station, Karasuma exit – JR Nara Station – Oji Station, North exit (Only on the up route the buses stop at Kasumigaseki, Tomei Mukaigaoka, Tomei Eda, Tomei Yamato and Tomei Atsugi for the passengers to get off.)
Seishun Dream Kyoto/Nara-go and Seishun Dream Kyoto-go
Kyoto Nara 1-go and 2-go
Ueno Station, Iriya exit – Tokyo Station, Yaesu exit – Kasumigaseki – Tomei Mukaigaoka – Tomei Eda – Kyoto Station, Karasuma exit – JR Nara Station – Oji Station, North exit (Only on the up route the buses stop at Kasumigaseki, Tomei Mukaigaoka and Tomei Eda for the passengers to get off.)
Kyoto 81-go and 82-go (seasonal buses operated at weekend, holiday, the day before holiday and busy time)
Shinkiba Station – Tokyo Station, Yaesu exit – Kasumigaseki – Tomei Mukaigaoka – Tomei Eda – Kyoto Station, Karasuma exit (Only on the up route the buses stop at Kasumigaseki, Tomei Mukaigaoka and Tomei Eda for the passengers to get off.)
Chuo Dream Kyoto-go
1-go and 2-go (101-go and 102-go at the off season)
81-go and 82-go (seasonal buses operated at weekend, holiday, the day before holiday and busy time)
Shinjuku Station, New south exit – Mitaka – Jindaiji – Fuchu – Hino – Kyoto Station, Karasuma exit (Only on the up route the buses stop at Mitaka, Jindaiji, Fuchu and Hino for the passengers to get off.)
Seishun Chuo Dream Kyoto-go
1-go and 2-go
Shinjuku Station, New south exit – Yaho Station – Kyoto Station, Karasuma exit
Bus routes
The buses that arrive and depart at Tokyo Station: Metropolitan Expressway 3 Shibuya-sen Line – Tomei Expressway – Isewangan Expressway – Higashimeihan Expressway – Shin-meishin Expressway – Meishin Expressway
The Buses stop for passengers to take rests at Ashigara Service Area on the down route and at Tsuchiyama Service Area on the up route.
The buses that arrive and depart at Shinjuku Station: Metropolitan Expressway 4 Shinjuku-sen Line – Chuo Expressway – Meishin Expressway
The Buses stop for passengers to take rests at Sakaigawa Parking Area on the down route and at Yoro Service Area on the up route.
June 10,1969
They began the operation of an overnight highway bus between Tokyo and Kyoto via Nagoya.
December 3,1969
They began Nagoya route bus service and Kyoto route bus quit stopping at Nagoya.
October 15,1988
They changed the nickname of Kyoto route overnight highway bus from 'Dream 3/4-go' to 'Dream Kyoto-go' and increased the number of the operation to two round-trip a day.
They began the operation of 'Dream Nara-go.'
In 198x
They changed the arrival and departure spot of one of 'Dream Kyoto-go' to Tokyo Disneyland (TDL).
March 20, 1990
They began the operation of 'New Dream Kyoto-go' that ran between Shinjuku Station and Kyoto Station (one round-trip a day).
In 1990
They introduced three row independent seats (three-line, two-aisle, 1+1+1) to 'Dream Kyoto-go' and 'Dream Nara-go.'
October 1,1994
They replaced the cars of 'Dream Kyoto-go' with double-decker buses.
July 16, 1999
They increased the number of the operation of 'New Dream Kyoto-go' to two round-trip a day.
June 1, 2000
They introduced four ladies seats (seats for the exclusive use of women on the ground floor of Volvo Asterope) to one of 'New Dream Kyoto-go.'
May 1, 2002
They introduced ladies seats (seats for the exclusive use of women) to all the cars of 1-go of 'New Dream Kyoto-go.'
December 20, 2002
They began the operation of 'Seishun Dream Kyoto Nara-go.'
July 18, 2003
They began the operation of 'Seishun New Dream Kyoto-go.'
March 1, 2004
They began the operation of 'Ladies Dream Kyoto-go.'
November 1, 2005
They changed one of 'Dream Kyoto-go' and one of 'New Dream Kyoto-go' to seasonal buses. They extended the route of 'Dream Nara-go' to Tokyo Disneyland (TDL) and 'Dream Kyoto-go' quit stopping at TDL.
They opened new bus stops at Tomei Mukaigaoka, Tomei Eda, Tomei Yamato, Tomei Atsugi and Tomei Gotenba for 'Dream Nara-go.'
They opened new bus stops at Chuodo Mitaka, Chuodo Jindaiji, Chuodo Fuchu and Chuodo Hino for 'New Dream Kyoto-go' and for 'Seishun New Dream Kyoto-go.'
They extended the up route of the seasonal buses of 'New Dream Kyoto-go' to Tokyo Dome City, after that, the drivers of JR Bus Kanto operated those seasonal buses and some buses which departed at Shinjuku Station.
