If you are thinking of taking some long distance trips in Hokkaido, going by express bus can be a good way to save money. Buses are generally the cheapest way to travel and for some destinations they are more direct with no need for transfers between trains or other forms of transport. Both daytime and nighttime buses are available on selected longer routes, and if you take a night bus you will also save money on one night’s accommodation.
Buses at Sapporo Station Bus Terminal before its September 2023 closure.
On the other hand, express buses generally take a little bit longer than trains, and they can be slowed down by bad traffic or weather conditions. Particularly during Hokkaido’s winter season you should consider whether you want to take the risk of weather-related delays. In this article we will look at major express bus services running from the Sapporo Station area, including the Airport Limousine Bus service that runs to New Chitose Airport.
Sapporo Station Bus Terminal in ESTA before its September 2023 closure.
Sapporo Station Bus Stops
Sapporo Station Bus Terminal closed on September 30, 2023. Most of the intercity services described below can be boarded at roadside stops around Kita 3-jo Square (Akapla), south of the station. Exits 2 and 4 of the underground pedestrian passage provide access to this area. Allow time to walk to the correct numbered stop before your bus departs.
The entrance to Sapporo Station Bus Terminal before its September 2023 closure.
The intercity stops around Akapla are numbered 1-7. JR Hokkaido Bus’s service to Erimo uses stop 15, Engan Bus’s services to Haboro and Toyotomi use stop 31, and New Star services use stop 33. Airport buses have a separate stop outside Hokuyo Bank opposite Daimaru. These stops are in different places around the station, so check the route-specific directions below and the boarding guides available through the operator links.
A crossing between bus lanes inside the closed Sapporo Station Bus Terminal.
Several companies operate highway bus services from the station area. Donan Bus and Hokkaido Chuo Bus have ticket and information counters on the Nissay Sapporo Building grounds beside Akapla, east of the Red Brick government building. Engan Bus have a counter beside the taxi stand in the station’s south-exit plaza.
Donan Bus’s ticket office inside Sapporo Station Bus Terminal before its relocation.
Hokkaido Chuo Bus’s information counter inside Sapporo Station Bus Terminal before its relocation.
The bus ticket center for JR Hokkaido Bus is on the first floor of the Sapporo Kita Sanjo Building at Kita 3 Nishi 3.
JR Hokkaido Bus’s ticket center in Apia before its September 2023 closure.
A JR Hokkaido Bus ticket machine inside the closed Sapporo Station Bus Terminal.
English guidance on a ticket machine inside the closed Sapporo Station Bus Terminal.
Check your operator’s departure time and boarding location before walking to the bus stop.
A Hokkaido Chuo Bus timetable displayed inside Sapporo Station Bus Terminal before its closure.
Some express bus services are unreserved, but others require a reservation and advance payment. English route information is available through these links for JR Hokkaido Bus, Hokkaido Chuo Bus, and Donan Bus. For some of the most popular routes you can also look up travel times and fares and make advance bookings online at the English language websites Kosokubus.com and Japanbusonline.com. Chinese and Korean language options are also available on these websites. Sales opening dates and payment deadlines vary by route and booking website.
Popular Destinations
An express bus bound for Otaru
Sapporo to Otaru Bus
Both JR Hokkaido Bus and Hokkaido Chuo Bus run express bus services to Otaru from intercity Bus Stop 1 near Akapla. These buses take around 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes depending on the route and traffic, and the fare is 730 yen for adults and 370 yen for children. There is no need to make a reservation for this bus, and you can pay the fare when you get off.
An express bus bound for Niseko
Sapporo to Niseko Bus
Hokkaido Chuo Bus run Highway Niseko services from intercity Bus Stop 1 near Akapla. The journey to Ikoino Yuyado Iroha in the Annupuri area takes around 3 hours. The fare to this stop is 2,820 yen for adults and 1,410 yen for children. Fares and travel times depend on where you get off in the Niseko area. There is no need to make a reservation, and you can pay the fare when you get off.
Buses have digital banners showing their destinations
Sapporo to Asahikawa Bus
JR Hokkaido Bus, Hokkaido Chuo Bus and Dohoku Bus run express services to Asahikawa from intercity Bus Stop 2 near Akapla. In the summer this bus takes around 2 hours and 5 minutes and in the winter it takes around 2 hours and 25 minutes. The fare is 2,500 yen for adults and 1,250 yen for children.
The express bus service for Asahikawa
Sapporo to Furano Bus
Hokkaido Chuo Bus run Highway Furano services from intercity Bus Stop 2 near Akapla. In the summer this bus takes around 2 hours and 40 minutes, with longer journeys in winter or poor traffic conditions. The fare is 2,700 yen for adults and 1,350 yen for children. There is no need to make a reservation, and you can pay the fare when you get off.
Boarding the bus for Furano
Sapporo to Hakodate Bus
Highway Hakodate services run from intercity Bus Stop 4 near Akapla and are operated by Hokkaido Chuo Bus and Hakodate Bus. The four scheduled departures are daytime services, taking around 5 hours and 20 minutes to 6 hours and 5 minutes to reach Hakodate Station. Adult one-way fares range from 3,530 to 5,990 yen when booked and paid for online. The adult fare for counter or telephone bookings is 5,990 yen. Check the child fare for your selected departure when booking. This service requires an advance reservation and ticket purchase. For an overnight bus, see the separate New Star service below.
A Donan Bus coach on the Hakodate route before the change of operators.
