You’re the fleet manager for a local Japanese bus company. You have several aging coaches that you want to dispose of – what can you do? Well, you could scrap them, which is the usual practice or maybe take a chance and re-utilize them in a new, “outside-the-box” business venture. One bus company in Japan decided to do the latter…
Those that have been to Japan know the country’s citizens have a fondness for hot springs, baths and saunas. The preferred location is one outside, in a scenic mountain area, with natural geothermal heat. But those aren’t located everywhere so regular saunas are popular also. Like transportation entities across the globe, the COVID pandemic hit Japanese bus companies hard, as commuting and tourism dropped off drastically. One enterprising fellow thought creating a mobile sauna using these older, soon-to-be-scrapped coaches might help contribute to the bottom-line. Welcome to the “Sabus” (sauna-bus).
This particular model is a Hino Rainbow HR “Low Floor” mid-size urban transit coach (also sold as the Izusu Erga J) – one of the more popular models in Japan. It served its duty with the Shinki Bus Company in Himeji Japan (near Osaka), and was being retired.
Here is an interior picture prior to the conversion…
And several post-conversion…
The company’s website said the Sabus would be used in a stationary mode only – parked at various national parks, tourist locations, and festivals – but didn’t rule out a mobile version in the future.
The Japanese are also known for their modesty so I’m assuming the curtains and blinds have yet to be installed. If not, that would be some view – looking in or out…
American bus conversions have a long, storied past. I’m glad to see the Japanese approach the process very differently…
The fourth picture – the interior of the 11-22 year old bus that is apparently ready for decommissioning as a public conveyance is after those 11-22 years in far better condition than any bus in the US (and most other countries too) after its first month of use. The respect the Japanese people have for property (their own or that of others) is simply astounding. I don’t think “door dings” exist in Japan either for that matter.
I can’t help but think this idea has already been done though. As a young teen I often took Los Angeles’ bus system (the RTD, pre-Metro) far and wide across the city. A GM RTS bus in mid-July Los Angeles provides the same sauna experience.
It’s interesting you mention the door dings Jim, as I’ve had the Volvo for ten years now and parking all over Japan I thankfully have yet to have any dings in the doors. As I’m sure you noticed when you were here, parking spaces are much smaller than in the states, so people are always careful when opening doors. But you’re correct, there is much more of a respect for things in general.
Your bus trip in LA reminded me of a similar one I took in the mid-80’s while attending a course in Montgomery Alabama in August – definitely a sauna experience…:-)
Curious. I’m quite familiar with the Japanese love of soaking in a hot tub/bath, but not so about saunas. Wouldn’t they want to wash off afterwards? And where do they change?
Yes, I tend to think of the details…
As to modesty, I had a rather different impression. I went to a couple of large public bath houses in Japan, and there were numerous women attendants in the men’s section, where everyone was of course nude. That would not have been the case in Western countries.
I got the impression that the Japanese were rather without any of the body/nudity hangups that we Westerners above a certain age were brought up with.
Maybe the plan is to park the bus next to a lake?
I think the bus is divided into two sections Paul, an outer changing area (post conversion pic #1, and the actual sauna area (pics #2-3). In the sauna area near the front there’s a small standing area to shower off, though you can’t see it in the pics.
As for nudity, my experience has been it’s kind’a an “either or” situation. You don’t see people wearing revealing clothing in public here, like you would back in the states. But as you mention, you do see older ladies cleaning at public baths, saunas, bathrooms at expressway service areas, etc. Never a young woman, always older (50s/60s) – they seem to be looked at differently.
Many Hino Rainbows left passenger service and emigrated to New Zealand where they entered active bus life again or got repurposed into motor homes, quite good buses by all accounts Ive seen.
Early-on in my trials and tribulations with The Bus Company Who Shall Not Be Named, I was told that the service life of a typical bus in Canada was eleven years, compared to the service life of a bus in the USA at seven years.
The difference was due to the amount of vandalism.
The obvious answer is to provide sure, swift, immediate punishment for vandals. I suggest public caning.