Last updated on July 24th, 2024

A simple guide on how to reserved Kyushu highway bus ticket with a clear explanation. Include some useful tips when visiting Kyushu on budget.

When visiting Kyushu Japan, highway bus is an important transportation for travelers using public transport. It is cheaper compare with a train. Most importantly, some popular attractions such as Takachiho Gorge and Kurokawa onsen are not accessible by train.

During our trip to Kyushu, we visiting many beautiful attractions by using the bus. It is very punctual, clean and comfortable. Added, our bus ride is covered by Kyushu SunQ Pass which greatly saves us a lot of money when getting around. For the first time visitor to Japan, almost all Japan highway bus is required for seat reservation. From outside Japan, there are are few options to make the highway bus reservation, which is by phone call or online reservation.

Meanwhile, below simple explanation will guide you on how to reserve the Kyushu highway bus.

How To Reserve Kyushu Highway Bus Online

While some highway bus required reservation to be made in advance, or some not required. Seat is open for reservation one month in advance prior to the bus ride. Personally, I prefer to make a highway bus reservation online to avoid communication breakdown. It is simple and easy. Just follow the below simple step and your highway bus ticket is reserved.

New User Registration

The Kyushu Highway Bus Website (Japanese language)
First of all, you will need to register as a user to make seat reservations on Kyushu highway bus. Alternatively, you may register later when you are confirmed on the bus ride. Firstly, click on the Kyushu Highway Bus Web Website. Please take note that the reservation with pay later option (such as SunQ pass holder) to be done in the Japanese language. This is the most challenging for foreigner. But no worry. It is simple and easy.
Kyushu Highway Bus Website: HighwayBus.com and atbus-de.com

New User Registration
After entering the website, click on the top bar link to register for a new user on the Highway Bus website. It will direct you to the new user registration page. Agree and term and condition and select to register as individual user. Another option is to register as a corporate user, which is not entitled to us.

Set Up User Information
Proceed to set up user ID and password and fill in all personal information. The user ID needs to be within 4 to 12 alphabet, mix of number and character and case sensitive. Next, fill in the personal information including last name, family name, gender selection, birthday, telephone number, postal code, occupation, and email address.

There are two-part to fill up your name. Input the English name on the first one and the second one required to fill in your name in Japanese Katakana. The easiest way is google translate your name from English to Japanese to fill in. The email address is important for verification and sending the reservation email. So please make sure the email address is correct.

Select User Log in
The user registration process is the most time-consuming process. Once it is done, everything is pretty simple and easy. You will need to confirm on the user registration process from the Kyushu Highway Bus website which send to your email. Next, log in to your user ID account.

Kyushu Highway Bus Reservation Process

Set the Bus Reservation Route
After completing the new user registration process, proceed to the front page on the Kyushu bus website. Select on the desire bus route that you want to reserve for the Kyushu highway bus.

The below example show the simple step on how to reserve the highway bus ticket from Kumamoto to Takachiho. The Takachiho Gorge is the most popular attraction in Kyushu and this is also one of the popular bus routes. It is an amazing attraction to visit in Kyushu and the bus is the only public transport to get there. This bus route required for seat reservation.

Make sure on bus reservation Detail
Once you click on proceed, the page will lead you to select on the available bus schedule. Just select the desire bus schedule and then click to proceed to the next page. Click on the desire bus schedule, number of passengers and select on seat preference. You can choose to sit in front or back, window or aisle for your bus ride. Lastly, select whether you want to book for a return trip or only one way.

Confirmation on highway bus reservation
Lastly, check on your highway bus reservation. It will summarize all the selection that you have chosen on the previous page. Once everything is correct, click on the reservation confirmation. After submitting your highway bus reservation, you will receive a confirmation email stated that your seat reservation has been completed and confirmed. Just write down the confirmation number or show the email when pick up the seat reservation ticket. That’s it. Easy and simple.

