TOKYO -- Targeting a growing number of foreign travelers in Japan, about 60 bus operators nationwide will jointly introduce in September a bus pass that allows passengers to ride any distance at no extra cost on about 100 expressway routes from the northernmost island of Hokkaido all the way south to Kyushu Island.
A consortium of major bus operators will run the program, and tickets, called the JBL pass, will go on sale through the Japan Bus Lines website, which is available in English, Chinese and Korean, according to sources from the group. Participating bus companies include Osaka-based Willer Express Japan and others affiliated with railways, such as Keio and JR group companies, as well as regional bus operators nationwide.
