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Takayama Station and the Nohi Bus Center: A Practical Guide

Where the exits, lockers and bus counters are at Takayama Station, which highway buses leave from the Nohi Bus Center and how to book each one, from official pages checked on October 22, 2026.

Researched & written byRural Japan GuidesHow I researchSources20 sourceslisted at the endLast checkedDetails can change — check the official site before you travel.Read4 min
The modern JR Takayama Station building and its covered plaza under a clear summer sky

JR Takayama Station. Photo: EXECUTOR / Wikimedia Commons / CC0

The short answer
  • The Nohi Bus Center is right beside JR Takayama Station, behind the police box; every Nohi highway bus leaves from there.
  • Most highway buses from Takayama need a reservation, booked online up to a month ahead; changes and cancellations are done at the counter where you bought the ticket, not by phone.
  • Nohi Bus fares to Shirakawa-go and Kanazawa go up on December 1, 2026: ¥2,800 to ¥2,900 and ¥4,200 to ¥4,400.
My pick

Book your highway bus online before you arrive, and leave bags in the station lockers.

Most Takayama highway buses are reserved-seat only, and tickets are sold until 15 minutes before departure.

Lockers at the station and the bus center take cash only and hold bags for up to 3 days.

  1. 1highwaybus.comTokyo, Nagoya, Gifu, Matsumoto
  2. 2Japan Bus OnlineKanazawa, Toyama, Magome and Tsumago
  3. 3Japan Bus LinesKyoto and Osaka

Takayama has one station for trains and, right beside it, one bus center for almost everything else. If you know where the bus center is, how the lockers work and how each highway bus is booked, you can plan a trip here without a car. For the town itself, see my Takayama guide.

The layout of Takayama Station

  • Two exits: the East Exit (Norikura-guchi) and the West Exit (Hakusan-guchi).
  • Ticket gates: on the second floor. A walkway joins the two sides and is open 24 hours.
  • JR ticket office: open 6:00–20:50.
  • The Nohi Bus Center: just outside the station, behind the police box (koban). Highway buses, the bus to Shirakawa-go, buses to Okuhida and the city loop buses all leave from here.
  • Taxis: there is a taxi stand near the station, or you can call a taxi company.
  • On foot: the old town is about 15 minutes away and Takayama Jinya about 10.

Coin lockers and luggage

Where Lockers (S / M / L)
i-CAFE, in the station 111 / 54 / 20
Nohi Bus Center 56 / 32 / 14
  • Price: ¥400, ¥600 or ¥700 by size.
  • Rules: cash only, open 24 hours, up to 3 days including the first day.
  • If they are full: Yamato Transport and TABINO Satellite near the station store bags, and Sagawa Express has a counter in the city. A same-day delivery service takes bags from the station or your hotel to your inn in central Takayama; it needs a reservation.
LuggageStaying the night? Ask your inn first

If you are staying the night, ask your inn whether it will hold your bags before check-in.

Highway buses from the Nohi Bus Center

Nohi Bus lists these routes on its English page. All of them leave from the Takayama Nohi Bus Center.

To Adult fare, one way Booking
Shinjuku / Tokyo Yaesu ¥8,000 / ¥8,500 (day bus) highwaybus.com
Kyoto / Osaka ¥6,500 / ¥7,000 Japan Bus Lines, phone
Nagoya ¥3,600 (¥3,300 online) highwaybus.com
Matsumoto ¥4,400 highwaybus.com
Shirakawa-go ¥2,800; ¥2,900 from Dec 1 Japan Bus Online
Kanazawa ¥4,200; ¥4,400 from Dec 1 Japan Bus Online
Toyama ¥3,800 (fare to Nov 30, 2026) Japan Bus Online
Magome / Tsumago ¥5,000 (runs to Nov 30, 2026) Japan Bus Online, phone

Nohi Bus also runs a route to Gifu. Fares are from Nohi Bus's route pages; check the exact fare for your date when you book.

  • Shinjuku: about 5 hours 45 minutes. The day bus costs ¥8,000 to Busta Shinjuku and ¥8,500 to Yotsuya 1-chome or Tokyo Yaesu; night buses cost ¥1,000 more.
  • Nagoya: about 2 hours 45 minutes, 12 buses a day from Takayama.
  • Kyoto and Osaka: both via Gujo-Hachiman. Nohi Bus's English timetable still shows a 2025 date range, so check the times when you book.
  • Matsumoto: via Hirayu Onsen.
  • Magome and Tsumago: one bus a day each way via Gero Onsen, from April 1 to November 30, 2026. It leaves Takayama at 8:00 and reaches Magome at 10:45.

How to reserve a Takayama highway bus

How I checked this

  1. Find your route on Nohi Bus's English express bus page; each route links to its own booking site.
  2. Book up to one month before the travel date. Seats are reserved, and tickets are sold until 15 minutes before departure.
  3. For the Nagoya and Shinjuku buses, a web booking that is not paid within 3 days (counting the booking day) is cancelled automatically.
  4. To change or cancel, go to the counter where you bought the ticket. Nohi Bus does not handle changes by phone.
Nohi Bus English express bus page and route pages, checked October 22, 2026
December 1, 2026New fares and a direct Kanazawa bus
  • Shirakawa-go and Kanazawa fares rise on December 1, 2026: Takayama to Shirakawa-go goes from ¥2,800 to ¥2,900, and Takayama to Kanazawa from ¥4,200 to ¥4,400.
  • New from December 1, 2026: Nohi Bus adds a direct Takayama–Kanazawa bus that does not stop at Shirakawa-go, and brings back a reserved bus from Takayama to Shirakawa-go.