Pick Up Seat Ticket At Bus Counter

Last but not least, you need to pick up your seat ticket at the bus counter. Just present your SunQ Pass at the bus counter and informed the staff on your reservation number. Alternatively, show the reservation email to the helpful staff. They will help to print out the seat ticket for your highway bus ride. Please take note your seat ticket need to be collected 30 minutes before your bus ride.

When you board the bus, you will need to show the seat ticket and SunQ Pass to the driver before and after the bus ride. Seat tickets will be collected by the driver but keep the SunQ Pass with you. This pass is very useful and convenient when traveling in Kyushu Japan with bus.

We purchase the SunQ Pass from Klook and exchange it at Fukuoka Airport upon arrived in Kyushu Japan. Convenient and fast. There are a few options for these money-saving tips. Consider getting one if you are visiting Kyushu by bus.

• Southern Kyushu 3-Days Pass (¥8,000)
• Northern Kyushu 3-Days Pass (¥9,000)
• All Kyushu 3-Days (¥11,000) and  4-Days Pass (¥14,000)

Another useful transport guide is how to make reservation on Kyushu Odan Bus.

Hopefully, this Kyushu transport guide able to help you if you are looking for information on how to reserve the highway bus in Kyushu. Welcome to drop us an email/comment if you need further help. We had a great time when visiting Kyushu. The view is so beautiful and amazing. Take a look at the below travel post if you need some idea to travel around.

• How To Plan Your Kyushu Itinerary: Ultimate Guide
• Fukuoka Itinerary: Ultimate Travel Guide
• Things To Do in Kumamoto: 1-Day Itinerary
• Kurokawa Onsen: A Guide To Natural Hot Spring Town
• Takachiho Gorge Travel Guide: 1-Day Itinerary Blog
• Yufuin Travel Guide: Must Eat Food And Things To Do

Last updated on September 14th, 2024

A step-by-step guide on how to reserve Kyushu Odan Bus or Sanko Bus in Kumamoto with detail explanation. Applicable for SunQ Pass holder.

The Kyushu Odan bus, also name Kyushu Sanko bus is a bus operator company running the popular route between Kumamoto city, Aso, Kurokawa onsen, Yufuin, and Beppu. All are popular tourist spots in Kyushu. While from Fukuoka to Kumamoto, Yufuin and Beppu can be access by train. The Kyushu Odan bus is one of the best public transport connect Kumamoto city and other attractions mentioned by public transport without further transfer required.

One of the major concerns that cross across is how to reserve your seat on Kyushu Odan Bus? While most of the reservation portal is only in Japanese, we are facing the difficulty to look for information on Kyushu Odan Bus reservation. There is a website to help foreign visitors. However, it does not only accepted booking for SunQ Pass. We plan to use SunQ Pass during our visit as it greatly saves us the transportation fee on the bus ride. It make us some effort to understand and manage to board the bus as per plan.

We have documented on how to reserve seat for Kyushu Odan Bus with the explanation. This is applicable for SunQ Pass holder. Hope this helps.

What is SunQ Pass?

Before we proceed further, let me explain this great money-saving tips. The SunQ Pass is an unlimited bus pass in Kyushu dedicated for foreign visitors. It cover almost all the highway bus and city bus in Kyushu. For sure you know how expensive the transportation fee in Japan. Compare with train, bus is the cheaper and budget transport. It is extremely helpful when traveling in Kyushu as some of the attraction is only accessible by bus. Such as Kurokawa onsen, Takachiho Gorge and attractions in Miyazaki. If you are planning on any day trip, the pass is worth the value. Make sure you get the correct type of SunQ pass which eligible for your route.

There are few option for the Kyushu SunQ Pass:

• Southern Kyushu 3-Days Pass (¥8,000)
• Northern Kyushu 3-Days Pass (¥9,000)
• All Kyushu 3-Days (¥11,000) and  4-Days Pass (¥14,000)

You can get the Kyushu SunQ Pass from Klook and exchange it at Fukuoka International Airport. Extremely easy and simple. Plan on your Kyushu itinerary and check on whether worth to get one for your trip.

