Gakuen Minami Junkan, a new TsukuBus course
A brand new Tsuku Bus, the city’s community bus service started its operation on September 1. The city has abolished the “センター循環(Tsukuba Center Rotatory Route),” and introduced the “学園南循環(Gakuen Minami Junkan or Gakuen South Rotatory Route).” This new course is similar to the former Tsuku Bus Route 5, but the newly added course only goes around the south “central Tsukuba” area. Those who live in Ninomiya, Umezono and Inari-mae areas can benefit from this new bus service for sure!
Please note that changes were made to all the other preexisting bus courses, so please pick up a new schedule/ route map at a nearby city hall office or community hall. OR you can download new route maps/schedules here.
Please also visit this page to learn more about Tsuku Bus.
Here’s the list of all the bus stops in Gakuen Minami Junkan Route A:
1: つくばセンター [Tsukuba Center Bus Terminal]
2: クレオ前 [Creo]
3: さくら団地 [Sakura Danchi]
4: つくば国際会議場 [Tsukuba Kokusai Kaigi-jou (Epochal Tsukuba)]
5: 二ノ宮公園北 [Ninomiya Koen Kita (Ninomiya Park North)]
6: 二ノ宮一丁目 [Ninomiya 1-Chome]
7: 白畑児童公園 [Shirahata Jidou Koen (Shirahata Children’s Park)]
8: 洞峰公園北 [Doho Koen Kita (Doho Park North)]
9: つくば研究支援センター[Tsukuba Kenkyu Shien Center(Tsukuba Center,Inc)]
10: 筑波宇宙センター [Tsukuba Uchuu Center (JAXA)]
11: 障害者センター桜 [Shougaisha Center Sakura (Sakura Home for disabled)]
12: 梅園二丁目 [Umezono 2-Chome]
13: 梅園公園東 [Umezono Koen Higashi (Umezono Park East)]
14: 梅園公園 [Umezono Park]
15: 東二丁目[Higashi 2-Chome]
16: 鷺沼児童公園 [Saginuma Jidou Koen (Saginuma Children’s Park)]
17: 五十塚 [Gojyutsuka]
18: 気象台 [Kishou-dai (Aerological Oservatory)]
19: 稲荷前 [Inari-mae]
20: 茗渓学園 [Meikei Gakuen]
21: 洞峰公園入口 [Doho Koen Iriguchi (Doho Park Gate)]
22: 二の宮児童館 [Ninomiya Jidoukan (After-school Daycare Center)]
23: 二の宮 [Ninomiya]
7: 白畑児童公園 [Shirahata Jidou Koen (Shirahata Children’s Park)]
6: 二ノ宮一丁目 [Ninomiya 1-Chome]
5: 二ノ宮公園北 [Ninomiya Koen Kita (Ninomiya Park North)]
4: つくば国際会議場 [Tsukuba Kokusai Kaigi-jou (Epochal Tsukuba)]
3: さくら団地 [Sakura Danchi]
2: クレオ前 [Creo]
1: つくばセンター [Tsukuba Center Bus Terminal]
Fares:
200yen for adults, 100yen for kids
100yen if you get on at the Tsukuba Center Bus Terminal and get off at or before the Epochal Tsukuba (or if you get on at Epochal and get off at or before Tsukuba Center Bus Terminal).
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Getting to Narita from Tsukuba in the Early Morning
There is a fairly convenient bus service that runs between Tsukuba and Narita airport, but it doesn't run in the early morning or late at night. For example, the earliest bus leaves Tsukuba at 6am and arrives at Narita Airport at around 7:45am. If you need to get to the airport even earlier, you have basically two options.
Hotel Near the Airport
If you have to be at the airport by 7:30am, for example, I think your best option is to go to Narita by bus or train the night before and stay in a hotel near the airport, like the Narita Sky Court Hotel. (I have never stayed at the hotel, but it seems to be one of the cheaper options.) Or, if you don't mind having less luxury, you could try a guest house like Azure Guest House.
Train
Another option is to go by train early in the morning. Take the Tsukuba Express from Tsukuba to Kita Senju (5:28am to 6:01am). Take the Joban line from Kita Senju to Nippori (6:15am to 6:23am). Then take the Keisei Skyliner from Nippori to Narita Airport (6:35am to 7:29am). The cost will be 3070 yen per adult and the total trip will take about 2 hours. These times are for weekdays. The schedule will be different for holidays, and also the schedules change on a regular basis, so please look up the schedule for the actual day that you need to travel. There are plenty of Japanese sites that will let you search for train schedules, but if you can't read Japanese, try Jorudan.
