Japan Buses

Buses comb the streets throughout Japan and are much cheaper than taxis. There are different fare systems depending on where you are. In Tokyo there is usually a flat fare. Simply board the bus and drop the fare in the box next to the driver. For some long distance buses, the fare depends on how far you are going. There should be a sign at the bus stop where you are boarding that has the fares written next to the destination stations (although this information is usually only written in Japanese). When you board these buses, take one of the white tickets from the dispenser near the doors (you board buses through the rear doors). The ticket will have a number on it that corresponds to a fare on the electronic fare board in the front of the bus. The fare increases the farther you ride the bus; pay the fare when you get off the bus through the front doors.
It is very easy to get lost on buses in Japan. Although buses have recorded announcements for each stop and some buses have the stops electronically displayed on a screen in front of the bus, these are only on Japanese. When you here it announced that you are getting near your stop, push the button above your seat to insure that the driver stops for you. Many Japanese streets look the same, and. unless you van read the characters for the stop, it may be hard to determine where you are. Have someone who is familiar with the local bus system go with you the first time and tale notes so that the next time you can do it on your own.
Be aware that buses stop running much earlier than trains or subways. There should be a bus schedule at your stop with the departure times for all weekdays, weekends and holidays. The column for weekdays has 平日（heijitsu）written above it, and the column for weekends is headed 休日（kyujisu）.