[How To] A Bus Guide (Part 2): Minami-Kusatsu to AEON Mall Kusatsu

As with any adventure, International Students step out on to a new step in their travels. 

A part of getting about and finding new experiences is "how to" do things. 

In this series of blog posts, our International Student Ambassador (ISA) will take you on a detailed journey through the life around Biwako-Kusatsu Campus (BKC)*.  (Part 2)

This post is part of a [How To] series directed by our ISA, Zam. All information on this page is as of mid-summer 2020. 
 *The College of Information Science and Engineering will be relocated to Osaka Ibaraki Campus in April 2024. Visit our website for details.

Hi Everyone, welcome back to the [How to] A bus guide. This guide is for those studying and living at the Biwako-Kusatsu Campus (BKC) of Ritsumeikan University. I remember the first time I took a bus in Minami-Kusatsu;

So, I decided to write a sort of bus guide series in:

• Part 1: [How To] A Bus Guide (Part 1): Minami-Kusatsu Station to BKC
• Part 2: [How To] A Bus Guide (Part 2): Minami-Kusatsu to AEON Mall Kusatsu [this blog]
• Part 3: [How To] A Bus Guide (Part 3): Minami-Kusatsu to BKC I-house and back.

Be sure to read Part 1 if you haven't yet, as it covers the ticketing system and how to use the bus in detail. 

Minami-Kusatsu Station to AEON Mall Kusatsu

Let’s begin our journey!

You could find your basic everyday needs like household supplies, everyday clothes, etc., in stores around Minami-Kusatsu. However, when you are looking for more variety or a particular brand, especially when it comes to fashion and electronic goods, a mall would serve you better. The nearest mall is AEON Mall Kusatsu. In addition, AEON Mall has a cinema which we do not have in Minami-Kusatsu.

In Part 1, I showed you how to take a bus from Minami-Kusatsu station to BKC. I also explained how to use the ticket system on the OHMI buses. Today, in Part 2, I am going to show you how to take the bus from Minami-Kusatsu station to AEON Mall Kusatsu. The mall is located near the coastline of Lake Biwa, and you will get a nice view of the lake, part of it, from the mall’s food court. Lake Biwa is Japan’s largest freshwater lake at approximately 670 square kilometers and is one of the oldest lakes in the world, calculated at over four million years old (Biwako Kisen Co., Ltd, 2020).

Figure 1: Go to the West Exit

When you arrive at Minami-Kusatsu station, exit the ticket gates and you want to go to the bus terminal on the West exit, and take the escalator down. When you reach the bottom, you will face and see a Family Mart conbini コンビニ (a Japanese term for convenience store), about 20 meters directly across from the escalator. Continue walking towards the right towards the bus terminal. 

Figure 2: The picture on the left shows the Family Mart, and the picture on right shows the bus stop number.2.

The bus stop for AEON Mall Kusatsu is located to right of Family Mart. Look for bus stop number 2, this is where the bus would wait for passengers going to AEON Mall. The bus would be displaying a sign that says イオンモール草津 (AEON Mall Kusatsu) on the back and front of the bus, as shown in the picture below.

Figure 3: A bus bound for AEON Mall Kusatsu

The OHMI buses on this route do not use the bus IC card, so when you get on the bus, be sure to take the ticket. If you want to know how to use the ticket, be sure to check Part 1. The bus trip would take about 18 to 20 minutes, and the bus fare is 250 yen one way. Please enjoy the sights of travelling through a small township as it is different to when you are travelling through big cities.

Figure 4: View of AEON Mall from the bus

When you are about the arrive at your destination, to your right, you will be able to see AEON Mall from the bus. The bus will go through an underpass to cut across under the traffic to the other side of the road onto the AEON Mall side.

Figure 5: On the left is the AEON Mall bus stop, and on the right is the South entrance

The bus would stop at the AEON Mall bus stop that is located near the South entrance. Getting off the bus, the South entrance would be to your right. If you are still unsure, just follow the crowd.

AEON Mall Kusatsu to Minami-Kusatsu Station

I recommend checking the bus time table first before you enter the mall. In this way you would know which bus back to Minami-Kusatsu station would fit your schedule. Before I end this blog, I leave you with a view of Lake Biwa from AEON Mall’s food court.

Figure 6: View of Lake Biwa from AEON Mall

Enjoy the mall and you can reach the food court on the top floor of AEON Mall.

See you in the next post.

Zam

 *The College of Information Science and Engineering will be relocated to Osaka Ibaraki Campus in April 2024. Visit our website for details.