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Overnight Bus to Kyoto and Osaka
If you are looking for a cheaper way to get to Kyoto or Osaka, you might want to consider taking the overnight bus. The bus starts at Mito at 9:10pm, stops over in Tsuchiura at 10:24pm, and in Tsukuba at 10:53pm on its way to Kyoto (6:40am) and Osaka (8:15am) the following day.
The return bus leaves Osaka at 9:30pm, stops over in Kyoto at 11:03pm before arriving at Tsukuba (6:41am), Tsuchiura (6:59am), and Mito (8:15am) on the following day.
A one-way ticket from Tsukuba to Kyoto is 8900 yen and a return ticket is 16,020 yen. A one-way ticket from Tsukuba to Osaka is 9700 yen and a return ticket is 17,460 yen. Children under 6 can ride for free if they will not take up a seat. If they do take up a seat, they have to pay the children's fare (approximately half of the adult fare).
By comparison, a one-way ticket from Tsukuba to Kyoto (using Tsukuba Express, Yamanote Line, and the Shinkansen from Tokyo Station) is 14,670 yen. (However, that trip will only take 3 hours and 40 minutes.)
You must reserve a seat, and you can do that by calling the reservation office (029-852-5666), buying a ticket at a convenience store (Lawson's, Family Mart, Sankus), or using the online reservation system (http://www.j-bus.co.jp/new_module/index.html).
Of course, when you travel by bus, you have to be aware that the schedules are not set in stone, but are subject to change according to traffic conditions.
Route:
http://www.kantetsu.co.jp/bus/highway/osaka/osaka.htm
Schedule:
http://www.kantetsu.co.jp/bus/highway/osaka/osaka_jikoku.html
More information:
Kanto Tetsudo (Mito): 029-247-5111
Kanto Tetsudo (Tsukuba): 029-852-5666
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Retro-bus from Tsukuba Station
I visited the Tsuchiura Machikado Kura yesterday to see the exhibit I talked about in my previous post, and I really enjoyed looking at all those artworks and the scenery! If any of the TsukuBlog readers are into photography, then this part of Tsuchiura is the place to visit!
One of the retro-buses that was at the Machikado Kura.
It stayed there for 15-20 minutes, so my son and I were able to get inside to take more pictures. Sure enough, my son told me he wants to take a ride in this bus from Tsukuba Station next time, so I guess I'll have to visit Machikado Kura again soon!
Bus schedule from Tsuchiura Machikado Kura to Tsukuba Station and Tsuchiura Station. The schedule is printed on the letter-sized paper, so please look for it at the Tsukuba Center Bus ATerminal.
You'll see buildings like these in that area.
This is Yaguchi-ke Jutaku near Machikado Kura.
It's designated a cultural heritage in Ibaraki Prefecture.
There is a Tsuchiura Tourist Association office inside Machikado Kura Daitoku, so you can get information and advices right on the spot!
If anyone is planning to go to this place or elsewhere in Tsuchiura, be sure to plan ahead! Annual Kasumigaura Marathon (this is a really big event) is today, so traffic controls are being enforced now.
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Tsukuba to Run Experimental TsukuBus Services
Tsukuba City has announced the installation of “experimental” bus stops to TsukuBus Hokubu Shuttle (Route N) starting June 11 to see if this will decrease drunk driving. I don't know where exactly the new bus stop at 松見公園北 (Matsumi Koen Kita/Matsumi Park North) will be, but they will be set up near the traffic light in front of Azuma Junior High (please see the city website below for the maps). The only services that will stop at these experimental bus stops are services #62 and #64, however.
During this test period, Route N #62 leaves Tsukuba Center at 21:50 and arrives at Matsumi Park North at 21:53pm, and #64 leaves Tsukuba Center at 22:10 and arrives at Matsumi at 22:13pm. The fare is 100 yen from Tsukuba Center to Matsumi Park North or from Matsumi Park North to Oho Chosha, 200yen from Matsumi Park North to Tsukuba Chosha, and 300yen from Matsumi Park North to the entrance to Mt. Tsukuba.
This test will run until December 31 of this year.
Tsukuba City website (Japanese)
TsukuBus Route N schedule in English (PDF, Thank you, KEK!)
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