Night buses are drawing attention due to the soaring cost of accommodation. In addition to the previous merit of being cheap, night buses have evolved to be very comfortable, and are now attracting attention. ■ Night buses are a substitute for hotels, with 70% of passengers being female Masatoshi Nanba, newscaster: Night buses have evolved in various ways. The Grand Dream Express Hiroshima service connecting Hiroshima and Tokyo was once discontinued, but has been renewed and resumed operation on November 21st. JR Bus Chugoku says that "night express buses that combine travel and accommodation are excellent value for money." Even for the same route, the price can be less than half depending on the time of year. For example, the cheapest price for the Grand Dream Express Hiroshima service from Tokyo to Hiroshima is 7,400 yen, and the most expensive is 19,000 yen. If you travel by Shinkansen, the Shinkansen (Nozomi unreserved seat) costs 18,380 yen + one night in a hotel (average weekend price in Hiroshima city) costs 19,076 yen, so the cost can be significantly reduced. (Based on research from online travel agency Trip.com) Takahiro Inoue, anchor: When I was a student 20 years ago, night buses offered no privacy and weren't very clean, so it was hard to sleep. Things have changed a lot now. Harold George May: Night buses used to be great value for money, but it was all about patience. I feel like they've evolved a lot now. ■You won't be able to see your sleeping face or bare face The evolution of night buses Nanba, anchor: According to WILLER EXPRESS, which operates express buses, the number of women using night buses has increased to about 70%. Thirty percent of the reasons are for "concerts" or "events." Meanwhile, according to Bus Comparison Navi, "bus companies that operate women-only cars are also popular because you can ride without makeup." Heisei Enterprise, a bus company, has set up waiting areas called "VIP lounges" in major cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, and if you make a reservation on their official website, you can use them for free. All cosmetics are free, and beauty appliances are unlimited. Chiaki Horan: Of course I want to save money, but it's convenient to use it because it's a hassle to have a lot of luggage. Minamiha: There are buses that allow you to have privacy. WILLER EXPRESS's original seat "DOME" is equipped with a large hood that hides your face and a smartphone holder. In addition, Kanto Bus's "Dream Sleeper" has a completely private room (11 seats in total). The fare is about 20,000 yen between Tokyo and Osaka, and amenities and indoor wear are also available for rental, so reservations are said to fill up quickly. Inoue: At this point, the price is almost the same as a Shinkansen + hotel. I'm at the level of deciding which one to choose. Harold George May: It's an experience. It seems like it could be promoted on YouTube and other sites to foreign tourists, saying, "If you come to Japan, there are buses that are so well-equipped." Horan: It saves time, and it's like a mobile capsule hotel. ■Resolve restroom worries with your smartphoneThere are services that can help with situations like "I suddenly feel sick... I can't hold it in until the break" or "I can't sleep because I'm bothered by the people talking" while riding a night bus. WILLER EXPRESS's "Help DM" service allows passengers to send their "problems" to the operation manager on their smartphones, who will check the details, contact the driver, and deal with the problem. ■Serious driver shortage How to resolve it? On the other hand, night buses have their own issues. According to Bus Comparison Navi, "Many bus companies are unable to increase the number of buses even during peak times due to a driver shortage. If this problem were resolved, the number of users would increase even more." In fact, WILLER EXPRESS has changed the name of its bus drivers to "highway pilots." In addition to making the name cooler, they are also aiming to completely change the image of "tough" and "long working hours," and are planning to raise the average annual salary to 6 million yen in the future. They are also working to secure human resources by improving the working environment. ▼TBS NEWS DIG Official Website https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/ ▼Please subscribe to our channel! / @tbsnewsdig ▼Information provided by "TBS Insiders" https://www.tbs.co.jp/news_sp/tbs-ins... ▼Video provided by "TBS Scoop Post" https://www.tbs.co.jp/news_sp/toukou.... #News #news #TBS #newsdig