Willer Express

Willer Inc.

Native name	ウィラー
Company type	Kabushiki kaisha
Founded	June 9, 2005
Headquarters	Osaka , Japan
Area served	Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu
Website	travel.willer.co.jp

Willer Express (ウィラーエクスプレス, stylized WILLER EXPRESS) is a major highway bus company operating in Japan since 2005 with routes spanning almost the entire country, from Aomori Prefecture at the northern tip of the main island Honshu to the southern island Kyushu. Annual sales are approximately $120 million/year, with both domestic passengers and foreigners served through direct sales, a website, as well as the "Japan Bus Pass"^[1] and a double-decker tour bus route. Pricing on routes depends on day/time of travel, with significant variation between peak and off-peak travel.^[2]

Overview

Willer Express is a subsidiary of the Willer Group, the company which owns Willer Alliance Inc. and Willer Express Japan Inc. As of December 2015, Willer Express employed a total of 64 people. The company's President is Shigetaka Murase. It has offices in Osaka and Tokyo.^[3]

The company began in 2006 as a major Tour Bus company in Japan. From December 2011 it also entered the intercities bus business.^[4]

Business offices

A Willer Express bus

• Osaka Main Office; at Umeda Sky Building
• Tokyo Main Office; at Shinagawa Intercity Building
• WILLER Express Cafe; at Umeda Sky Building

Main Highway bus routes

The Willer Express' Ponta Express.

• Tokyo - Kyoto, Osaka, Wakayama
• Tokyo - Nagoya
• Tokyo - Hiroshima
• Tokyo - Okayama
• Tokyo - Sendai
• Tokyo - Niigata
• Tokyo - Nagano
• Tokyo - Toyama, Kanazawa, Fukui
• Tokyo - Izumo, Shimane
• Tokyo - Ise, Mie
• Osaka - Nagoya
• Osaka - Shizuoka
• Osaka - Niigata
• Osaka - Toyama
• Osaka - Izumo, Shimane
• Osaka - Hiroshima
• Osaka - Matsuyama
• Osaka - Hakata, Saga
• Hiroshima - Hakata, Saga

References

1. Shulman, J. (2010). All-You-Can Japan: Getting the Most Bang for Your Yen. J. Shulman. ISBN 9781453666357. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
2. Travel Kyoto, Japan: Illustrated Guide, Phrasebook and Maps. MobileReference. ISBN 9781611982466. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
3. "Willer Express". Willer Travel, Inc. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
4. ウィラー・エクスプレスが初の路線バスを運行開始（プレスリリース） - WILLER ALLIANCE（2011年12月22日付、2012年1月11日閲覧）

External links

• Official English website