Bus

Although they don’t run through town very often, buses are a great way to get between cities for day trips, especially when going to Fukushima City.

There are a couple bus companies that go to various locations. Be sure to plan your route beforehand.

Many buses offer a commuter card for regular travel.

For a complete list of bus schedules and destinations, visit the Minamisoma City Hall website. Look for the バス運行状況 (bus operations status report), and click on 運行時刻表 (bus operations timetable) next to your desired location to visit each bus company’s site. Keep in mind that the timetables and bus systems are subject to change.

Know when your bus will arrive and whether it requires purchasing a ticket beforehand. Be at the bus stop a few minutes before the scheduled departure time.

This may involve navigating the bus company’s website and/or paying at a convenience store. See the Making a Reservation section for key words you can use.

Take your ticket or electronic receipt with you to board the bus.

For buses that don’t require a reservation, take a ticket when boarding.

Press one of the stop request buttons in the bus before your stop, or ride to the end of the line. Take your ticket to the front of the bus to pay on buses that don’t require reservations.

This bus system is a great way to get around the entire Touhoku Area.

Minamisoma bus stops are located in front of Haranomachi Station, by Minamisoma City Hall, and at the Minamisoma Bus Terminal.

Tickets can be purchased from the bus staff when boarding. No reservation is needed. You can purchase two tickets (2回券) for a round trip and receive a small discount.

For more details and schedules, check the Touhoku Access website.

There is one bus running between Minamisoma and Tokyo on weekdays, with one more bus active on weekends.

Tickets vary from 3500 to 5000 yen one-way.

You must purchase a ticket in advance. Tickets for Tokyo can be purchased online, either with a credit card, or taking a code to a convenience store.

For more details, or to purchase a ticket, visit the Touhoku Access website

There are 6 buses running each day between Minamisoma and Fukushima station, taking a little under 2 hours. Free parking is available diagonally across from Minamisoma City Hall.

Regular commuters on this bus route may benefit from getting the NORUCA IC card for discounts and cashless payments.

Otherwise, you can pay in cash on the bus. Grab a ticket when you board, and pay at the front when you get off. Bus fare costs to Fukushima are 1100 yen one-way.

For more details, visit the Fukushima Transportation website.

This company has stops at Sunlife in Haramachi and next to the Kashima Ward Office with a travel time of 5-6 hours to Tokyo, Shinjuku, and Ikebukuro. Prices vary based on availability and the day of the week.

Reservations can be made online. You can use a credit card to pay, or take a reservation code to pay at a convenience store.

For more details or to purchase a ticket, visit the Sakura Tourism website.

Scroll down and select your desired bus line and time.