In the summer of 2020 Yokohama City introduced a new “Bayside Blue” bus service connecting Yokohama Station with the city’s main waterfront sightseeing and shopping districts. The new vehicle is a “Hino Blue Ribbon Hybrid Articulated Bus,” Japan’s first domestically produced hybrid articulated bus and its hybrid engine system is expected to improve fuel efficiency by about 10%.
The Bayside Blue bus on the move
The bus runs from the East Exit of Yokohama Station to Yamashita Pier via major waterfront facilities such as the Cup Noodle Museum, the new Hammerhead shopping mall, the Akarenga Soko (Red Brick Warehouse) shopping complex, Osanbashi Pier, Yamashita Park and other popular locations.
The bus interior
Multilingual information screens are in both the front and back compartments of the bus
Buses run from 10.00 to 19.00 and are scheduled to run approximately every 30 minutes. The full travel time should be around 40 minutes. One-way fares are fixed at 220 yen for adults and 110 yen for children (aged 1 – 12 years old) and these can be paid with cash or an IC card (such as PASMO, Suica, Kitaca, etc). The discount travel pass, Minato Burari Ticket Wide, can also be used on this bus.
The bus is boarded from the front and then exited from either of two central exits
The stops on the outbound route from Yokohama Station are as follows:
Yokohama Station – Takashima Central Park – Pacifico Yokohama North – Pacifico Yokohama -Cup Noodle Park & Hammerhead Entrance – Osanbashi Pier Entrance -Yamashita Park -Yamashita Pier
The return route stops from Yamashita Pier are:
Yamashita Pier – Yamashita-cho – China Town Entrance – Akarenga Soko – Pacifico Yokohama -Pacifico Yokohama North – Takashima Central Park – Yokohama Station
The Bayside Blue route map
At Yokohama Station’s East Exit Bus Terminal the Bayside Blue service is boarded at Bus Stop 4.
The Bayside Blue stop at the East Exit Bus Terminal
Bayside Blue bus stops are also easily recognized by their distinctive blue signage.
A Bayside Blue bus stop
The Bayside Blue complements Yokohama’s other bus services and increases the number of transportation options from Yokohama Station which already include the Yokohama Municipal Subway, the Minatomirai Subway Line, and the Yokohama Sea Bass which is a water bus service between the station area and Yamashita Park.
The Bayside Blue bus at Cosmo Clock 21 Ferris wheel
Article by Michael Lambe. Images courtesy of Yokohama City Bayside Blue. All rights reserved.
