By Bus.

There always seemed to be a negative stigma attached to buses in the US. There seemed to be no positive given to the fact that you were being green by using public transportation. But that's not the case here in Japan. Buses are a rather economical way to travel that's safe and practical in busy cities.

Company Bus

The bus that I use the most often is the one that takes me to and from work. Many companies offer this form of travel to ease up the morning and afternoon commute for everyone. In the morning there are buses between 6.45 until 7.25, leaving every 10 minutes. Almost all of the buses are packed full (buses hold upwards of 50 people depending on how many of the jump seats are full). Given that there are 5 buses, that's about 250 cars that aren't driving on the road every morning! 

Two TICO buses leaving (one for Takahama Plant, one for Kariya Plant)

City Bus (Kyoto, Gifu) 

The city bus was the one I was most worried about riding as it was made for locals who can read Japanese and know the general direction of where they need to go. The routes are numbered, as they usually are, and that's the most important thing to keep track of when you're trying to get somewhere - just make sure your stop is on that bus's route. Though daunting at first, with a map and a basic understanding of Kanji characters (or at least an ability to compare them!) it's really not that bad. Kyoto is a city where utilizing this bus system will help you visit all the different temples, shrines, and other landmarks. Because it is a tourist town, a lot of the words will be in English. If you figure out that you're going the wrong way, just hop off at the next stop, cross the street and wait for the bus to come the other direction. The buses generally run through every 5 to 10 minutes in populated cities so your wait isn't too long.

Inside a Kyoto city bus

Kyoto bus map. Full version here!

Me-guru Sightseeing Bus (Nagoya)

Unique to Nagoya, this very useful bus takes you to some of the most important tourist attractions in Nagoya that are not easily accessible by train like the Toyota Museum, Tokugawaen, Noritake Garden, and Nagoya Castle. As the slogan proclaims, "hop on the gold bus!" and you'll get where you need to go. The loop starts and ends at Nagoya station, and though it might be quicker to hop on the bus going back, the loop is not really so big that going around the long way is awful. Very useful and user friendly around Nagoya for tourists.

 

Me-guru bus stop signs.

Me-guru route. More information here!

Airport Express (Kariya to Chubu International Airport)

Back in the Twin Cities, we lived rather near the airport, which was great if one person in my family was traveling. If our whole family was leaving, we had to ask a friend to drop us off or splurge on a taxi. Columbus is about a 45 minute drive from Indy Airport which is a bit more out of the way. Unless you have some pretty awesome (and not too busy) friends, you might have to consider airport parking. For five days in the economy lot at Indy, you're going to be spending 45 dollars. A one way trip on the Chubu Airport express from Kariya Stn. to the airport is 1330 Y. For someone who lives near Kariya Eki (like me!) or any of the other stops on an Airport express route, the convenience level is completely worth the price. Even if not, asking someone to drop you off at a nearby station is often more doable than asking for an hour and a half of their time. 

Note: If there aren't bus times that are near your flight, you can always take the trains back to Kariya for about the same price, though a little less convenient. 

Expressway Buses (Nagoya to Kyoto)

Expressway buses are basically like Greyhounds, a more affordable way to travel long distances without taking the shinkansen or an airplane. There are regular buses to Kanazawa, Tokyo, Kyoto, Takayama, really all over. I took the Expressway from Nagoya Stn. to Kyoto Stn. just to see if it was worth the cost savings. If you're not in a hurry to go anywhere, I rather think it is. The journey took a little over two hours and it was rather smooth sailing once we got the expressway.

En route to Kyoto.

 

And that's all folks. Though it's rather not familiar at first, it's generally easy to get the hang of. I would definitely make use of it if you're ever in Japan!