Night bus to Osaka! Including a journey report and info on cafe near Osaka Station
Which means of transportation will you take when you go from Tokyo to Osaka? Plane? Shinkansen train? Both are good, but there is another option by taking highway bus.
In this article, I will show you my actual experience of taking a night bus from Tokyo to Osaka, as well as share with you cafe information around Osaka Station which you may use upon departure or arrival in Osaka.
Those are not chain cafes, but are cozy coffee shops which you might be interested.
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Took a night bus to Osaka!
When going to Osaka from Tokyo, you may consider taking a plane or Shinkansen train. Both sound good, but they have their demerits such as poor accessibility between airport and downtown (particular for the LCC which mainly have a departure from Narita Airport) and the Shinkansen tickets are expensive.
In this sense, highway bus is a good option as its ticket price is reasonable and it offers a convenient boarding spot close to the city center. Though travelling
by bus takes more time, you may use your time efficiently by getting enough rest and sleep in the overnight bus.
As such, I am sharing my actual experience of a bus trip to Osaka. I took the “Twinkle” Bus from Shinjuku and returned to Tokyo by the “Flying Sneaker”. There are many photos in this article, I hope you may find them useful.
“Twinkle” Bus
I arrived Shinjuku Station by the JR Yamanote Line and took the South Exit. The Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal (Busta) was just located at the other side of the pedestrian crossing right outside the exit. Bus stops were at 4/F of the terminal building.
While I was waiting at the platform, the Twinkle bus operated by the Kintetsu bus arrived.
I was surprised that it was 3 seats in a row. There were divider curtains installed in each seat, so I could sleep soundly without being disturbed by others.
All seats looked spacious and they were separated by an aisle.
Not only the seats were reclining, but also foot rests were equipped so I could put my feet on and get relaxed.
Let’s take a look at the instruction booklets which were placed in the pocket of the front seat, and adjust my seat to the best position.
The picture gave you an idea of how comfortable it would be when a seat was fully tilted back. I appreciate all the facilities and equipment offered by the bus, despite it might be necessary to be considerate of the others before adjusting a seat.
Free wifi was available on the bus. It’s easy to get connected after reading the instruction booklet. What’s more, all seats were equipped with USB charging ports. Plug in your phone before going to sleep and get your device fully charged when you arrive.
There was an on-board toilet in the car, which really helped.
I fell asleep and the bus arrived Osaka Station in no time. It was a 8.5 hours ride from Shinjuku and the bus stopped in front of Higashi Umeda metro station.
Let’s take a look at the bus schedule below. As you can see, beside Shinjuku, you could choose to board a bus at Fuchu Station, Hachioji Station, or drop off at Kyoto Station or Universal Studios according to your itinerary.
Time | Bus Stop |
10:20 pm | Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal |
10:40 pm | Chuo Expressway Mitaka |
10:42 pm | Chuo Expressway Shindaiji |
10:46 pm | Chuo Expressway Fuchu |
10:53 pm | Chuo Expressway Hino |
11:10 pm | Keio Hachioji Station |
11:15 pm | JR Hachioji Station North Exit |
11:29 pm | Chuo Expressway Hachioji |
⇓ | ⇓ |
5:52 am (next day) | Kyoto Station Hachijo Exit |
6:48 am (next day) | Osaka Station (Higashi Umeda Station) |
7:08 am (next day) | Namba・Osaka City Air Terminal (OCAT) |
7:29 am (next day) | Abenobashi Station |
7:59 am (next day) | Universal Studios |
“Flying Sneaker” Bus
After my journey in Osaka, I waited for the bus back to Tokyo at Higashi Umeda Station, the same station when I arrived.
The bus arrived. I took the Flying Sneaker bus back to Tokyo, which was operated by the Tohoku Express Bus Co.
It was 4-seat in a row. Though there were no individual curtains, clear plastic dividers were installed between seats to limit the spread of germs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Same as “Twinkle”, USB charging ports were located at every seat and free wifi was available.
Seats were reclining too, and could be tilted backwards like the picture below.
There was an on-board toilet. I had a comfortable overnight as I was assigned a seat near toilet.
It took 8 hours to arrive Tokyo Station (Yaesu-dori), a slightly shorter ride than the outbound.
Below was the timetable. The lineup of stops was slightly different from the outbound route, but you could choose to board at Namba or Kyoto Station, and get off at Yokohama Station, Asakusa Station or Tokyo Disneyland.
