"Tokyo Night Bus - Hibarigaoka to Tanashi" - July 1991

Taking a night bus (late evening, early night) from the bus (terminal) stop in front of Hibarigaoka Station. It's a manual shift bus with the type of (recorded) announcement that all the buses I used at the time played (is it the same woman who made all those recordings?) This clip starts with walking towards Hibarigaoka Station, and finishes with the walk to Tanashi Station (on the Seibu-Shinjuku Line).

Lyle (Hiroshi) Saxon
http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~LLLtrs/
http://uk.youtube.com/lylehsaxon

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Bus
• Night
• Tokyo
• Hibarigaoka
• Tanashi
• 1991

[eXAKR]

That bus looks and even sounds quite like the Nissan U31RCN buses that are being phased out but with a few examples still in use here in Singapore! (You can do a search around here - there's a few videos of it here on YouTube)

[lylehsaxon]

I never looked into the manufacturer or model of the buses, but it could very well be the same model of bus. These are mostly (or all, I'm not sure) phased out in Japan now as well. Did the ones in Singapore have wooden floors? The new ones here are called "step-less" with a low floorboard that makes it easier for wheelchairs to board. The whole bus is lower to the ground. Inside they're a little weird, with a few different levels (instead of just one, as before). - LHS

[UpsidedownVieweing]

Nahaha~ Recording with the same person, that's pretty convenient! XD

[lylehsaxon]

Yeah - I think maybe there was a professional announcer that did the recordings for several different bus companies and trains lines. I'm not sure though - it might just be that that style was popular and different announcers spoke in such the same way that they sound like the same person? Not sure, but I suspect it's the same person! - LHS

[eXAKR]

@lylehsaxon To add on, a few of them still survive as I type this, but they have received a minor refurbishment from the bus company, which involves new flooring and seat cushions. I believe the original wooden flooring has been replaced, but I have not been able to catch them lately.

[eXAKR]

@lylehsaxon Sorry for not replying earlier, as I lost your message in my YouTube inbox...

I'm not sure if they had wooden floors, but I remember a distinctive smell about them that I later found out comes from wooden panels; I guess maybe they do.

[Dominus357]

That's the cutest voice ever :D

[UpsidedownVieweing]

Yea probablly hired a famous voice actress... possible.