How to Ride the Bus in Tokyo: ¥210 Toei Buses and Bike Share
By Atsushi — host at Bon House in Kanamachi, Katsushika ward. I've run Bon House since 2022 and hosted more than 300 guest groups.
How to ride the bus in Tokyo comes down to one rule that trips up almost everyone: on Toei buses inside the 23 wards, you board at the front door and pay before you sit down. The adult fare is a flat ¥210, cash or Suica/PASMO, however far you ride. Queue at the back door like you would on a bus back home and it won't open.
Trains are faster, but on the subway you see nothing of the city. Buses and bikes stay above ground, so the back lanes of Asakusa and the Sumida River slide past the window. This guide covers how Toei buses work, how to use Tokyo's bike share, what they cost and the rules that catch visitors out.
Tokyo Buses and Bike Share at a Glance
Prices as of October 2026.
| Option | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Toei bus (23 wards) | ¥210 per ride | Seeing the city at street level |
| Toei bus one-day pass | ¥500 | Days with 3+ bus rides |
| docomo bike share | ¥165 per 30 min | Short hops in central/east Tokyo |
| docomo 1-day pass | ¥1,650 | A full day on two wheels |
Three rides at ¥210 come to ¥630, so the ¥500 day pass is cheaper. On a bus day, buy the pass on your first ride of the morning.
How to Ride the Bus in Tokyo: Front Door, ¥210 Up Front
1. Board at the front and pay the fare
At the stop, check the route number and destination on the front of the bus. Get on through the front door and tap your Suica or PASMO on the reader on the fare box, or drop ¥210 in cash. The fare box will change a ¥1,000 note, but at busy times you'll have a line behind you, so have coins or an IC card ready. How to get an IC card and top it up is in my Suica guide for foreigners.
2. Watch the screen for the next stop
The monitor at the front shows the name of the next stop. Many buses also show it in English, but not all of them. Before you board, look up your stop on Google Maps in both kanji and romaji so you'll recognise it on the screen.
3. Press the stop button and get off at the back
When your stop is announced, press one of the stop buttons on the seats or poles. You already paid when you got on, so just step off through the rear (middle) door.
Outside the 23 wards, it works the other way round
Everything above applies to flat-fare routes inside the 23 wards. In the Tama area and on some private bus lines, you board at the back, take a numbered ticket (or tap your IC card), then pay a distance-based fare at the front when you get off. If the front door stays shut, that's your sign it's a back-door route.
Load the Toei bus one-day pass onto your IC card
The Toei bus one-day pass costs ¥500 for adults and ¥250 for children, and covers unlimited Toei bus rides in the 23 wards. There are two ways to buy it.
- IC one-day pass: as you board, tell the driver "one-day pass" (ichinichi jōshaken) and they'll deduct ¥500 from your Suica or PASMO balance. You can't pay cash for it, so top up first if you're low. One card holds one person's pass, not two.
- Digital pass: buy it before you ride in the RYDE PASS app and pay by credit card.
The paper pass is being phased out, so plan on the IC or app version.
Best Tokyo Bus Routes for Sightseeing: To-08 from Asakusa to Skytree
The easiest route to recommend to visitors is 都08 (To-08). It runs from Nippori Station past Asakusa and Tokyo Skytree Station Entrance to Kinshicho Station. The Asakusa stop is "Asakusa Hisago-dori / Hanayashiki". As you cross the Sumida River, Skytree looms closer on one side. It's a view the subway can't give you, for ¥210.
都01 (To-01), from Shibuya via Roppongi to Shimbashi, links in one ride a stretch that takes a transfer by train. Both routes run often and make a good first Toei bus.
For stop locations and times, pick "Bus" in Google Maps directions. The official Toei Bus site also has a live service tracker showing where each bus is right now.
docomo Bike Share Tokyo: Prices and How It Works
The red e-assist bikes you see all over central Tokyo are docomo bike share. Chiyoda, Chuo, Minato, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Taito, Sumida and other central wards share one network of ports (docking stations), so you can pick up a bike in one ward and drop it in another.
docomo bike share rates (as of October 2026)
| Plan | Cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Single-use member | ¥165 for the first 30 min, then ¥165 per 30 min | A few short rides |
| 1-day pass | ¥1,650 | Riding all day |
| Monthly member | ¥3,300/month, no extra charge under 30 min | Long stays |
docomo bike share planned a fare change for September 2026, including 10-minute billing and scrapping the 1-day pass, then postponed it after a system outage in August. No new date has been set. Check the current rates in the app before you ride.
Signing up, unlocking and returning a bike
Install the official app and register a credit card (debit and prepaid cards are not accepted). During sign-up the app sends an SMS code, so it goes fastest if you have a number that can receive texts in Japan. Overseas numbers sometimes fail verification, so try registering before you fly.
