Kyoto–Hiroshima Tokuyama Bus Route (京都 - 広島・徳山線)
Kyoto–Hiroshima Tokuyama Bus Route is a highway bus route that connects Kyoto City (Kyoto Prefecture) and Shunan City (Yamaguchi Prefecture) via Oyamazaki-cho in Otokuni-gun (Kyoto Prefecture), Hirakata City (Osaka Prefecture), Takatsuki City (Osaka Prefecture), Hiroshima City (Hiroshima Prefecture), Otake City (Hiroshima Prefecture), and Iwakuni City (Yamaguchi Prefecture). At present, only one day bus and one night bus run between Kyoto and Hiroshima. This article lists past services as well as current services based on information from the operating bus company and the timetable for the route.
Current services
The Hiroshima daytime limited express Kyoto-go (a day bus that is operated by West Japan JR Bus Company and Chugoku JR Bus)
Karasuma Exit of Kyoto Station/Takatsuki Bus Stop – Hiroshima Bus Center/Shinkansen Line Exit of Hiroshima Station
Hiroshima Dream Kyoto-go (a night bus that is operated by West Japan JR Bus Company and Chugoku JR Bus)
Karasuma Exit of Kyoto Station/Meishin Takatsuki – Hiroshima Bus Center/Shinkansen Line Exit of Hiroshima Station
It is necessary to make reservations for all the buses and the seats. It is necessary to buy the tickets by the departure.
The abolished services
The daytime limited express Maiko-go (a day bus that was operated by Bocho Kotsu until November 30, 2006. Refer to the picture.)
Shijo Kawaramachi/Hachijo Exit of the Kyoto Station/Meishin Takatsuki/Ibaraki Interchange – Hiroshima Bus Center – Tokuyama Station
SANYO EXPRESS/Maiko-go (a night bus that was operated by Keihan Kyoto Kotsu and Bocho Kotsu. The last departure was on January 30, 2008.)
Rakusei Bus Terminal/Hachijo Exit of Kyoto Station/Hirakata City Station of Keihan Electric Railway – Hiroshima Bus Center/Iwakuni Station/Tokuyama Station
The daytime limited express Hiroshima Kyoto-go/Hiroshima Dream Kyoto-go
West Japan JR Bus Company
The Kyoto office of Takao/Keihoku Line operated one way of the day buses and one way of the night buses.
Chugoku JR Bus
The Hiroshima office operated a round trip and one way of the day buses and one way of the night buses. The drivers of the Okayama office operated the buses between Karasuma Exit of Kyoto Station and Kibi Service Area.
SANYO EXPRESS/Maiko-go
Keihan Kyoto Kotsu
The Kameoka office operated one way of the night buses.
The Nakayama office assisted Bocho Kotsu in operating in Kyoto area.
Bocho Kotsu
The Shunan office operated one way of the night buses.
When you planned to get on the bus in Kyoto area, you could make reservations and buy tickets at Keihan Bus office or Kintetsu Bus office.
When you planned to get on the bus in Hirakata/Takatsuki area, you could make reservations and buy tickets at Keihan Bus office.
When you planned to get on the bus in Hiroshima area, you could make reservations and buy tickets at Bocho Kanko Bus office or Hiroko Kanko office.
When you planned to get on the bus in Iwakuni area, you could buy tickets at Iwakuni City Transportation Bureau.
The bus routes/The bus stops
The boldface is for the bus stops. It was not allowed to get on and off within the area east of Takatsuki/Hirakata as well as within the area west of Hiroshima.
The daytime limited express Hiroshima Kyoto-go/Hiroshima Dream Kyoto-go
Karasuma Exit of Kyoto Station (07) – National Highway 1 – Kyoto-minami Interchange – Meishin Expressway – Oyamazaki Bus Stop of Oyamazaki Interchange (06) – Takatsuki Bus Stop (05) – Chugoku Expressway – Sanyo Expressway – Hiroshima Interchange – National Highway 54 Gion-shinmichi – Nakasuji Station (04) – Fudoin-mae Station (03) – Hiroshima Bus Center (02) – Shinkansen Line Exit of Hiroshima Station (01)
The numbers in parentheses are for the station codes.
The buses, which were operated by Chugoku JR Bus, stopped for passengers to take rests at Ogo Rest Area, Kibi Service Area, and Yahata Rest Area. The buses, which were operated by West Japan JR Bus Company, stopped for passengers to take rests at Shiratori Rest Area and Fukuyama Service Area. Hiroshima Dream Kyoto-go stopped for passengers to take a rest at Shiratori Rest Area on the down route.
