The ¥100 town bus worked against your clock — the next Sunao-kun from Miyanoura Port, Honmura and Tsutsujiso, the ferry and Benesse-shuttle connections, and what to do when the 28-seat bus is full.
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The town bus — a 28-seat microbus everyone calls Sunao-kun (すなおくん), after the character painted on its side — is the only public transport on Naoshima. It links Miyanoura Port (the main ferry terminal), the Honmura Art House Project area and Tsutsujiso on the east coast for a flat ¥100, one to three times an hour.
This page works the published timetable against the clock: the next bus from each key stop, and the whole day at a glance.
Right now — 05:00
Next bus from Miyanoura Port (宮浦港): 07:03
in 2 h 3 min · toward Miyanoura Port → Honmura → Tsutsujiso
The published timetable, not a live tracker
These are the operator’s published times. A small bus can run a few minutes late, wait for a delayed ferry, or fill up and leave you for the next one — the official timetable below is the last word.
Off the ferry and into the island: get off at Nōkyō-mae for the Art House Project, or ride to the end for the Benesse shuttle.
The main ferry terminal — the stop is beside the Marine Station building.
07:03 (in 2 h 3 min) · then 07:41, 09:06
All times today: 07:03 07:41 09:06 09:45 10:00 10:30 11:06 11:25 12:00 12:12 12:40 13:03 13:30 13:57 14:23 14:48 15:34 15:53 16:30 16:53 17:30 18:13 19:15 20:45
07:08 (in 2 h 8 min) · then 07:46, 09:12
All times today: 07:08 07:46 09:12 09:51 10:06 10:36 11:12 11:31 12:06 12:20 12:46 13:11 13:36 14:05 14:29 14:56 15:40 16:01 16:36 16:59 17:36 18:18 19:20 20:50
End of the line — change here for the free Benesse shuttle south to the museums.
07:15 (in 2 h 15 min) · then 07:53, 09:20
All times today: 07:15 07:53 09:20 09:59 10:14 10:44 11:20 11:39 12:14 12:28 12:54 13:19 13:44 14:13 14:37 15:04 15:48 16:09 16:44 17:07 17:44 18:25 19:27 20:57
The run back to the boats. Check the ferry timetable for the last sailings before you count on an evening bus.
06:36 (in 1 h 36 min) · then 07:26, 08:20
All times today: 06:36 07:26 08:20 09:23 09:30 10:05 10:36 10:58 11:30 11:45 12:20 12:35 13:00 13:26 13:54 14:27 15:05 15:16 15:50 16:13 17:00 17:10 17:57 18:39 20:05
06:42 (in 1 h 42 min) · then 07:32, 08:26
All times today: 06:42 07:32 08:26 09:29 09:36 10:11 10:42 11:04 11:36 11:51 12:26 12:41 13:06 13:32 14:00 14:33 15:11 15:22 15:56 16:19 17:06 17:16 18:05 18:45 20:10
Arrival times at the port — for a ferry connection, take the bus before the one that only just makes it.
06:47 (in 1 h 47 min) · then 07:37, 08:33
All times today: 06:47 07:37 08:33 09:38 09:43 10:18 10:51 11:11 11:45 11:58 12:33 12:50 13:13 13:41 14:07 14:40 15:18 15:29 16:03 16:26 17:13 17:21 18:10 18:51 20:16
¥100 flat, paid into the fare box as you get off. Children of elementary-school age and holders of a disability passbook pay ¥50; children four and under ride free. There is no change machine on board — carry coins.
It is a 28-seat microbus and it does fill up: if you can't get on, you wait for the next one. On weekend and holiday afternoons the Tsutsujiso → Honmura → Miyanoura Port run is regularly full. Groups of 10 or more must arrange ahead with the Naoshima Tourism Association on 087-892-2299 — an extra bus can be laid on.
Buses are timed to meet the boats at Miyanoura and will usually wait for a late ferry — but not if that would delay the next run, so for anything that matters take one bus earlier than the connection that only just fits. From Tsutsujiso, Benesse's own free shuttle (every 30 minutes, more often on busy days) continues south to Benesse House Museum, the Lee Ufan Museum and Chichu — the town bus does not enter the Benesse site.
Timetable in force since 1 April 2025 (the operator's Reiwa-7 revision).