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Are there any direct flights to Ghibli Park from Tokyo or Osaka?
I am sure there are more than a few people who have thought so.
There can be no direct train service because the only train is the Linimo Railway, but there could be a bus service.
Because there are direct flights from Nagoya Station and from Centrair (Central Japan International Airport), so why not?
Willer Express has responded to such questions and requests.
- Direct express bus service to Ghibli Park starts in March
- What is the Willer Express Highway Bus Direct to Ghibli Park?
- Summary of Express Bus Transportation to Ghibli Park
Direct express bus service to Ghibli Park starts in March
Willer Express, a major bus operator, has started direct express bus service from Tokyo and Osaka to Ghibli Park from March 2023.
Willer Express, a highway bus company that is often used in Japan, especially by young people, is a travel agency focusing on highway bus operations.
This article will be perfect information for those who want to reduce the hassle of transfers and high fares when traveling.
Willer Express, which began direct service from Tokyo and Osaka
If you have lived in Japan or traveled within Japan by express bus at night, you are familiar with Willer Express Co.
It has gained overwhelming support among Japan’s young people because it is an inexpensive way to travel within Japan anyway.
One of the main reasons for this is the overwhelmingly low fares, with one-way trips starting at 2,500 yen from Tokyo and 1,600 yen from Osaka.
If you are planning to come to Japan more than once, including in the future, and want to reduce transportation costs, please keep this in mind.
Willer Express express bus fares are about 1/4 of Shinkansen fares!
A simple price comparison shows that a Shinkansen trip from Tokyo to Nagoya costs 10,560 yen, whereas a Willer Express express bus fare is about 2,500 yen. Depending on the season and the day of the week, the fare may be as low as 1/4 of the original price. As of May 2023
The Shinkansen bullet train takes less than 2 hours to travel the same distance, but the express bus takes more than 6 hours.
The distance between Osaka and Nagoya (Aichi Prefecture) is about half that of Tokyo, so the cost is roughly equivalent.
Below is a simple comparison chart between the Willer Express highway bus and the two Shinkansen lines.
Comparison of Willer Express express bus and two Shinkansen lines
The Shinkansen fare is the total of the boarding and express tickets.
Willer Express express buses have 2-3 restroom breaks along the way, each of which lasts about 10 minutes at a service area.
to Aichi Expo Commemorative Park(Ghibli Park)
The following is a list of bullet train costs and travel times from Tokyo and Osaka to the Aichi Expo Commemorative, where Ghibli Park is located.
If you take the Shinkansen, you will need to pay 670 yen for the trip from Nagoya Station and about 50 minutes extra time each.
The highway bus fares are all the lowest on a weekday in May, and vary depending on the day of the week up to a maximum of about 5,000 yen for a Saturday departure in Tokyo.
| Willer Express(highway bus) Traffic Fee | JR Tokai Shinkansen(Bullet Train)Traffic Fee | |
| Tokyo to Nagoya (yen) | 2,500yen* | 10,560yen |
| Tokyo to Nagoya (time: min) | about 6.5 hours | about 2 hours |
| Osaka to Nagoya (yen) | 1,600yen* | 5,940yen |
| Osaka to Nagoya (time: min) | about 3.5 hours | about 1 hour |
*Links to the rates are all in Japanese
About Willer Express express Buses
Most Willer Express express buses are white with pink lines and are easily distinguishable.
However, they may not always be in this coloring as they may be outsourced to another bus company to operate the service.
About Willer Express Express Express Bus
– 投稿者自身による著作物 CC 表示-継承 4.0, リンクによる
Here is a brief description of Willer Express express buses.
Price and comfort are opposites, and this rule applies to this express bus as well.
Most express buses travel at night, but…
Most Willer Express express buses depart late at night or early in the morning and take 3-6 hours to reach their destination.
They make 2-3 stops between Tokyo and Nagoya (Aichi Prefecture) and 1-2 stops between Osaka and Nagoya (Aichi Prefecture).
The Osaka-Nagoya route to Ghibli Park, described below, is a daytime service, while the Tokyo-Nagoya route is mostly a nighttime service.
In the case of nighttime buses, which is expected to increase in the future, you will often be awakened from sleep by the bus driver’s announcement of a break, or by the voices and sounds of people passing by in the middle of the aisle or next to you.