To ride, find a nearby port on the app map, pick a bike and unlock it. To return it, park it in a rack at any port, lock it and check that the app confirms the return. A full port won't take your bike, so note two ports with free spaces near where you're heading.
Tokyo Bike Share Routes Worth Riding
Asakusa → Skytree → Kinshicho (about 4 km, 25 min)
From behind Senso-ji, head out to Kototoi-dori and cross the Sumida on Kototoi Bridge. On the far side Skytree rises right in front of you, and its size doesn't register from a train window. Follow the Kitajukken River east to Kinshicho. For the temple itself, see my Senso-ji guide; for observation deck tickets, the Tokyo Skytree guide.
Ueno → Yanesen → Nippori (about 4 km, 25 min)
Go out the back of Ueno Park through Nezu and Sendagi into Yanaka. The cherry trees of Yanaka Cemetery and Yanaka Ginza shopping street in the late afternoon suit bike speed perfectly. The lanes are narrow and crowded, so walk your bike through Yanaka Ginza. If you'd rather do it on foot, use the Asakusa and Ueno walking route.
Shibuya → Daikanyama → Nakameguro (about 3 km, 20 min)
It's a hilly route, but docomo bikes are e-assist, so the climbs are easy. In cherry blossom season the Meguro River in Nakameguro gets so packed you'll end up walking.
Akihabara → Jimbocho → Tokyo Station (about 4 km, 25 min)
From the electronics district, through the secondhand bookshops of Jimbocho, to the towers of Marunouchi. The office district empties of cars at weekends and is far easier to ride than on weekdays.
Exploring Tokyo by Bus and Bike from Kanamachi
You'll rarely see a red docomo bike in Kanamachi, where Bon House is. The bike share around the station is HELLO CYCLING, and the app shows ports near Kanamachi Station. Rates vary by port and bike type, so check in the app.
With a bike, Shibamata, one train stop from Keisei Kanamachi Station, is an easy ride along the Edogawa River embankment. Mizumoto Park, one of the largest parks in the 23 wards, is about 10–15 min on Keisei Bus route 金61 from stop 4 at the bus terminal by JR Kanamachi Station's south exit.
Here's how a typical Toei bus day around old Tokyo goes for a couple based in Kanamachi. In the morning, ride from Kanamachi toward Ueno with a change at Kita-Senju, and get off one stop short at Nippori. Walk Yanaka, then board To-08 outside Nippori Station, ask the driver for a one-day pass and have ¥500 taken from your Suica or PASMO. Hop off at Asakusa for Senso-ji, then take To-08 again to Skytree. In the evening, take the Keisei Oshiage Line from Oshiage to Keisei Takasago and change to the Kanamachi Line home. Three bus rides would have cost 3 × ¥210 = ¥630; the pass makes it ¥500. Keisei gates don't take contactless credit cards, so you still need that Suica or PASMO all day.
If you're looking for a base for exploring east Tokyo by bus and bike, check Bon House's rates and open dates in Kanamachi here. You get a tatami room with 4 futons, your own bath and toilet, a fridge, microwave, kettle and a washer-dryer, 7–10 min on foot from Keisei Kanamachi Station. There's no kitchen.
Cycling Rules in Tokyo: Fines Since April 2026
Since April 1, 2026, anyone 16 or older who breaks traffic rules on a bike can be issued a "blue ticket" with an on-the-spot fine. Tourists are included.
| Offence | Fine |
|---|---|
| Riding with a phone in your hand | ¥12,000 |
| Running a red light | ¥6,000 |
| Riding on the pavement (sidewalk) or on the right | ¥6,000 |
- Bikes ride on the left side of the road. Pavements signed as open to bicycles are the exception.
- Riding with an umbrella or earphones is also enforced.
- Since 2023, riders have been expected to wear a helmet, though it isn't compulsory. Bike share bikes don't come with one.
Busy roads in central Tokyo are scary if you're not used to them. If you're unsure, start in the office districts at weekends or on riverside paths.
Tokyo Bus and Bike Share FAQ
How much is the Toei bus fare for children?
Primary school children pay ¥110 in cash or ¥105 by IC card. Children from age 1 up to school age ride free, up to two per accompanying passenger aged 6 or over; from the third child on, each pays the child fare.
What hours can you use docomo bike share?
Most outdoor ports let you borrow and return 24 hours a day, but ports inside shopping centres and similar buildings may be limited to opening hours. At night the ride-on-the-road rule still applies, and your light must be on.
Can I take a suitcase on a Toei bus?
Yes, but if it blocks the aisle it's hard going at rush hour. For airport runs, trains are more reliable than buses; from Kanamachi, follow the route in Narita Airport to Kanamachi.
If you want a place to stay while you mix trains, buses and bikes around Tokyo, see the Bon House room details and book your dates. And if you're not sure which bus to take or which bike port to use, message me before you arrive and I'll help.