Here is a selection of destinations served by intercity buses and their boarding stops in the Sapporo Station area:
| Bus Stop | Destinations | Companies |
| 1 | Otaru | Hokkaido Chuo Bus, JR Hokkaido Bus |
| 1 | Niseko, Iwanai, Yoichi | Hokkaido Chuo Bus |
| 15 | Erimo | JR Hokkaido Bus |
| 6 | Iwamizawa, Kuriyama, Mikasa | Hokkaido Chuo Bus |
| 7 | Muroran, Noboribetsu, Noboribetsu Onsen, Toyako Onsen, Shizunai, Urakawa | Donan Bus |
| 31 | Haboro, Toyotomi (via Rumoi) | Engan Bus |
| 5 | Rumoi, Takikawa | Hokkaido Chuo Bus |
| 7 | Tomakomai | Hokkaido Chuo Bus |
| 2 | Asahikawa | Hokkaido Chuo Bus, JR Hokkaido Bus, Dohoku Bus |
| 4 | Monbetsu | Hokkaido Chuo Bus, JR Hokkaido Bus, Dohoku Bus, Hokumon Bus |
| 4 | Engaru | Hokkaido Kitami Bus |
| 3 | Nayoro | Dohoku Bus |
| 3 | Kushiro | Hokkaido Chuo Bus, Kushiro Bus, Akan Bus |
| 3 | Abashiri, Kitami | Hokkaido Chuo Bus, Hokkaido Kitami Bus, Abashiri Bus |
| 2 | Furano (via Ashibetsu) | Hokkaido Chuo Bus |
| 4 | Hakodate | Hokkaido Chuo Bus, Hakodate Bus |
| 4 | Obihiro | Hokkaido Chuo Bus, JR Hokkaido Bus, Hokuto Kotsu, Tokachi Bus, Hokkaido Takushoku Bus |
JR Hokkaido Bus’s direct Hiroo Santa service is suspended.
Hokkaido Bus New Star Express Buses for Hakodate, Kushiro and Obihiro
Another bus company, called Hokkaido Bus, runs “New Star” express bus services for Hakodate, Kushiro, Obihiro and Kitami from Sapporo. These services depart from Bus Stop 33 at Kita 3 Nishi 3, south of Sapporo Station. The arrival stop is at Kita 4 Nishi 1, so be sure to use the departure map when finding your bus. Hokkaido Bus highway express services can also be boarded at a bus stop by the Sapporo Streetcar Susukino Stop and at a bus stop in front of Odori Bus Center. Reserve your seat before travel by telephone at 011-889-0800 (Japanese language only) or online via Kosokubus.com.
A Hakodate New Star bus at its earlier Sapporo Station boarding stop.
The New Star Express Bus for Hakodate has six scheduled departures a day. Daytime services take around 5 hours and 15 to 25 minutes to reach Hakodate Station. One service is an overnight bus which takes around 5 hours and 30 minutes, departing from Sapporo Station late at night and arriving at Hakodate Station in the early hours of the following morning. The fare when paying on boarding is 5,000 yen for adults and 2,500 yen for children. Advance-payment fares are 4,550 yen for adults and 2,280 yen for children.
The New Star Express Bus for Kushiro has four scheduled departures a day. Daytime services take around 5 hours and 5 minutes to reach Kushiro Station. The final service of the day is an overnight bus taking around 5 hours and 45 minutes and arriving at Kushiro Station in the early hours of the following morning. The fare when paying on boarding is 6,000 yen for adults and 3,000 yen for children. Advance-payment fares are 5,500 yen for adults and 2,750 yen for children.
The New Star Express Bus for Obihiro runs six times a day and takes around 3 hours and 20 to 30 minutes to reach Obihiro Station. There are no overnight buses on this route. The fare when paying on boarding is 4,000 yen for adults and 2,000 yen for children. Advance-payment fares are 3,780 yen for adults and 1,890 yen for children.
Limited online discounts may be lower, depending on the booking website and availability. Seats should be reserved even when choosing to pay on boarding.
Airport Limousine Bus Services for New Chitose Airport
Limousine bus services for New Chitose Airport are jointly operated by Hokuto Bus (Hokuto Kotsu) and Hokkaido Chuo Bus. A one-way ticket costs 1,500 yen for adults and 750 yen for children, and an adult return ticket costs 2,900 yen. The bus takes around 80 minutes to reach the airport’s domestic terminal or 65 minutes if it is a direct bus. There are two scheduled direct departures from Sapporo Station each day, at 07:30 and 08:30.
A New Chitose Airport bus at Sapporo Station.
At Sapporo Station this bus can be boarded at the airport bus stop on the street on the south side of the station. You can find this bus stop on the south side of the street, opposite Daimaru Department Store and right outside Hokuyo Bank. Here is a map showing its location.
Reservations are not necessary for riding this bus. Passengers can simply board the bus when it arrives and pay the fare when they get off. If the bus is full, you will need to wait for the next departure, so allow extra time for your journey. Ordinary Airport Limousine Buses generally run every 10-15 minutes from 05:15 to 18:15, with some different intervals. Check service notices before traveling. Airport Buses can also be boarded from Sapporo’s downtown hotels, and from bus stops at Odori Park, Nakajima Park, Susukino, and Sapporo Dome. The boarding stop and timetable depend on the service; Nakajima Park is served by the limited direct departures. For more details about this service and for a PDF timetable check the English webpage of Hokuto Bus.
Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved. Last updated 30-Aug-2026.
