This is probably one of the most important deciding factors for me, especially in Japan, where things can often be difficult to understand if you are a foreigner with limited understanding of the way in which they do things here. Once you have your reservation confirmed, just make your way to the Shinjuku South-Exit bus station (in Japanese it is labelled \u201c\u30d0\u30b9\u30bf\u201d, \u201cbasuta\u201c short for Bus Terminal), and head up to the 4th floor terminal. Boarding the bus is as simple as finding the station from which your bus will be departing and then showing the attendant your reservation number prior to boarding. After that it is time to kick back and enjoy your overnight bus ride!<\/p>\n

I have taken a few overnight buses in Japan before, usually when travelling between Tokyo and Osaka, and I must say that this was easily the most comfortable bus ride by far. We departed at around 9pm, arriving in Kotohira about 11 hours later, so such a long ride can be taxing on the body. Fortunately for me, due to the comfortable reclining seats and blanket offered to Kotobus customers, I was able to get the majority of a good night\u2019s sleep (which is rare for me as I am usually never able to sleep on buses or planes!).<\/p>\n

One of the more pleasantly surprising services offered by Kotobus was free Wi-Fi. This was incredibly useful as using cellular data services for such a long trip can drain your device batteries swiftly. It is worth noting that this is a service not even offered on the Shinkansen (their Wi-Fi services are available to contract internet customers in Japan). The seats also offer a power outlet to charge devices and a fold-out arm rest from which to eat your dinner or place an iPad or laptop.<\/p>\n