SANYO EXPRESS/Maiko-go
Rakusei Bus Terminal – National Highway 9 – Nishi-honganji-mae – Hachijo Exit of Kyoto Station – National Highway 1 – Kyoto-minami Interchange – Meishin Expressway – Keiji Bypass – Daini Keihan-doro – Hirakata-higashi Interchange – National Highway 307 – North Exit of Hirakata City Station of Keihan Line – National Highway 1 – Settsu-minami Interchange – Kinki Expressway – Chugoku Expressway – Sanyo Expressway – Hiroshima Interchange – National Highway 54 Gion-shinmichi – Nakasuji Station – Hiroshima Bus Center – Nakahiro Entrance/Exit – Hiroshima Expressway 4 – Numata Entrance/Exit of Hiroshima Expressway – Itsukaichi Interchange – Sanyo Expressway – Otake Interchange – Otake Interchange Entrance – National Highway 2 – Iwakuni Station – National Highway 2 – Iwakuni Interchange – Sanyo Expressway – Kuga Interchange – Kumage Interchange – Tokuyama-higashi Interchange – National Highway 2 – Tokuyama Station
It stopped for passengers to take rests at Tatsuno-nishi Service Area and Kotani Service Area.
The services a day
The daytime limited express Hiroshima Kyoto-go/Hiroshima Dream Kyoto-go: Two round services in the daytime, one round service in the nighttime
SANYO EXPRESS/Maiko-go: One round service in the nighttime
History
December 22, 1989:
Kyoto Kotsu in Kameoka City and Hiroshima Bus began operations of SANYO EXPRESS and Momiji-go. They initially operated day buses as well as night buses (later, day buses were abolished).
October 1, 1997:
As Hiroshima Bus had withdrawn from intercity highway bus business, Bocho Kotsu took over the management of SANYO EXPRESS and Momiji-go that had been operated by Hiroshima Bus.
November 1, 1997:
The routes of SANYO EXPRESS and Momiji-go were extended to Tokuyama City (now Shunan City), the west of Hiroshima. At the same time, the nicknames were changed to SANYO EXPRESS/Maiko-go.
August 1, 2004:
Bocho Kotsu solely began operation of the daytime limited express Maiko-go. At the same time, Chugoku JR Bus solely began operation of the daytime limited express Hiroshima Kyoto-go.
October 1, 2004:
They placed new bus stops at Meishin Oyamazaki, Meishin Takatsuki, and Meishin Ibaraki for the daytime limited express Maiko-go.
December 1, 2004:
The new service began: when you had the ticket for the daytime limited express Maiko-go (from Nakasuji Station/Hiroshima Bus Center to Tokuyama Station-mae), you could use the ticket to get on the buses of Hiroshima – Tokuyama/Hofu/Yamaguchi/Hagi Line; when you had the ticket for Hiroshima – Tokuyama/Hofu/Yamaguchi/Hagi Line, you could get on the daytime limited express Maiko-go (from Nakasuji Station/Hiroshima Bus Center to Tokuyama Station-mae.)
However it was not available when the seats of the bus, which you planned to switch to, had been already occupied. Beside, you could not make reservations for the changing buses beforehand.
April 8, 2005:
They placed a new bus stop at Otsuka Station in Hiroshima Prefecture for the daytime limited express Maiko-go.
July 1, 2005:
As Kyoto Kotsu in Kameoka City had abolished the services, Keihan Kyoto Kotsu took over the management of SANYO EXPRESS and Maiko-go.
July 15, 2005:
West Japan JR Bus Company began the operation of the daytime limited express Hiroshima Kyoto-go. At the same time, West Japan JR Bus and Chugoku JR Bus began the operation of Hiroshima Dream Kyoto-go.
March 18, 2006:
The routes of SANYO EXPRESS and Maiko-go were extended to Rakusei Bus Terminal, the east of Kyoto. SANYO EXPRESS and Maiko-go quit stopping at Shijo Kawaramachi.
November 30, 2006:
The daytime limited express Maiko-go was abolished. At the same time, they abolished the three bus stops: Shijo Kawaramachi/Otsuka Station/Shuyo-cho Central Hospital Entrance. From the next day, SANYO EXPRESS and Maiko-go stopped at Kuga Interchange and Kumage Interchange. The cars of the daytime limited express Maiko-go were ceded to Hiroshima – Tokuyama/Hofu/Yamaguchi/Hagi Line.
December 1, 2006:
They placed new bus stops at Otake Interchange Entrance, Kuga Interchange, and Kumage Interchange for SANYO EXPRESS and Maiko-go.
January 30, 2008:
SANYO EXPRESS and Maiko-go made the last trip from Kyoto/Tokuyama, which were abolished, as they had grown unprofitable due to the soaring the prices of bus fuel.
The bus interiors
Three-row independent seats, a restroom