Don’t be afraid to take the bus

I don’t drive, so I either bike, train or bus everywhere I go. The first two transport options are easy to navigate. Point bicycle in direction of destination and go, stopping for refreshments on the way. When riding the rails, consult either Jorudan online or smartphone app. If you’re not confident with Japanese, you can navigate by Hyperdia in English or Chinese. 

But woe be to the bus passenger. Timetables, route maps and fare information are plentiful, but trying to figure out a route does your head in. See this Noda City information for Mame Bus? I got a headache looking at it. 

Mame Bus is named for Noda City’s famous product, mame, beans. Passengers are like beans in a pod. The tiny buses are cozy, alright. But they’re also cheap at ¥100 a ride. I have places to go, and that bus will get me there. But it takes longer to figure out how to connect the routes than it does to get to your destination!

I gave up trying to figure out on the city website my route from the Tobu Urban Park Line to Sekiyado Castle in the far north of the city. 

So I put my destination into Google Maps, and found a route. It’s surprisingly useful, allowing you to choose the departure day and time. 

How’s bus transport where you live?