May 28, 2006
They abolished Tokyo Dome City bus stop on the route of 'New Dream Kyoto-go,' as a result, the drivers of JR Bus Kanto quit the operation on Meishin Expressway and the operation in Kinki region.
August 1, 2006
They changed the arrival and departure spot of 'Dream Nara-go' and of 'Seishun Dream Kyoto Nara' from JR Nara Station to JR Oji Station.
March 16, 2007
They changed the nickname of all the buses of 'New Dream-go' to 'Chuo Dream-go.'
January 16, 2008
They changed the arrival and departure spot of one of 'Dream Kyoto-go' and of all the buses of 'Ladies Dream Kyoto-go' to Shinkiba Station. Dream Nara-go' quit stopping at Tomei Mukaigaoka, Tomei Eda, Tomei Yamato and Tomei Atsugi on the down route and quit stopping at Tomei Gotenba. They opened Nanbu-sen Line Yaho Station bus stop for 'Seishun Chuo Dream Kyoto-go,' after that, 'Seishun Chuo Dream Kyoto-go' and the down route buses of 'Chuo Dream-go' quit stopping at Chuodo Mitaka, Chuodo Jindaiji, Chuodo Fuchu and Chuodo Hino.
April 1, 2008
They introduced ladies seats (seats for the exclusive use of women) to all the cars.
July 1, 2008
They reorganized the timetable. They changed the route of the buses, which had used Tomei Expressway, to Shin-meishin Expressway and shorten the required time.
They introduced the low-priced ticket service (available only at the off season) for all the buses of 'Dream-go' and 'Chuo Dream-go.'
They changed the arrival and departure spot of the seasonal buses of 'Dream Kyoto-go' and of all the buses of 'Seishun Dream Kyoto/Nara-go' to Ueno Station. They began the operation of a seasonal bus of 'Seishun Dream Kyoto-go' (one round-trip a day) that ran between Shinkiba Station and Kyoto Station.
Current cars
Most of the cars are double-decker buses equipped with three row independent seats (some cars are equipped four row seats) and each bus contains 39 passengers. The low-priced buses, 'Seishun Dream Kyoto/Nara-go,' are double-decker buses equipped with four row seats (52 seats) and toilets, and 'Seishun Chuo Dream Kyoto-go' are high-decker buses equipped with four row seats (40 seats) and toilets.
Past cars
For a long time, Japan National Railroad used common coaches equipped with four row seats (40 seats) and a toilet, in 1989 they introduced super high-decker buses equipped with four row seats (36 seats) and a toilet. In 1989 they replaced those buses with super high-decker buses equipped with three row independent seats (29 seats) and a toilet. October 1, 1994, they introduced double-decker buses.
Recent service
Refer to the article of Dream Osaka-go for highway buses that connect Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka/Kobe area.
Business competitors
The following are overnight inter-city highway buses operated by other companies, which connect the 23 Ward of Tokyo and Kyoto City/Nara City.
Flying Liner-go operated by Tohoku Kyuko Bus and Kintetsu Bus (JR Ibaraki Station – Hankyu Ibaraki Station – Dainichi Station)
Tokyo/Yokohama – Kyoto/Osaka-Umeda Route operated by Hankyu Bus (Ikebukuro – Shinagawa – Yokohama Station – Kyoto Station – [omit] – Shin-Osaka – Umeda)
Tokyo Midnight Express Kyoto-go operated by KB Bus and Keihan Bus (Shinjuku – Shibuya – Yamashina Station – Sanjo Keihan – Kyoto Station, Hachijo exit – Keihan Hirakata Station)
A bus (no nickname) operated by Keisei Bus (Chiba-chuo Station – Kaihin Makuhari Station – Tokyo Disney Sea – Tokyo Disneyland – Nishi-Funabashi Station – Keisei Ueno Station – Otsu Station – Yamashina Station – Sanjo Keihan – Kyoto Station, Hachijo exit)
Yamato-go operated by Keisei Bus and Nara Kotsu (Kaihin Makuhari Station – Tokyo Disney Sea – Tokyo Disneyland – Nishi-Funabashi Station – Ueno Station - 'omit] - Nara Station)
Yamato operated by KB Bus and Nara Kotsu (Shinjuku Station - [omit] - Nara Station - [omit] - Gojo)
Osaka – Choshi Route operated by Chiba Kotsu and Nankai Bus (Choshi - [omit] - Narita Airport - [omit] - Hamamatsucho Station – Kyoto Station – OCAT – Nanba Highway Bus Terminal)
At present, many other JR companies and bus companies operate overnight inter-city buses that connect major cities near to 23 Ward of Tokyo (such as Yokohama) and Kyoto/Osaka/Kobe area.
Besides, Seibu Kanko Bus and West Japan JR Bus offer the almost same service: Their 'Biwako Dream-go' connects Omiya Station (Saitama Prefecture, near to 23 Ward of Tokyo) and Otsu Station (Shiga Prefecture, quite near to Kyoto City) via Ikebukuro (Tokyo).
Refer to 'Biwako Dream-go.'