The best way to get to and from Nijigen no Mori from Osaka (Umeda/Namba) (day trip, using public transport)

Hello. This is Nijigen no Mori.
I’ve heard that it’s difficult to find a way to get to Nijigen no Mori on Awaji Island without a car.

First of all, the main ways to get to Awaji Island are by road and ferry; there are no train lines and no nearby train station.
While express buses depart from various locations in the Kansai region, the buses are a mix of those going to different destinations, and even among buses heading towards Awaji Island, some will reach Nijigen no Mori, while others will not.
The extremely complex transfer routes are likely the reason why planning a route is difficult.

This article will introduce the best routes for those who want to enjoy Nijigen no Mori on a day trip from Osaka, including the outbound and return journeys.

Please note that this article contains information as of October 23, 2024. If there are any updates to the train schedule, transfer timings may change.
Please note that the schedules outlined are based on weekends. Weekday schedules differ, so the provided plans may not be applicable.

If you want to make a day trip from Osaka without changing trains, you’ll only have a little less than 6 hours to explore, from just after 10:30 AM to just after 4:00 PM!

This article will introduce a round-trip itinerary for visiting Nijigen no Mori from Osaka and returning home after having fun.

As mentioned earlier, Awaji Island in Hyogo Prefecture, where Nijigen no Mori is located, has no train stations, and travel from Honshu is mainly by express bus. Therefore, traffic congestion on the roads significantly affects arrival times.
Especially on weekends and holidays, the number of families traveling nationwide increases, and traffic congestion is more likely to occur from the morning. If you are planning to take a highway bus between Osaka and Maiko, a section that is particularly prone to congestion, we recommend that you factor in a delay of 30 to 60 minutes.
This time, we’ll mainly introduce a plan that allows you to travel from Osaka to Nijigen no Mori without any transfers, but we’ll also introduce a secondary plan that prioritizes arriving on time.
With the no-transfer plan, you will arrive at Nijigen no Mori a little after 10:30 AM and can spend time there until a little after 4:00 PM.
Due to time constraints, it will be difficult to enjoy attractions that open in the evening or later, such as the Night Walk, but you should be able to enjoy most of the other content.

Is it possible to spend the entire day at Nijigen no Mori and then take a day trip to Osaka?

Please note that, assuming a transfer at Maiko, it is possible to make a day trip to Osaka even if you stay at Nijigen no Mori until its closing time of 10 PM. As will be explained later, you can make a day trip to Osaka by taking the bus departing from the Nijigen no Mori F parking lot bus stop at 10:11 PM. With this plan, you will have plenty of time to enjoy the night walk as well.
However, please note that the train will arrive at JR Osaka Station around 11:31 PM. If you need to travel further by train from there, please check in advance whether you will be able to catch the last train.

Outbound Main Plan: Depart at 9:00 AM on the Kakehashi Nijigen no Mori Express Bus No. 151.

For the outbound journey, I would first recommend using the “Kakehashi Nijigen no Mori No. 151” train, which runs directly from Osaka Station to Nijigen no Mori.

This bus departs from the JR Highway Bus Terminal at Osaka Station and stops at “Nijigen no Mori (Highway Oasis)”.

There are two advantages to adopting this plan.

First and foremost, it’s incredibly convenient. Since it’s a direct route, you don’t have to worry even if you have a lot of luggage.

Next, the bus stop at Osaka Station is located immediately to the left after exiting the central ticket gate.

The fact that there are restrooms and convenience stores inside Osaka Station, all conveniently located near the bus terminal, is also a noteworthy point.
However, since you’ll be taking the bus at the early hour of 9:00 AM, many shops in nearby commercial facilities will likely be closed.
If you’re unfamiliar with the area, especially if you’ve stayed overnight from Tokyo or elsewhere, we recommend keeping shopping and restroom breaks to a minimum and waiting at the bus stop. This is because Osaka Station is part of one of Japan’s most confusing areas, sometimes called the “Umeda Dungeon.” Getting lost while exploring the area and missing your bus would be counterproductive, so we recommend spending as much time as possible at the bus terminal.

There are four disadvantages.

First, as mentioned earlier, there’s the risk of traffic congestion. With a direct bus from Osaka, the travel distance is longer than if you transfer at Maiko, so you’ll be directly affected by traffic on the Hanshin Expressway. The advantage of a direct bus is that you don’t have to consider transfer timetables, but during Golden Week and Obon, you should factor in delays of 20 to 30 minutes or more.

The second issue is that there are no buses that arrive before Nijigen no Mori opens. If you’re departing from Osaka, the earliest direct bus that arrives at Highway Oasis at 10:34 is the one I’ve mentioned.

The third thing is where to get off the bus.

