The Wheels on the Bus

I may have previously enthused on the Japanese bus service. Please let me do so again. Except for a couple of unpleasant times, my buses have always been on time, give or take three minutes or so. And one of those unpleasant times was because a nearby house was on fire and there was a traffic jam for nearly eight blocks long in three directions, so I can hardly blame them.

So, have I mentioned how clean Japanese buses are? I can freely place my backpack and/or purse on the floor without worrying about it getting dirty. I believe while this is in part due to diligent bus care, it also comes in part from the riders. In Japan it is bad manners to eat, drink, or talk on the bus, which brings me to my third point:

The bus is pretty darn near silent. Often times you can only hear the rumblings of the engines (and even then, while waiting at busy intersections some drivers even seem to switch the noisy part off). So many people fall asleep on the bus—that’s how quiet it is. While I have little to no experience with American city public transportation (the perks of being a farm girl), even I know that I am becoming spoiled by the Japanese system.

Example One:

Example Two:

I’m talking mostly about the Keihan bus service, because that’s what I’ve used the most (they’re local to Kansai, you see).

Now paying for the bus is easy.  At the front of every bus is a change machine where you can get the exact change you need for the bus. There’s also a special card you can purchase that you scan as you get on and off the bus that works sorta like a debit card. You can also purchase a one day ticket. If you use the bus a ton, though, I’d recommend getting a bus pass—you pay a set fee for your time period (a month or more) and all you have to do is flash it at the bus driver as you leave—if you rid the bus twice everyday like me, it’s a great money saver (I save around $60 a month on bus fees while using it).

The front of the bus

The entrance to the bus where you insert your ticket/prepaid card if you're using one

And while I'm at it, let me rant a little more on the narrowness of the roads. They're so narrow the stop line is a good five feet from the intersection. And when buses turn a corner, it's pretty scary!