Taking the Bus to the Museum

There are two types of regular buses in Japan. In some cities (e.g. some routes in Osaka) the fare is a flat rate irrespective of the journey's distance. With other routes, including buses to the Museum, the fare increases as the journey progresses. To use this type of bus, follow the simple steps below (speaking Japanese is not required).

1. Proceed to the west exit of Kusatsu Station. Outside the station in the square, go to bus stop number 2

2. Buses to the Museum have the destination sign for the Biwako-haku-butsu-kan (Lake Biwa Museum or Biwako Museum):
   

   Bus Timetable
   Going to the Museum			Returning from the Museum
   Hour	Mondays to Fridays	Saturdays, Sundays & Public Holidays	Hour	Mondays to Fridays	Saturdays, Sundays & Public Holidays
   8:	00, 50	00	8:	27	27
   9:	30	30	9:	19, 59	59
   10:	30	00, 30	10:	59	29, 59
   11:	30	30	11:	59	59
   12:	30	00, 30	12:	59	29, 54
   13:	30	30	13:	59	59
   14:	30	00, 30	14:	59	29, 59
   15:	30	30	15:	59	59
   16:	30	00, 30	16:		29, 54
   17:	30	00	17:	30	29
   18:	30	00, 30	18:	00, 59	24, 54
   19:		00	19:		24

   Journey time = 25 minutes.

3. Get on the bus at the rear door (sometimes the central door depending on the type of bus, but not the front door - that's the exit).

4. Take a ticket from the yellow machine by the door. Your ticket will have a number printed on it.
   

5. Take a seat and enjoy the journey (it takes 25 minutes from Kusatsu Station to the Museum).

6. When you want to get off, press one of the the stop buttons located throughout the bus. The Museum is the last stop on the route. The bus stop is called Biwako-haku-butsu-kan-mae. English announcements are made on some of the buses.

7. When you get off, match the number on your ticket to the number on the electronic display board at the front of the bus. This will tell you how much money you must pay. It is 440 yen per adult, 220 yen per child (no charge for pre-school children) for the trip to the Museum from Kusatsu Station. Note that the Lake Biwa Museum is sometimes called the 'Biwako Museum' in English.

   

8. Drop this money with the ticket into the clear plastic box by the driver and alight. If you need change, there is a machine by the driver that can change coins and 1000 yen notes.