Kitaoji Bus Terminal (北大路バスターミナル)
Located in Kita-ku Ward of Kyoto City, Kitaoji Bus Terminal is a bus terminal of Kyoto City Bus. Adjacent to Kitaoji Station of Kyoto City Subway Karasuma Line, it is in the basement of Kitaoji Town jointly with Kyoto City Bus Karasuma Office.
Location
It is at the northwest corner of Kitaoji-dori Street and Karasuma-dori Street (precisely, a block to the west), and it has been the landmark of Kitaoji-dori Street since it was Karasuma Shako (carbarn) of Kyoto City Trams.
Although this district should be called 'Karasuma Kitaoji' as a neighborhood name is usually made by connecting a north-south street name and an east-west street name in Kyoto, this name is rarely used, but it is called 'Kitaoji Bus Terminal,' or 'Kitaoji Station.'
Karasuma Shako' still used by the older generation.
Its building above ground used to be a carbarn for the City Streetcars, and was later turned into the Karasuma City Bus Office, then into City Subway Karasuma Line Kitaoji Station (it had also housed an inspection facility for subway cars until Takeda Station was extended), but now large-scale commercial facilities have been built there in order to effectively utilize the old carbarn site as one of the management reforms. They are operated by Kitaoji Town, a third-sector company, and VIVRE (Kitaoji VIVRE) and Konami Sports & Life are among the tenants.
History
May 1981: The bus terminal was set up in the site of Kyoto City Bus Karasuma Office when Kyoto City Subway Karasuma Line started service. 1994: It was moved to the basement of Kitaoji Town under the redevelopment of the City Bus Office site with the aim of effective utilization of Kyoto Transportation Bureau's properties.
Facilities
Since it stands at the north side of Kitaoji-dori Street, buses enter to the second basement using a slope way. Inside behind its entrance is 'Bus Oriba' (getting-off zone), at which buses managed by Karasuma Office stop, buses are emptied, drivers are changed, buses kill time, and sometimes operations of some routes are canceled here for the day. Buses under Kyoto City Bus Kujo Office and Nishigamo Office directly go to 'Noriba' (boarding zone) without stopping here.
From here buses turn around 180 degrees to reach 'Noriba' which has 'Aka Noriba' (literally, red boarding gates), A through D, and 'Ao Noriba' (literally, blue boarding gates), E through G, three gates each. The third basement connects these two kinds of gates. Aka Noriba' on the east is for the routes eastward through Kitaoji-dori Street, and 'Ao Noriba' on the west is for the routes westward.
On the third basement level are an access way, a commuter pass wicket, an information counter, Kyoto City certificates issuing corner, and a passage to the subway station.
This Karasuma Office houses a dispatcher room, a drivers' waiting room adjacent to Oriba, a garage behind the bus route and at the north side, and part of it is above ground.
Routes
All are Kyoto City Bus routes.
Kyoto Bus has a route that runs in front of this Bus Terminal, but it dose not use the terminal now (described later).
Only these two bus companies have operating routes in this district.
Long-distance coaches do not run through this district.
Eastward (Aka Noriba)
Noriba A
North No. 3 Route: For Kyoto Sangyo Univ. via Kamo Kaido
Direct Route: Nonstop bound for Kyoto Sangyo Univ.
Noriba B
No. 204 Route: Via Kitaoji Dori, Takano, Higashi Kuramaguchi Dori, Shirakawa Dori, Ginkakuji-michi, Marutamachi Dori, and headed for Nishinokyo Enmachi; circulation
No. 206 Route: Via Kitaoji Dori, Takano, Higashiyama Dori, Nanajo Dori, and Kyoto Station, headed for Omiya Dori; circulation
Noriba C
No. 1 Route: Via Kitaoji Dori, Shimogamo Hondori, bound for Demachiyanagi Station
No. 37 Route: Via Shimei Dori, Kamo Kaido, Kawaramachi Dori, Shijo Kawaramachi, bound for Sanjo Keihan
No. 205 Route: Via Kitaoji Dori, Rakuhoku Koko, Kawaramachi Dori, and Kyoto Station, bound for Kujo Shako
Noriba D
North No. 8 Route: Via Kitaoji Dori, Takano, Shirakawa Dori, Shugakuin-michi, Kitayama Dori, and Matsugasaki Station, headed for Bukkyo Univ.; circulation
Eastward (Ao Noriba)
Noriba E
North No. 1 Route: Via Kitaoji Dori, Horikawa Dori, Murasakino Sendocho, and Takagamine Genkoan-mae, headed for Gentaku, and Murasakino Sendocho; circulation
No. 1 Route: Via Kitaoji Dori, Senbon Dori, and Bukkyo Univ., bound for Nishigamo Shako
No. 37 Route: Via Kitaoji Dori, and Horikawa Dori, bound for Nishigamo Shako
Noriba F
No. M1 Route: Via Kitaoji Dori, Kinkakuji-michi, and Ritsumeikan Univ., bound for Haradani
North No. 8 Route: Via Kitaoji Dori, Senbon Dori, Bukkyo Univ., and Kitayama Dori, headed for Matsugasaki Station; circulation
No. 101 Route (Raku Bus: dedicated to sightseeing): Via Kitaoji Dori, Kinkakuji-michi, Nishioji Dori, and Kitano Tenmangu, bound for Kyoto Station.
No. 102 Route (Raku Bus): Via Kitaoji Dori, Kinkakuji-michi, Nishioji Dori, and Kitano Tenmangu, and Imadegawa Dori, bound for Ginkakuji-michi or Kinrin Shako
No. 205 Route: Via Kitaoji Dori, Kinkakuji-michi, Nishioji Dori, Nishioji Nanajo, Nanajo Dori, and Kyoto Station, bound for Kujo Shako
Noriba G
No. 204 Route: Via Kitaoji Dori, Kinkakuji-michi, Nishioji Dori, Nishinokyo Enmachi, and Marutamachi, headed for Shirakawa Dori; circulation
No. 206 Route: Via Kitaoji Dori, Senbon Kitaoji, Senbon Dori, Nanajo Dori, and Kyoto Station, headed for Higashiyama Dori; circulation
Kyoto Bus
In 1990, the City Bus North No.6 Route for Ohara was transferred to Kyoto Bus, and this route of Kyoto Bus for Ohara (Kodeishi Line of Kyoto Bus Takano Office) began using this terminal, but it ended in 2002 when the route's terminal was moved to Kokusai Kaikan Station.
Other routes of Kyoto Bus that run through Kitaoji-dori Street are routes that start at Demachiyanagi Station and are bound for Ishihara, Shizuhara, and Kumogahata, but their buses stop at 'Kitaoji Station' bus stop on Kitaoji-dori Street without running into this terminal.
Neighborhood
Kyoto North Office of The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.
Ritsumeikan Primary School
Otani University
The Kamo-gawa River
The Kyoto Botanical Garden: Its closest bus stop is 'Shokubutsuen-mae,' the next stop.
Kyoto City Kita Ward Office: Its closest bus stop is 'Kitaoji Shinmachi.'
Kyoto Primary School Attached to Kyoto University of Education: Its closest bus stop is 'Kitaoji Shinmachi.'
Kyoto Junior High School Attached to Kyoto University of Education: Its closest bus stop is 'Kitaoji Shinmachi.'