The phone line is the Nohi Bus Reservation Center, (0577) 32-1688, from 9:00 to 17:00, in Japanese only. For Kyoto and Osaka you can also call the Kintetsu Kosoku Reservation Center, 0570-001631, from 9:00 to 19:00.

Buses that do not need a reservation

  • Kamikochi: Nohi Bus's Kamikochi line, which runs until November 15, 2026, is non-reserved; you cannot book a seat. For the change at Hirayu and a same-day plan, see my Takayama to Kamikochi guide.
  • Okuhida: the bus from Takayama to Hirayu Onsen takes 53–58 minutes.
  • Shirakawa-go: some buses are non-reserved. Nohi Bus's mobile tickets are for those buses only.
  • Around town: the Sarubobo Bus runs from the Nohi Bus Center toward Hida Folk Village, about 9 minutes away; a ride costs ¥100–210.

Trains from Takayama Station

The Hida limited express connects Takayama with Nagoya in about 2 hours 20 minutes, according to JR Central. From Osaka or Kyoto, take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Nagoya and change to the Hida.

What I could not confirm yet
  • Opening hours of the Nohi Bus Center ticket counter
  • Which exit the bus center is on (the tourism page gives only "behind the police box")
  • Current Kyoto and Osaka departure times
  • Train fares to Nagoya and Toyama
  • The Toyama bus fare from December 1, 2026 (the fare notice names the Toyama route but gives no new amount)

Getting to Takayama from Tokyo or Osaka

From Tokyo

Highway bus from Shinjuku to Takayama: about 5 hours 45 minutes, seats reserved.

From Osaka

Shinkansen to Nagoya, then the Hida limited express: about 2 hours 20 to 30 minutes from Nagoya.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the bus station in Takayama?

The Takayama Nohi Bus Center is right next to JR Takayama Station. Hida Takayama Tourism says you will find it behind the police box (koban) when you leave the station. All of Nohi Bus's highway buses leave from there.

Do I need to reserve the highway bus from Takayama?

For most routes, yes. Nohi Bus lists Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, Nagoya, Gifu, Matsumoto and Magome–Tsumago as reservation required. The Kanazawa and Toyama buses via Shirakawa-go are partly reserved: some buses need a reservation and some do not.

How far ahead can I book a bus from Takayama?

Nohi Bus opens reservations one month before the travel date. Tickets are sold until 15 minutes before departure, but the company asks you to buy early.

Can I change a Takayama bus booking by phone?

No. Nohi Bus says changes and cancellations must be done at the counter where you bought the ticket, and cannot be handled over the phone.

Are there coin lockers at Takayama Station?

Yes, at i-CAFE in the station and at the Nohi Bus Center: ¥400, ¥600 or ¥700 by size, cash only, open 24 hours, for up to 3 days including the first day.

Keep planning

TakayamaTakayama without a car: the train and buses in, the old town on foot, day-trip buses to Shirakawa-go and Kamikochi, luggage and seasons, from official pages.Shirakawa-goReach Shirakawa-go by bus from Takayama, Kanazawa, Toyama or Nagoya: fares, reservations, luggage, staying overnight and what changes in snow season.Japanese Alps itineraryDay-by-day 5- and 7-day Japanese Alps itineraries by bus and train: where to sleep, where your luggage goes and estimated transport costs by season.

Sources

  1. Coin lockers and luggage services in Takayama — Hida Takayama Tourism
  2. Getting around Takayama — Hida Takayama Tourism
  3. Express bus — Nohi Bus
  4. Nohi Bus (English) — Nohi Bus
  5. Takayama – Kyoto and Osaka highway bus — Nohi Bus
  6. Takayama – Nagoya highway bus — Nohi Bus
  7. Takayama – Shinjuku highway bus — Nohi Bus
  8. Takayama – Matsumoto highway bus — Nohi Bus
  9. Takayama – Shirakawa-go bus (English) — Nohi Bus
  10. Shirakawa-go, Kanazawa and Toyama fares — Nohi Bus
  11. Fare revision from December 1, 2026 — Nohi Bus
  12. Timetable change from December 1, 2026 — Nohi Bus
  13. Takayama – Magome and Tsumago bus — Nohi Bus
  14. Kamikochi line — Nohi Bus
  15. Takayama – Hirayu Onsen – Shinhotaka bus — Nohi Bus
  16. Sarubobo Bus — Nohi Bus
  17. Hida Takayama (access) — JR Central
  18. Getting to Takayama — Hida Takayama Tourism
  19. Takayama old town (archived copy) — Hida Takayama Tourist and Convention Association
  20. Takayama Jinya (archived copy) — Hida Takayama Tourist and Convention Association

Researched and checked by Rio, based in Japan. I read Japanese timetables, operator PDFs and prefecture notices, cross-check them and date every fact. Published . Updated . How I research →