Late-night bus

A route bus running in the late-night hours, normally with a premium fare. Services are set up on routes such as those linking stations with residential areas to get people home after the last train, and they are presented separately from daytime runs.

What a late-night bus is

A late-night bus is a route bus that runs in the late-night hours, broadly from about 11 pm onward. Services are set up on routes such as those linking a station with residential areas, providing a way home after the last train and after the last bus on the normal timetable. On the Toei Bus network, late-night routes are presented separately from daytime routes, and the timetable and the destination sign both make it clear that a run is a late-night service.

The important thing is that fares are handled differently on a late-night bus than on an ordinary run. A premium fare is generally set for late-night operation, so the same section of route costs more than it does during the day. Fares are revised from time to time, so the sure way is to check on the official site of the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation before you travel.

Points to check before you ride

There are three points worth having straight if you want to make full use of late-night buses.

Days of operation: late-night buses are often designated as weekday-only services, and may not run on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays or over the New Year period. How the small hours of Friday night (Saturday by the calendar) are treated also differs from route to route, so read the timetable right down to its notes.
Fare: because a premium fare applies, a transit IC card balance that feels ample by daytime standards can fall short. Checking your balance before you board saves worry.
Route and stops: late-night runs sometimes take a partly different route or serve partly different stops from daytime runs. Confirm in advance whether the bus will call at your usual stop.

How it differs from the last bus

"Last bus" refers to the final run of the day on a given route, which is a separate concept from a late-night bus. On a route with no late-night service, the last bus at the ordinary fare is the final departure of that day. On a route that does have late-night service, the arrangement comes in two stages: the last bus on the normal timetable, followed by late-night runs at the premium fare.

So when you are checking whether there is still a bus to be had, looking beyond the final time on the normal timetable to see whether late-night buses exist widens your options. Even with the premium fare it is usually far more affordable than a taxi, and whether or not you know about it changes how secure you feel about getting home late at night. Our article on first and last buses explains in detail how to look up first and last services.