Time | Bus Stop |
9:45 pm | Abenobashi Station |
10:05 pm | Namba・Osaka City Air Terminal (OCAT) |
10:25 pm | Osaka Station (Higashi Umeda Station) |
11:28 pm | Kyoto Station Hachijo Exit F3 |
⇓ | ⇓ |
5:41 am (next day) | No 23, Terminal 2, Yokohama Station West Exit |
6:29 am (next day) | Yaesu-dori, Tokyo Station |
6:45 am (next day) | Ueno Station |
6:55 am (next day) | Asakusa Station |
7:40 am (next day) | Tokyo Disneyland |
8:05 am (next day) | Tokyo Office (Shinonome Shako) |
Recommended 3 cafes near Osaka Station!
A decent cafe may make you travel in Osaka easier. If you search for “Osaka”, “recommended cafe”, you will be confused by thousands of search results online.
This time, I had shortlisted 3 cafes near Osaka Station. I hope you will find the one you like and pay a visit someday.
“Cafe & Dining Ignite”, operates from morning till night
Cafe & Dining Ignite is located at 1/F of Hotel Gravia Osaka, which connects directly with the JR Osaka Station. It offers breakfast, lunch, coffee, dinner or a light snack, there is a great reason to visit at any time of day.
The modern stylish decor of the cafe gives you great time to relax and chill out.
I ordered the “IGNITE Omelet” for my breakfast and it was the fluffiest omelet I ever had. Salad, bread and a cup of drink are included in the morning set.
Salad and drinks are refillable. Having a nice breakfast at Ignite indeed starts the day off right.
◎Basic Information (Cafe & Dining Ignite)
Operating hour | 8:00 am~11:00 pm(LO.10:00 pm) |
Address | 1F, Hotel Gravia Osaka, Umeda 3-1-1, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka |
Tel | 06-6347-1880 |
HP | Click here |
Best for remote work, “Hayama Coffee Hotel Dans Le Coeur Umeda”
The Hayama Coffee Hotel Dans Le Coeur Umeda is ideal for remote working as there is WIFI and plenty of power plugs.
The contemporary interior design of the cafe offers a tension free environment not only for work, but also for relaxation.
There are 2 floors with adequate seating capacity, so it is relatively easier to get a seat even on the weekends.
I ordered a coffee latte and white chocolate canelés. The menu looked cool too.
◎Basic Information (Hayama Coffee Hotel Dans Le Coeur Umeda)
Operating hour | 9:00 am~10:00 pm(LO.9:00 pm) |
Address | 1/F & 2/F Hotel Dans Le Coeur Osaka Umeda, 2-15-23 Sonezaki, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka |
Tel | 03-6316-0707 |
HP | Click here |
Have fun just to be there “Cafe & books bibliothéque”
The third one I’d like to introduce is a cafe combining bookstore and coffee shop located at E~ma, a multi-purpose complex near Osaka Station.
The nook of the cafe sells handkerchief, accessories, postcards, cups, plates, calendars etc. It’s hard to believe that I am right inside a cafe, as it catches my eye every time.
Books are stylishly displayed on the wall and I enjoy just staying inside the shop.
The menu offered lots of selection too. After hesitation, I ordered a gratin with shrimp, root vegetables in ginger and tomatoes and a plate with 4 kinds of homemade side dishes. The gratin had a strong ginger flavor and warmed my body. The homemade plate was healthy too with just the right amount of vegetables.
There were a variety of cakes, pancakes, and desserts in the menu which unfortunately I could not try this time.
◎Basic Information (Cafe & books bibliothéque)
Operating hour | 11:00 am~8:00 pm(LO.7:00 pm) |
Address | B1F E~ma, Umeda 1-12-6, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka |
Tel | 06-4795-7553 |
HP | Click here |
Enjoy the trip to Osaka by night bus!
This time I shared my bus trip experience between Tokyo and Osaka, to you with photos. What I actually felt after the trip was the convenience of the night bus.
It made the best use of my time and saved my accommodation fee. The ride between Tokyo and Osaka took 8 hours, and it was just the right distance that I could sleep while travelling.
Why don’t you consider a night bus next time you go to Osaka?
Book you bus ticket here
You can book your tickets at the links below for the Twinkle and Flying Sneaker buses.
⇒Click here for the details of Twinkle
⇒Click here for the details of Flying Sneaker
「Please go to “Japan Bus Online”.」
The information in this article is current at the time of writing.
It may differ from the latest information.