To get around sightseeing spots smoothly in Nagoya city, you need to know about the sightseeing route bus “Me~guru”.
When using “Me~guru” as transportation, you don’t have to hassle to fighting with the map or your smartphone.
“Me~guru” (pronounce more like “Meeh guru”) stops 11 popular attractions such as Nagoya Castle and Tokugawa garden.
The per-ride costs ¥210 and also you can buy a one-day pass for ¥500.
The Sightseeing Route Bus “Me~guru”.
*www.maruhachi-kotsu.com
“Me~guru” has been in service since 2007, visitors enjoy the glitter golden bus with a glass rooftop.
On the bus, you can learn about Nagoya and sightseeing spots on the route via monitors, also there is a volunteer guide you can ask (weekends only).
The monitor guide speaks “Samurai language”, kind of interesting if you understand Japanese.
So far, unfortunately, the guides on the bus are for Japanese visitors.
Despite most users are from overseas today, it seems there are Japanese guide-only.
I am hoping the English and other language guides are coming soon.
•Supplement Information
There are roughly two types of “Me~guru”, one is the real “Me~guru” which is made for “Me~guru”, another is modified from a regular bus for “Me~guru” from the regular buses.
The real one has monitor-guide, free-wifi, and glass-roof top, besides, the monitor guide is “Tokugawa Ieyasu” from “Nagoya Omotenashi Bushotai (the Samurai commander performers) who can speak English. So it seems you can sometimes hear English. Also, the monitor tells you the stop in English.
If you get on the modified version (Yellow-colored, not golden), there is no monitor, and the tape-guide is not “Tokugawa Ieyasu” nor Japanese-only, so you have to pay attention the stop where you want to get off.
Volunteer guides are available weekends only, and some of them can speak English but not all guides can speak English.
About The Fare
| The type of day passes | ticket price (child) |
| per-ride price (Pay per ride with cash or IC card) | ¥210(¥100)) |
| A one-day pass for the sightseeing route bus only | ¥500(¥250) |
| “Donichi Eco Kippu”; the city bus & subway weekend pass (all-you-can-ride ticket for Saturday &Sunday, and 8th of every month) | ¥620(¥310) |
| Nagoya city Bus & Subway 1-Day Pass | ¥870(¥430) |
| 1-Day Bus Pass | ¥620(¥310) |
How To Get A Ticket & 1-Day Pass
IC card”Manaca”, “Donichi Eco Kippu”, Nagoya city bus & subway 1-day ticket
*www.maruhachi-kotsu.com
- Ticket Vending Machines at Nagoya subway stations
- Subway station ticket offices (ticket gate counter)
- Station manager’s offices
- City bus offices
- Transportation Bureau Service center (Nagoya sta., Kanayama sta., Sakae sta.)
- Tourist Information center (Nagoya sta., Oasis 21i Center, Kanayama Sta.)
About “IC card”
The prepaid transportation card is very handy to get qround Japan, Nagoya is no an exception.
You can buy “Manaca” card from the ticket vending machines at any station or ticket offices.
How to buy IC card from the ticket vending machine
“Meguru” 1-day Pass
When planning to use “Me~guru” all-round the day, there is a 1-Day pass for “Me~guru”-only, you can purchase the 1-DAY ticket from a driver at the time of boarding.
You also get the discount coupon voucher, so you can enter with discount prices for some facilities.
The ticket is sold at the tourist information centers at Nagoya station, Oasis 21 (in central park at Sakae), Kanayama station.
You can’t buy the “Me~guru 1-Day ticket” via ticket vending machines at subway stations.
Tourist Information Center in Nagoya
SHORYUDO Welcome Card; 1-Day Pass For Transportation In Nagoya
“SHORYUDO” welcome cards are only for overseas visitors who hold non-Japanese passports and included in the project called “Go Central Japan, SHORYUDO”.
SHORYUDO welome cards have several editions depends on the purposes & destinations.
For unlimited Nagoya subways and city buses, the card is called ““SHORYUDO Nagoya Subway & Bus 1-Day Ticket” ”
- Price…¥620 (2 tickets limited by one passport)
- Available for all subway lines & Nagoya city buses, and The sightseeing route bus “Me~guru”
- Available for non-Japanese passport holders
- Chubu Centrair Int’l Airport, Meitetsu Travel Plaza
- Chubu Centrair Int’l Airport, Central Japan Travel Center
- Nagoya City Kanayama Tourist Information Center (Kanayama Station, Loop Kanayama 1F)
- Oasis 21 iCenter (Sakae Station, Oasis 21 B1F)
- Transportation Bureau Service Center (at Nagoya, Kanayama, Sakae subway stations)
You can purchase SHORYUDO welcome cards at only certain places so that it may kill your time if you are not around there, also showing a passport is required, so don’t forget to bring it.
The Bus Route; Where You Can Visit In Nagoya
The bus starts and returns at Nagoya station bus terminal.
- Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology
- Noritake Garden
- Shiken Michi (Shiken street)
- Nagoya Castle
- Nagoya Castle East (& the City hall)
- Tokugawa Garden & the Museum
- Cultural Path Futaba Museum
- Nagoya city Archive South
- Nagoya TV tower (the Central Park, Sakae)
- Hirokoji (Hirokoji street) -Sakae
- Hirokoji (Hirokoji street) -Fushimi
“Me~guru” Bus Departures & Returns At Nagoya Station Bus Terminal
*www.maruhachi-kotsu.com
The sightseeing route bus, “Me~guru” departures and returns at the Nagoya station bus terminal located inside buildings between JR gate tower and JP tower.
There are Meitetsu Bus center & Kintetsu bus center in different buildings, don’t make mistakes where you are going.
Number 11 gate
*www.maruhachi-kotsu.com
When you get to the bus terminal, go to the number 11 gate, which is permanently the gate for “Me~guru”. (as of JAN, 2020)
My Tip
From Nagoya station bus terminal, sightseeing route bus often gets crowded, especially weekends and during long holidays.
If many visitors are waiting in the long line, walk to the “Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry & Technology” and “Noritake Garden”.
The “Me~guru” Bus Is Worth?
The sightseeing route bus, “Me~guru” can be an effective and fun way to hop on & off the attractive spots with discount admission prices in Nagoya, especially you are not familiar with the city.
However, the bus route direction is only one-way, not vice versa.
Therefore, you may feel taking a long time to get to the destination, and also the bus comes only one or two times every hour on weekdays.
(It change one bus every 20 – 30 minutes on weekends & holidays.)
Research the sightseeing spots on the route, and it gets better to buy the “IC card” or a 1-Day pass for Nagoya city subway and bus if places don’t attract you.
Yet, if you plane visiting “Nagoya castle” and “Tokugawa Garden”, the route bus is still handy and 1-Day ticket costs only for ¥500.
Nagoya is a very compact city for sightseeing, and transportation systems are great.
If you stay in Nagoya on weekdays and have enough time to see around the city, or want to visit Nagoya Castle, Tokugawa Garden and Cultural Path Futaba Museum,
“Me~guru” helps your trip.