Public transport

This page holds the information needed to effectively use the main ways of public transportation in Hirakata and surroundings. For the use of public transport, purchasing an ICOCA card is very highly recommended. It will take 500 yen deposit for the card, and can be charged with amounts of 1000, 2000 and 3000 at a time. This card is usable in many places, most notably in every public transport system (even in Tokyo!) in the Kansai region and is quicker than having to buy a ticket every time you travel.

Keihan Railways
''"The Keihan Main Line (京阪本線 Keihan-honsen) is a railway line in Japan operated by Keihan Electric Railway. The line runs between Demachiyanagi Station in Kyoto and Yodoyabashi Station in Osaka." - ''Wikipedia

The Keihan Railways is an incredible convenient way to travel between Osaka, Hirakata and Kyoto. The Limited Express trains are recommended, unless you want to stop at smaller stations. The trains depart from main stations frequently, but the last trains are between 00:00 and 01:00 AM, making going out at night in Osaka and Kyoto difficult for people living in Hirakata. The first train back to Hirakata is usually between 05:00 and 06:00 AM.

There is a timetable available. Make sure you select "Keihan Railway".

Subway
The subway lines in Osaka and Kyoto are a very convenient method to get from the main Keihan stations to other destinations (such as Shinsaibashi in Osaka, which isn't very near to the closest Keihan station - Yodoyabashi). There is free Wi-Fi available at the big Keihan stations in Osaka and Kyoto, so the use of Google Maps is very highly recommended to find the subway line needed for the quickest route to a desired destination.

Busses
Buses cost 230 yen each way, no matter where you get off, and you pay when you exit the bus. They are very useful in, for example, Kyoto to travel between all the touristic sites. For the Kansai Gaidai stutents: the busses from Hirakata station to the seminar houses are numbered 11 and 12. The last 12 bus which goes by the seminar houses is around 10:40 PM. You can take the busses that go through on the main road between Top World and Hirakata Station (like bus number 18) and get off at the Top World/Pachinko stop then walk the rest of the way home. All the buses end around midnight.

Taxis are quite expensive in Japan. From Hirakata station, a taxi to one of the seminar houses (a distance about 5 kilometers or 3 miles) is about 1500 yen - much more than the 230 yen of a bus.