JR Bus collectively refers to the bus operations of Japan Railways Group (JR Group) companies in Japan. JR Bus is operated by eight regional companies, each owned by a JR railway company. JR Bus companies provide regional, long distance, and chartered bus services.

Van Hool Astromega operated by JR Tokai Bus
Neoplan Megaliner operated by JR Bus Kanto
Substitution bus for temporarily suspended Etsumi North Line railway operated by West JR Bus
Several buses operated by JR Bus Kanto parked at Tokyo Station in November 2022

List of companies

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Bus company Operation area Parent company
JR Hokkaido Bus Company Hokkaidō region Hokkaido Railway Company
JR Bus Tohoku Company Tōhoku region East Japan Railway Company
JR Bus Kanto Company Kantō region
JR Tokai Bus Company Tōkai region Central Japan Railway Company
West Japan JR Bus Company Hokuriku region, Kansai region West Japan Railway Company
Chugoku JR Bus Company Chūgoku region
JR Shikoku Bus Company Shikoku region Shikoku Railway Company
JR Kyushu Bus Company Kyūshū region Kyushu Railway Company

History

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The Ministry of Railways of Japan started its first bus operation in Aichi Prefecture in 1930 and gradually expanded bus routes. The Japanese National Railways (JNR), public corporation established in 1949, succeeded the bus operations, then called Kokutetsu Bus or JNR Bus. In 1987, JNR was divided into regional railway companies together with its bus operations. JR companies later separated their bus operations to subsidiaries in 1988 (JR East, JR Central, JR West), 2000 (JR Hokkaido), 2001 (JR Kyushu) and 2004 (JR Shikoku).

Examples of vehicles

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Regional route vehicles

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Expressway route vehicles

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JR Bus Tohoku, JR Bus Kanto, JR Tokai Bus and Chugoku JR Bus share a common livery based on the JNR Bus livery.

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