Note:
The information on this page is only accurate until September 30th, 2019. From October 1st, the Awaji-shi buses will be completely revamped, with several new routes added and changed schedules. For more details, see here:
Click to access 26427_63069_misc.pdf
The city government of Awaji-shi – the northernmost “city” on the island – runs a couple of different routes in the very north of the island, servicing the regions of Iwaya, Higashiura, and Hokudan. There’s even a dedicated tourist line on weekends in season, which specifically runs to many of northern Awaji’s tourist attractions.
All in all, these buses are among the most useful “domestic” buses on the island. They provide ready access to several popular tourist sites – Yumebutai, Awaji Hanasajiki, and the Earthquake Museum – from Iwaya’s port or Higashiura’s bus station, and are useful for visitors who don’t want to bicycle, or who arrive on Awaji on a rainy day.
The buses cost ¥500 for a single ride, or ¥1000 for a day pass. There are 17 buses a day in total. All buses run to and from the port in Iwaya; the tourist office there has more details.
You can see a map of the bus lines here
Loop Line
This line runs a loop of 30km around the north of Awaji, and is almost identical to the loop line I describe in the short routes around Iwaya section on the Cycling Routes page. There are buses in both a clockwise and a counter clockwise direction. They pass, among other places, central Iwaya, Yumebutai, central Higashiura and the Cat Museum, the Earthquake Museum, and the Esaki Lighthouse. The buses also pass a few low-key beaches in the north of the island.
Some of the buses make a short detour from the main route, traveling along the coast south of the Awaji High School Mae traffic light (淡路高校前) for roughly 4km to the Hokudan IC expressway exit. This route extension’s main use is to allow passengers to connect with highway buses (to Maiko, Sannomiya, or Fukura) which stop at Hokudan IC.
Clockwise buses
There are 8 buses a day, regardless of day of the week or season. Buses which travel along the extension to Hokudan IC are listed with a *:
6:05, 7:38, 9:20*, 11:20*, 13:30, 14:55*, 16:45*, 18:38
Buses which don’t take the extension take about 80 minutes to do a full loop; buses which do take the extension take about 100 minutes.
Counter-Clockwise buses
On most days of the year, there are 9 buses in this direction. However, on weekends and holidays between April and October, only 4 buses run. The “missing” 5 buses run on the Tourist Line instead (see below).
Buses which travel along the extension to Hokudan IC are listed with a *.
Everyday from November-March, and weekdays from April-October:
6:05, 7:42*, 9:55*, 12:00*, 13:50, 15:30, 16:54*, 18:45, 20:36*
Weekends and holidays from April-October:
6:30, 8:00, 18:45, 20:36*
Buses which don’t take the extension take about 80 minutes to do a full loop; buses which do take the extension take about 100 minutes.
Tourist Line
This line only runs on weekends and holiday between April and October. On those days, there are 5 buses a day on the Tourist Line, which replace buses traveling counter-clockwise on the Loop Line (see above).
These buses loop in only one direction around northern Awaji, going out of their way to pass a number of tourist sights. From Iwaya‘s port, they travel counter-clockwise along the coast, passing underneath the Akashi Kaikyo-Bridge. They then make a detour to the Matsuho no Sato Onsen, before climbing up into the hills south of Iwaya, passing the Highway Oasis and Awajishima Prefectural Park. The bus then passes a few farms – some of which are set up for visitors – and detours to an agricultural college set in a beautiful hillside location, before arriving at Awaji Hanasajiki.
From there, the bus winds its way down to the west coast, arriving at the Earthquake Museum. It then uses the picturesque road 71 to cross over to the east coast of Awaji at Higashiura. It makes a brief detour to a hotel complex (the Higashiura Sun Park), before traveling north along the main coastal road, passing the Cat Museum, Yumebutai, and Iwaya’s beach along the way. Finally, it arrives at Iwaya Port, roughly an hour and a half after it left.
Bus Times:
9:30, 11:35, 13:25, 15:20, 17:00
Awaji Island 