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CatBus Roadside Restaurant, Japan
“Try laughing, then whatever scares you will go away”
– Tatsuo Kusakabe (My Neighbor Totoro)
Nyah, here comes the Catbus!
Outside of Toyota city, there was once an interesting roadside relic. Abandoned at the roadside there was a bus, but this bus was not a usual bus. Firstly this bus was painted bright orange. Secondly, this bus had a face. The face had wide eyes, a maniacal grin and pointy ears.
Anyone familiar with Japanese anime will recognise this character. He is CatBus (ネコバス, Nekobasu), from My Neighbour Totoro. This 1988 children’s film is an iconic Japanese piece of pop culture. Arguably, one of the most famous Japanese animated movies in the world. Certainly, it is a film I hold dear to my heart. It never fails to bring a smile to my face, and a little whimsical joy to my day.
We visited CatBus in 2019, this was one of the highlights of the trip for me!
The enigmatic story of this abandoned bus
The bus appeared here sometime between 2005 and 2010. There is an air conditioning unit fitted into one of the window spaces. The bus has been converted into what appears to be a restaurant. This may have been an izakaya; a casual bar that serves snacks and drinks, frequented by commuters on their way home from work. Alternatively, CatBus may have been a soba noodle bar. The bus sat by the side of a highway, so would enjoy good passing trade.
The (second) Death of the CatBus
A rather upsettings discovery; CatBus is now no more! This wonderful quirky bus was demolished in the spring of 2020. Almost exactly 1 year after these photos were taken. CatBus was one of the first location added to our map for our Japan tour. I am a great lover of Totoro and was pleased to meet the real CatBus.
There was also a restaurant building nearby. Interestingly this was also demolished at the same time that CatBus met his end. Therefore it seems likely that the bus was related to the restaurant. The restaurant itself closed around 2015 when the owner was arrested due to alleged ties to a prostitution ring.
It seems that this sorry cat has run out of lives.
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