The “Nijigen no Mori (Highway Oasis)” bus stop on this plan is essentially the eastern entrance to Awaji Island Prefectural Park, where Nijigen no Mori is located. “Dragon Quest Island” and “Godzilla Interception Operation” are located on the western side of the park, so it will take about 20 minutes to walk there from the bus stop. On the other hand, the “BLEACH Thousand-Year Blood War Arc x Nijigen no Mori Collaboration Event,” which is currently being held in 2024, is quite close to this entrance.

*The red dotted lines on the map of the park indicate areas where a tram (for a fee) regularly circulates within the park. Please consider using the tram when playing “Dragon Quest Island,” “Godzilla Interception Operation,” or “Monster Hunter: The Field.”

The fourth point is that the routes change during certain periods, such as Golden Week.

https://nijigennomori.com/2023/04/23/access/

During certain periods, the bus will stop at Awaji IC , a highway bus terminal, instead of Nijigen no Mori (Highway Oasis).

During this period, you will need to transfer to a free shuttle bus operated by the Pasona Group to reach the “Nijigen no Mori F Parking Lot.” This shuttle bus runs approximately every 30 minutes around the arrival time of this plan. If you arrive at Awaji IC on time, you can transfer to the shuttle bus that departs Awaji IC at 10:54 and arrives at Nijigen no Mori F Parking Lot at 10:57 .

However, if traffic congestion causes a delay of 15 minutes or more in arrival time, you will have to wait for the next shuttle bus departing from Awaji IC at 11:34 .

As explained in the section on the return trip, it is possible to walk from Awaji IC to Nijigen no Mori. However, it takes about 20 minutes to walk to the western area where “Dragon Quest Island” and “Godzilla Interception Operation” are located, so it is not recommended if you have a lot of luggage.

Also, there are no restrooms, convenience stores, or vending machines at Awaji Interchange . If you are transferring at Awaji Interchange , please use the restroom beforehand and prepare water in the form of a plastic bottle or other container.

Return trip main plan: Departure from Nijigen no Mori (Highway Oasis) at 16:43 on Kakehashi Nijigen no Mori No. 154

Now, I will explain the return journey.
The easiest route for the return journey, with fewer transfers, is the same as the outbound journey, using the “Kakehashi Nijigen no Mori” train.

Buses departing from Awaji Island that go late into the night will mostly stop at Maiko and will not continue on to Osaka or Sannomiya. The last bus that goes directly to Osaka departs at 4:43 PM , and the last express bus to Sannomiya departs from Nijigen no Mori at 6:40 PM , so be sure not to miss them if you want to get home easily.

The advantage of choosing this plan is that there are no transfers. You can get back to Osaka on a single express bus, which is very convenient.

On the other hand, there are three points to keep in mind when choosing this plan.

First, the arrival time in Osaka is inconsistent. It is heavily affected by traffic congestion on the Hanshin Expressway, resulting in frequent delays to the scheduled arrival time.
Although the train is scheduled to arrive at Osaka Station at 6:09 PM according to the timetable, we recommend allowing at least an hour of buffer time in your schedule.

Secondly, the last direct bus departs about six hours earlier than the one that requires a transfer at Maiko.
While the simple fact that you have less time to play is a significant drawback, Nijigen no Mori also has attractions that are only available after sunset, such as the “Night Walk.” In the case of this return plan using the direct bus, even on the earliest sunset day in December (around 4:50 PM), the bus departure time is earlier than the start time of the Night Walk, so you won’t be able to enjoy the Night Walk if you use the direct bus. Also, if you want to fully enjoy large attractions such as “Dragon Quest Island,” you should allow around 2 to 4 hours, and in that case, it would be safer to limit yourself to about two attractions.

The third point is that, similar to the outbound journey, the route changes during certain periods, such as Golden Week.

https://nijigennomori.com/2023/04/23/access/

During certain periods, the bus will stop at Awaji IC , a highway bus terminal, instead of Nijigen no Mori (Highway Oasis).

During this period, you will need to take the free shuttle bus “PASONA Shuttle Bus” operated by the Pasona Group from “Nijigen no Mori F Parking Lot” to “Awaji IC”. The PASONA Shuttle Bus runs approximately every 40 minutes around the arrival time of this plan, so taking the shuttle bus departing F Parking Lot at 16:20 and arriving at Awaji IC at 16:22 would be just right.

There are no restrooms, convenience stores, or vending machines at Awaji Interchange . If you are transferring at Awaji Interchange , please use the restroom beforehand and prepare water in the form of a plastic bottle or other container.

Please note that in this case, the bus stop will be the “Nijigen no Mori F Parking Lot” bus stop located in the F Parking Lot on the west side, not the highway oasis on the east side.

