Many Buses Retired Over the Past Two Years! A Full Lineup of Used Goods Another highlight of the Bus Festival is the sale of used bus parts and merchandise. Each company stores round route signs and other equipment from discontinued bus routes in their warehouses, then sells them all at once during events like the Bus Festival. When we spoke with the companies, they mentioned, “Since the festival wasn’t held in 2025, we have two years’ worth of merchandise to offer,” suggesting that both sellers and buyers had been eagerly awaiting the festival’s return. Among the items for sale were “bus route guides for buses departing from Senri-Chuo, which underwent major revisions alongside the 2024 extension of the Kita-Osaka Kyuko Line” (Hankyu Bus), “round bus stop signs from the Kyoto-Sonfuku Line, which was discontinued in 2024” (JR Bus West Japan), “a large quantity of stop buzzers” (Zentan Bus), “ashtrays removed from retro vehicles” (Nara Kotsu), “coin purses and ties for staff” (Takatsuki City Bus), and “staff schedules (operation instructions)” used to manage timetables (various companies). Among them are groups like the “Former Mino Station Preservation Society,” which sell Tomica cars, toys, and rare bus merchandise that would be out of reach for ordinary hobby shops, using the profits to fund the preservation of defunct station buildings and old vehicles. It seems that every company is pulling out all the stops for their merchandise sales at the Bus Festival. After the morning scramble for rare merchandise, the number of people moving around carrying round bus stop signs and old timetables increased significantly. After all, for ordinary fans, bus festivals and similar events are the only opportunities to purchase such items. Incidentally, since the music event “Gobugobu Fest” was being held on the lot right next door during this Osaka event, people wearing merchandise featuring Masatoshi Hamada, the CEO of that event, and people carrying large quantities of bus merchandise were passing each other on the same street in the pouring rain. All the while, we listened to the live performance by Sambo Master and INI, which could be heard over a wide area, serving as background music… I have covered various bus events in the past, but this combination is something you rarely get to experience.
Bus Festivals Are Held in the Kanto Region Too The “Surutto KANSAI Bus Festival,” which has been held since 2001, has been held more than 20 times, with a brief hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the Tokyo metropolitan area, the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation and other organizations also hold bus festivals. While these events are also packed with activities, the participating companies and agencies are mostly from the Tokyo metropolitan area and its suburbs, giving the impression that the range of participating regions isn’t as broad as that of the Kansai Bus Festival. Even if you’re not particularly interested in buses, there are so many events that you can’t help but end up buying parts and merchandise you don’t usually see. I definitely want to visit such a bus festival again next year.
© Source travel watch