Busta Shinjuku
Busta Shinjuku is the bus and taxi terminal for Shinjuku Station, located at the station's south end, and connecting the area by highway bus with destinations throughout Japan.
- Busta Shinjuku Overview
- Busta Shinjuku History
- Busta Shinjuku Layout
- Busta Shinjuku Taxis
- Shinjuku WE Bus
- Tourist Information Center Tokyo
- Highway Buses
- Nursery and Garden Floors
- NEWoMan
- South Side Terraces
- Busta Shinjuku Access
Busta Shinjuku バスタ新宿
Busta Shinjuku (Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal) is the main bus and taxi terminal of Shinjuku Station in Tokyo, located over the station's south end. Highway buses, taxis, and a local loop bus operate from Busta Shinjuku for access to destinations throughout Japan.
Busta Shinjuku Bus and Taxi Terminal
Bus departure platform on 4F of Busta Shinjuku
Busta Shinjuku is next to the NeWoMan shopping complex, and in close proximity to the numerous other Shinjuku shopping and hotel accommodation just south of the station, including the Shinjuku Southern Terrace shopping and leisure zone.
Busta Shinjuku is immediately accessible from the platforms of Shinjuku Station, and provides direct access to Shinjuku Station below.
Over 100 bus companies use Busta Shinjuku, with hundreds of buses coming and going every day.
Busta Shinjuku History
Construction began on Busta Shinjuku in 2006 in order to consolidate what were 19 different highway bus stations around Shinjuku Station, reduce the distance between Shinjuku Station trains and buses, and alleviate traffic - especially taxi - congestion at the South Gate of Shinjuku Station.
The project was begun and financed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and administered by the East Japan Railway Company. Busta Shinjuku was completed in 10 years, opening on April 4, 2016.
Busta Shinjuku is operated by a company 50% owned by the Nihon Bus Association, with the other 50% owned by 11 of the bus companies that use Busta Shinjuku. Bus ticketing services and the like are consigned to the company.
The name "Busta Shinjuku" was the result of a public naming competition. "Busta" is an abbreviation of bus taxi.
Western end of Busta Shinjuku
Busta Shinjuku 4F ticketing desks and waiting area (not foreigner-friendly: see Highway Buses below)
Busta Shinjuku Layout
Busta Shinjuku has four floors. The third and fourth floors containing the Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal are bus- and taxi-related:
-taxis operate from the third floor
-Shinjuku WE Bus (a Tokyo loop bus) and the Tourist Information Center Tokyo are on the third floor
-highway bus platforms and the ticket office and waiting area are on the fourth floor.
The first floor of Busta Shinjuku is on the same level as, and directly connects to, the railway lines and platforms of the southern end of Shinjuku Station.
The second floor is a pedestrian area and where the three southernmost gates of Shinjuku Station are located. (See Busta Shinjuku Access.) Here is the Ekinaka Ekisoto Food Hall (shared with the adjacent NEWoMan shopping complex) with several cafes and quick eat establishments. There are railway ticket machines beside the gates, as well as a Japan Rail View Plaza ticketing and booking office (where overseas travelers can also exchange their Japan Rail Pass).
Access between floors is by escalator at the front (Shinjuku Station) side of Busta Shinjuku, and elevator at the back.
Busta Shinjuku Taxi Stand
Taxis depart from the third floor of Busta Shinjuku. This is the only place in front of the South Gate of Shinjuku Station where taxis are permitted to pick up and drop off passengers.
Shinjuku WE Bus
Shinjuku WE Bus, departing from the third floor of Busta Shinjuku, is a community bus operated by Keio Dentetsu Bus. It does a loop of east and west Shinjuku via the West Gate of Shinjuku Station, stopping first at Tsunohazu-nichome, then the Shinjuku Washington Hotel, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building ("Tocho"), the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Higashi-dori, Kogakuin University, Shinjuku Station West Exit, Kabukicho, Shinjuku-sanchome Rainbow Village, and back to Shinjuku Station South Exit (Busta Shinjuku).
Inside the Tourist Information Center Tokyo, Busta Shinjuku
Tourist Information Center Tokyo
The Tourist Information Center Tokyo is located on the third floor of Busta Shinjuku and provides multi-lingual tourist-related information to overseas visitors. There are rows of iPads with tourism information for visitors' perusal, and fluent English-speaking staff. One corner of the Center has a baggage storage and forwarding counter run by Sagawa Transport.Tourist Information Center Tokyo hours: 6:30 am - 11 pm, open every day of the year.
Highway Buses
Highway buses depart from any of the 12 platforms on the fourth floor of Busta Shinjuku, and drop passengers off at an arrival platform on the third floor.
The highway bus ticket office and waiting room is at the far end of the platform area on the fourth floor. All ticket counters sell tickets for all of the more than 100 bus companies that use Busta Shinjuku. There is seating for waiting passengers in an attractive, modern space, and an information desk at one end for bus-related inquiries.
BEWARE: The Busta Shinjuku bus terminal is foreigner-unfriendly. Insufficient or poorly worded information is provided, meaning that passengers are very likely to miss boarding their bus. Many staff do actually speak English, but are reluctant to help; so, insist on adequate (i.e., detailed) guidance at the time of buying your ticket, because no refunds are issued for missed buses.
Nursery and Garden Floors
There is an infants' nursery on the 5F of Busta Shinjuku, a garden restaurant on the 6F, and the Sorado Farm green space on the 7F roof.
Busta Shinjuku plaza in front of New South Gate, with NEWoMan (Miraina Tower) in background
NEWoMan
The NEWoMan (simply pronounced "newman") shopping complex, operated by Lumine, is right beside Busta Shinjuku, and occupies the first 5 floors of the 32-floor JR Shinjuku Miraina Tower, with fashion boutiques, lifestyle-related goods, cafes and restaurants. The 2F Ekinaka Ekisoto Food Hall spans the length of both Busta Shinjuku and NEWoMan and is open from 7 am - 2 am. NEWoMan hours for the other shopping floors are 11am - 10pm.The NEWoMan Information Counter is on the 2F and open 11am - 10pm.
South Side Terraces
Busta Shinjuku has landscaped terraces on its south side where visitors can relax amid some greenery: a big, broad plaza on the second floor, and a smaller - but still sizable - terrace on the third floor with stairs joining the two levels. The plazas provide a view of the trains running beneath, the Yoyogi area, and access to the many shops and hotels of Shinjuku Southern Terrace. Read more about Shinjuku Station South Gate shopping
Busta Shinjuku Access
Busta Shinjuku is accessible directly from, and provides access to, the platforms of Shinjuku Station, through the Koshu-kaido Gate on Koshu-kaido Avenue, the New South Gate at the back of Busta Shinjuku, or the Miraina Tower Gate inside Busta Shinjuku in front of the NEWoMan entrance. All three gates are on the second floor of Busta Shinjuku. Access is also possible by exiting the South Gate of Shinjuku Station and crossing Koshu-kaido Road.
Signpost for Busta Shinjuku exits on platform of Shinjuku Station