Many express buses are not always comfortable
That’s right. Especially on the route from Tokyo to Nagoya, traveling at night is not always comfortable.
Also, many of the cheapest buses have four rows of seats, which is a bit cramped. *There are also upper-class highway buses with three or two rows of seats (^^).
If you want to compare comfort, it is probably similar to economy class seats on airplanes.
If you don’t mind the cramped space, it will not be a problem for you! However, some people, especially English-speaking men from abroad, may feel cramped in a bus seat designed for Japanese people.
Although Willer Express express buses are inexpensive, you may have to sacrifice some comfort when traveling in the 4-row seats of the night buses.
Recommended for those who do not value comfort and time
The writer of this article has traveled between Tokyo and Nagoya by highway bus late at night several times, but to be honest, I did not sleep well. I had trouble being sleepy when I arrived.
I can handle a short amount of sleep! If you are physically strong and don’t mind the time it takes to get there, then the highway bus is a recommended means of transportation.
On the other hand, we do not recommend it for family travelers who are too old or with small children.
As we have mentioned on another page, it is better to come to Nagoya and use it as a base from which you can enjoy the Ghibli Park at a leisurely pace, both physically and mentally.
Below are some recommended access methods from Nagoya Station, so please compare them to find the style that best suits your needs.
What is the Willer Express Highway Bus Direct to Ghibli Park?
Now, I would like to introduce the all-important Willer Express express bus service directly to Ghibli Park.
As mentioned earlier, Willer Express express bus services cover almost all of Japan, with Tokyo as the terminal.
Express bus services between the major cities of Tokyo to Nagoya (Aichi Prefecture, where Ghibli Park is located) and Osaka to Nagoya (the same area) have existed for a long time.
Ghibli Park stopover service is subject to rate changes starting in July
The new direct service to Ghibli Park stops in Nagakute City (where Ghibli Park is located), just before Nagoya Station on the east side from the Tokyo direction.
The direct service from Osaka to Ghibli Park, on the other hand, extends to Nagakute City, which is beyond Nagoya Station to the west from the direction of Osaka.
It may be more correct to say that the direct service has been changed to include a new bus stop at Ghibli Park on the Nagoya-bound operation, rather than that a new direct service has been added.
Please refer to the timetable and fare information below for direct highway buses from Tokyo and Osaka to Ghibli Park. All information is current as of May 2023.
The fare structure and timetable may be subject to change from July.
Direct Bus Line from Tokyo to Ghibli Park
Let’s see what a direct flight from Tokyo to Ghibli Park looks like.
Since we are going from the east to Nagoya Station, we will stop at Ghibli Park, which is located just before Nagoya.
I wrote an example of a late-night departure earlier, but what I will show you here will be a flight that departs early in the morning.
Our recommended base is Basta Shinjuku; the Willer Express boarding area is on the 4th floor.
Express Bus Line from Tokyo to Ghibli Park
Departures from Tokyo are from the bus stop in front of JR Shinkiba Station or from Basta Shinjuku.
Considering weather and convenience, we recommend taking the 7:00 a.m. departure from Basta Shinjuku. Seats are not first-come, first-served; reservations are required.
The scheduled arrival time at Ghibli Park is 12:20 p.m. Please take into account that there are many delay factors for express bus service during the daytime.
| highway bus only | time table | traffic fee |
| Shinkiba Station (bus stop) | departure 06:00 | – |
| Busta Shinjuku 4F (shinjuku Station South) | departure 07:00 | – |
| AIchi Expo Commemorative Park (Ghible Park : rotary2nd) | arrival 12:20 | 2,500yen* – |
Express Bus Line from Ghibli Park to Tokyo
Departure from Ghibli Park is at 16:00. If you consider a day trip by bus, the entrance to the Grand Warehouse of Ghibli is at 13:00, considering that the arrival is after 12:00.
It takes only 10 or so minutes to get from the Grand Warehouse of Ghibli to the bus roundabout, so you can stay at the Grand Warehouse of Ghibli until 16:00.