Kyushu Odan Bus Reservation

For foreign visitors, the most common route that we used on Kyushu Odan bus is route connecting Kumamoto city to Kurokawa Onsen. So we will use this as an example for the Kyushu Sanko bus reservation step.

Click On Kyushu Odan Bus Website
For the very first step, please click on the Kyushu Odan Bus Web Website. It is only Japanese language supported. If you choose another language, you will redirect to Kyushu Bus Booking which not applicable for SunQ Pass holder.

Select Travel Date
Once you select on your desire travel date, the page will automatically display all the available bus schedules, route information, and available set.

Select Desire Bus Route
Make sure the route that you want. For this case, we will select the earliest bus depart from Kumamoto. Click on the one-way selection button. 

Select On Bus Reservation Detail
Set the bus reservation information including departure and drop off location, number of passengers. It is easy to navigate with the bus schedule. It will automatically calculate the bus fare for your ride. Once everything is done, click on the orange button to proceed to the next page.

Register As User Of Kyushu Odan Bus

User Registration
Next, you will be required to log in as a user. For first time users, you will need to register to proceed for seat reservation on Kyushu Odan Bus. Click on the new user registration to proceed to the user registration page and agree on the term and conditions.

Fill in all user information
Next, fill in all user information including Password, name (Japanese Katakana characters only), Email address and Telephone Number. One of the most tricky part is the name as it only accept for Japanese katakana. What we did is use google translate the English name to Japanese character. To avoid error, it is best to simply the length of the name. We keep hitting error putting the full name. So shorter version is acceptable. The driver will use the name and reservation number to make sure on the passenger. Once, it done, click the below button to complete the registration.

Email Verification and Proceed For Log In Page
Once registration complete, a verification email will send to your email address provided. As per the standard process, please verify the confirmation email from Kyushu Odan Bus. Click on the verification and direct you to the login page. Log in to proceed for seat reservation.

Bus Seat Reservation confirmation
Lastly, is the reservation confirmation. There is an option for payment method. Please select the credit card payment instead of a convenient store settlement. Although you are selecting credit card payment, that is no further payment required. You can show the reservation to the driver and board the bus.

Complete Kyushu Odan Bus Reservation
After confirming your reservation including date, bus schedule, fare, and passenger, check the button to submit a seat reservation on Kyushu Odan Bus ride. That’s it. You will received an email for your reservation.

How To Board The Kyushu Odan Bus

Kyushu Odan bus allows passenger boarding even without reservation. But priority will be given for those who make the seat reservation. We had using Kyushu Odan bus a few times during our visit and there are pretty of seat available. The most popular route is the Kumamoto to Kurokawa onsen.

Unlike other highway buses, no seat confirmation ticket required. We had double confirm on highway bus counter at Fukuoka airport and Kumamoto. Both informed us that we can just show the reservation number and board the bus. If you do not plan to get the SunQ Pass, just take the fare counting ticket once boarding and pay the correct amount of bus fare at your destination. For SunQ Pass holder, just show the pass and you are ready to go.

Another useful transport guide: How to reserve highway bus ticket in Kyushu Japan

I hope this little guide on how to reserve a seat on the Kyushu Odan bus is helpful. Any further information and inquiry can email to use. We try our best to answer. Added, if you are interested continue read on our travel guide to other attractions in Kyushu. Happy travel!

• How To Plan Your Kyushu Itinerary: Ultimate Guide
• Fukuoka Itinerary: Ultimate Travel Guide
• Things To Do in Kumamoto: 1-Day Itinerary
• Kurokawa Onsen: A Guide To Natural Hot Spring Town
• Takachiho Gorge Travel Guide: 1-Day Itinerary Blog