If you miss the Kita-Awaji West Coast Line bus departing from F Parking Lot at 10:10 PM

First and foremost, you should absolutely avoid missing the 10:10 PM bus. Missing this bus will increase the effort required to leave Awaji Island incomparably. Specifically, you’ll either have to walk for over 20 minutes from Nijigen no Mori to Awaji IC and wait for the last bus departing from Awaji IC , walk even further to Iwaya Port and take the Genova Line (high-speed ferry) to Akashi, or be prepared to pay a considerable expense and call a taxi.

The last bus departing from Awaji IC leaves at 23:05 . There is a free shuttle bus operated by the Pasona Group from Nijigen no Mori F parking lot to Awaji IC , and the holiday timetable for the shuttle bus in June 2023 is as follows.

As of October 2024, the last shuttle bus departs earlier due to a timetable revision, making transfers at Awaji Interchange inconvenient.
The last PASONA shuttle bus departs from the F parking lot bus stop at 10:04 PM, and the scheduled arrival time at Awaji IC is 10:06 PM. However, the last bus from Awaji IC towards Maiko and Sannomiya, which allows for a transfer, departs at 11:05 PM, resulting in a wait of nearly an hour. Furthermore, there is a last express bus to Maiko on the Kita-Awaji West Coast Line at 10:10 PM, so there is no reason to use the PASONA shuttle bus if you want to return to the Sannomiya/Osaka area after 10 PM.
*If you use the PASONA shuttle bus, you can take the Genova Line (high-speed ferry) from the final stop, Iwaya Port, to Akashi, so if you have a reason to go via Akashi, this is an option.

Please make sure you don’t miss the last express bus “Kita-Awaji West Coast Line” bound for Maiko, departing from Parking Lot F at 10:10 PM. The bus stop is right at the entrance to Parking Lot F, so please leave with plenty of time to spare, rather than waiting until the park closes.

Final return trip plan: Depart Awaji IC at 23:05 by express bus (arrive in Osaka at 24:28)

If you miss the 10:10 PM train, we can still guide you on a route to get back to Osaka.

This method involves walking to Awaji Interchange and catching the 23:05 express bus.
However, the distance from Nijigen no Mori to Awaji IC is normally covered by shuttle bus, and walking would take more than 20 minutes. If you still want to make it to the bus on time, walking is your only option.

Important points to note are that there are virtually no facilities at Awaji Interchange or within walking distance. There are no convenience stores, and no restrooms. If you’re thinking about staying hydrated, it’s best to buy something from the vending machine at the entrance to parking lot F at Nijigen no Mori. Also, you should definitely use the restroom before the park closes. Furthermore, the convenience store inside Maiko Station seems to close at 11 PM, so assume that you won’t be able to buy anything along the way.

Also, if you walk from the park’s closing time of 10 PM to Awaji Interchange , the next bus is at 11:05 PM . There will be a considerable gap in time. Depending on the season, there can be temperature changes between day and night, so please be sure to dress appropriately and bring something to wear over your clothes when you visit the park.

While not highly recommended, some people might try to catch the 11:05 PM express bus departing from Awaji IC from the start. In that case, Nijigen no Mori’s A parking lot is the closest to Awaji IC. If you use the buses for getting around the park during the night walk, getting off at A parking lot will shorten your walk to Awaji IC.

 

Attractions to enjoy on a day trip to Osaka

If you want to take a direct bus back, it will be difficult to visit attractions that are only open at night.
However, if you don’t mind changing trains at Maiko on your way back, you can still get back to Osaka even after 10 PM when Nijigen no Mori closes, so you should be able to enjoy a night walk at your leisure.

Each attraction at Nijigen no Mori can be enjoyed for approximately 1 to 4.5 hours, allowing you to experience multiple attractions.

(From https://nijigennomori.com/faq/ )

*Please note that the duration of each attraction may vary depending on the participant’s skill level and the crowding situation. Additionally, some attractions include time for safety equipment fitting and instruction.

summary

If you’re planning a day trip to Nijigen no Mori from Osaka, there’s a direct bus, making your visit very smooth if you can catch it. However, if you’re concerned about time, it might be better to take the train to Maiko and transfer there.
On your way back, allow plenty of time, and even if you plan to enjoy a night walk, it’s safer to take the Kita-Awaji West Coast Line bus that departs from Parking Lot F at 10:10 PM . If you miss the 10:10 PM bus, you’ll have to walk for more than 20 minutes or plan your trip around taking a taxi.

If you are late for your ticket time due to traffic congestion, please speak to the staff at the attraction entrance. They will provide you with information regarding time changes or other arrangements.

We look forward to your visit to Nijigen no Mori.