You can play for about 3 hours, which is a little tighter than the flight from Osaka, but you can manage a day trip.
| highway bus only | time table | traffic fee |
| Nagoya Station (square of Bic Camera) | departure 16:00 | – |
| AIchi Expo Commemorative Park (Ghible Park : rotary2nd) | departure 16:40 | – |
| Busta Shinjuku 4F (shinjuku Station South) | arrival 22:00 | 2,500yen* – |
But I have a feeling I’m going to be a little tired…(^_^;)
Direct line from Osaka to Ghibli Park
Then, let’s look at direct flights from Osaka to Ghibli Park.
In the case of Osaka, the train will pass through Nagoya to the east and stop at Ghibli Park as it travels from the west to Nagoya.
The Osaka departure and arrival point, WBT Osaka Umeda, is a dedicated space for Willer Express passengers.
Express Bus Line from Osaka to Ghibli Park
The bus departs from the Umeda area bus terminal where Osaka Station is located at 8:00 a.m. It arrives at the bus rotary of Aichi Commemorative Park, where Ghibli Park is located, at 11:55 a.m.
If you want to get a ticket for Ghibli Park, it would be recommended after 12:30 p.m.
| highway bus only | time table | traffic fee |
| WBT Osaka Umeda | departure 08:00 | – |
| Nagoya Station (Noritake 1 cho-me) | arrival 11:05 | 1,600yen* – |
| AIchi Expo Commemorative Park (Ghible Park : rotary2nd) | arrival 11:55 | 1,600yen* – |
Express Bus Line from Ghibli Park to Osaka
Depart from the bus rotary at Ghibli Park at 16:20. You do not need to be too anxious about the arrival time, but if you only have three hours to see the Ghibli Grand Warehouse, you will be able to take your time.
Round-trip to Tokyo is not enough time, but round-trip to Osaka would make a day-trip plan feasible.
| highway bus only | time table | traffic fee |
| Nagoya Station (square of Bic Camera) | departure 15:30 | – |
| AIchi Expo Commemorative Park (Ghible Park : rotary2nd) | departure 16:20 | 2,000yen* – |
| WBT Osaka Umeda | arrival 20:00 | 2,000yen* – |
Summary of Express Bus Transportation to Ghibli Park
When I saw this information about this Willer Express express bus transportation option, I asked myself, “Wouldn’t some people like to go to Ghibli Park on a day trip from Tokyo or Osaka?” the writer decided to write an article about it.
Unlike when the tickets first went on sale, it is sometimes possible to purchase tickets within a few days, so I thought it might be useful for people who are staying in Tokyo or Osaka and would like to visit the park! I thought it might be useful for people who are staying in Tokyo or Osaka and would like to go to the event.
However…in reality, Osaka and Ghibli Park are just barely doable, and unfortunately, a day trip from Tokyo is not going to be possible.
Another concern is that the arrival time of buses can be greatly affected by highway accidents or route construction.
Summary of disadvantages of highway buses to Ghibli Park
Although it is easy to focus only on the low fees, there are some disadvantages to this.
Please see below for a summary.
Travel time is more than double that of the Shinkansen.
Comfort is not guaranteed.
Neither the booking site nor the bus driver speaks English.
The biggest concern is English support. It would be a relief to be able to talk to the driver about any problems, but you should not expect English response, so you should include a translation app.
People who can take the highway bus to Ghibli Park
In summary, the following is a list of conditions for those who can recommend taking the express bus to Ghibli Park.
People who want to reduce transportation costs anyway.
People who are physically strong.
People who can communicate in Japanese to some extent using web translation and apps.
Therefore, it is certainly not a method of transportation that is recommended for everyone.
Especially for those who are going to Ghibli Park with small children, we strongly recommend that you take the train or the direct bus from Centrair.
However, there is a possibility that the late-night buses that are expected to increase the number of flights in the future will have separate seats for male and female passengers in the back and front of the bus (except for couples and groups), or that buses with three rows of comfortable seats will be introduced, although the price will be higher.
In this issue, we have taken a look at Willer Express express buses to and from Tokyo & Osaka, and their non-stop service.
We will keep an eye on the future development of Willer Express buses and provide you with useful information, as they are the most advantageous and the cheapest means of transportation.
Thank you for reading to the end. m(_ _)m
(fin)
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