Convenient for touring the Kumano Sanzan! Riding the bus with Contactless Payment

• Table of Contents
• Touring the Kumano Shrines
• Getting to the Kumano Sanzan by Bus
• How to Ride the Bus using a Credit Card
• To Enjoy Sightseeing Safely and Worry-Free

Touring the Kumano Shrines

Have you ever visited the Kumano area?

Many people, including visitors from overseas, use public transportation when touring the Kumano Sanzan (Kumano Hongu Taisha, Kumano Hayatama Taisha, Kumano Nachi Taisha, and Nachisan Seiganto-ji). However, have you ever had trouble in Japan because a public transportation service only accepted cash?

On the Kumano Gobō Nankai Bus, which is essential for touring the Kumano Sanzan, you can now pay your fare using convenient contactless credit card payments, which are easy to use even for overseas visitors. Switch from cash to contactless and enjoy a smarter, more convenient trip around the Kumano Sanzan!

*For more information about the Kumano Sanzan, please read these articles!

Getting to the Kumano Sanzan by Bus

Below is one example of how to reach the Kumano Sanzan using the convenient Kumano Gobō Nankai Bus, especially helpful for first-time visitors.

JR Shingu Station ↔ Kumano Hongu Taisha / Kumano Hayatama Taisha

(Left) Bus stop “Shingu Station” (Center) “Shingu Station” bus boarding area (Right) “Shingu Station” platform No. 2 sign

(Left) Bus for route 51 bound for “Hongu Taisha-mae”
(Center/Right) Depending on the time of day, buses like the blue and white one shown above may operate on the “Hongu Taisha-mae” route. The sign “本宮大社前 (Hongu Taisha-mae)” displayed on the upper front of the bus is your landmark.

(Top / lower left) Bus stop “Hongu Taisha-mae” (Lower center) “Hongu Taisha-mae” bus stop sign (Lower right) Sign for buses bound for Shingu Station

Bus No. 51 bound for Shingu Station

JR Kii-Katsuura Station ↔ Kumano Nachi Taisha / Nachisan Seiganto-ji

Bus stop "Kii Katsuura Station"

Bus stop "Nachisan"

Bus No. 31 bound for Kii- Katsuura Station

Important Points

① Where to wait for the bus at Kii-Katsuura Station
At the "Kii-Katsuura Station" bus stop, please wait inside the building marked with the blue sign reading "バスのりば" (Bus Stop), until the departure time (See the orange shaded area in the diagram below).
Please be careful not to loiter in the area outside the building.

② Bus Departure Times
Buses to the Kumano Sanzan and to each JR station generally departs every 1-1.5 hours, depending on the time of day and the season.
Since you might have to wait for a long time for the next bus, please be careful when planning your schedule. In particular, we recommend checking the return bus times upon your arrival at the Kumano Sanzan before you start your journey.

How to Ride the Bus using a Credit Card

Kumano Gobō Nankai Bus now supports contactless credit card payments when you board!

Source: Kumano Gobo Nankai Bus "Credit Card Touch Payment Information"

What is a Contactless Payment?

This is a payment method where you can pay your fare simply by tapping a credit card with contactless functionality (includes debit cards, smartphones, and wearable devices) on a dedicated terminal.

Supported Brands

You can use contactless-enabled cards from VISA, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club, Discover, and UnionPay (as of May 19, 2025)
* Even among the brands listed above, some cards may not be usable. Please check with your card issuer beforehand whether your card supports contactless payments for public transportation and whether it can be used on smartphones or other devices.

Source: Kumano Gobo Nankai Bus "Credit Card Touch Payment Information"

Conditions of Use

Your card or device must be a contactless-enabled credit card from one of the brands above, or a compatible smartphone or wearable device.
* Nationwide IC Transit Cards such as Suica and PASMO, and e-Money such as WAON, nanaco, Rakuten Edy, iD, and QUICPay cannot be used.

Source: Kumano Gobo Nankai Bus "Credit Card Touch Payment Information"

How to Use

The basic procedure is as follows. The key point is to make sure to firmly hold your contactless card or device close to the reader for at least one second both when boarding and getting off.

[When Boarding]
① Board through the rear door of the bus
② Hold your contactless credit card or device close to the dedicated terminal near the door for at least one second.

Terminal for tapping when boarding (near the rear door)
[When Getting Off]
① After the bus comes to a stop, move toward the front of the bus and hold the same contactless credit card/device used when boarding, close to the reader next to the driver's seat for 1-second.
➁ Get off the bus through the front door.

Touch the terminal when getting off (near the front door of the bus)
Source: Kumano Gobo Nankai Bus "Credit Card Touch Payment Information"

* If there is an error when you tap during boarding, or if the terminal does not read the card when you tap, you will need to take a numbered ticket from the ticket machine when you board and then pay your fare in cash when you get off.
* We recommend checking carefully in advance whether your credit card or device can be used.

For more FAQs and details about credit card payments on the Kumano Gobō Nankai Bus, please see the information provided by the company.

Click here for details on Kumano Gobō Nankai Bus's credit card touchless payment!

To Enjoy Sightseeing Safely and Worry-Free

The Kumano Area is extremely popular. It attracts many visitors, making it important to follow proper manners so you can avoid troubles during your trip. Please keep the following points in mind when riding the bus:

How to carry luggage on the bus

How about this? Now you too can embark on a stylish trip around the Kumano Sanzan!