Ibaraki Kotsu Schoolbuses

[Cat]

Watching morning bus traffic videos taken at Mito Station I spotted a scattering of buses with a cream and red livery, some of which had schoolbus looking markings on them.

Finally discovered that they are Ibaraki Kotsu buses.  Many are clearly marked with schoolbus warning tags and a prominent large number on the front:
https://www.google.com/search?q=茨城交通 中スクールバス&tbm=isch&safe=off&safe=off&tbs=rimg%3ACWlVq3nqKV-OImBASxyxKnkQ9nSPqgYae_1S9WwSna-NdjmIu2b6CmdVLj47WebLHSRPN4uX2oF4PWpTyAA1eap22w4CjbnqEettGvr_1ekB9eFFxKsWhhOJWY2CiWKToYE8qg86s9j7Q713MqEglASxyxKnkQ9hHBP5JiQpdGhioSCXSPqgYae_1S9EXnL5X52A0uDKhIJWwSna-NdjmIR-sy3cDY9WiIqEgku2b6CmdVLjxH6zLdwNj1aIioSCY7WebLHSRPNEcwh_1Ym27kzMKhIJ4uX2oF4PWpQRdLwAxhIslzsqEgnyAA1eap22wxGqR30w5MDY2SoSCYCjbnqEettGEfXCOQRVCZnnKhIJvr_1ekB9eFFwRiuOQs-48wqQqEglKsWhhOJWY2BE4tS_1odQAcMCoSCSiWKToYE8qgEc54L2BDf1-WKhIJ86s9j7Q713MRnZOns-ofNsth-sy3cDY9WiI&hl=en&ved=0CAIQrnZqFwoTCIDTpNGTsekCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAK&biw=1234&bih=738

 

Some don't have the warning tag or the large number, but still clearly in school service:

I've found a Tomytec bus that is somewhat close to this livery that with a bit of re-painting to darken the orange to red and adding some other details would look close enough.  It will be nice to have one of these among the bus herd roaming the streets to add another splash of colour:
https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10362779

 

It would also be likely to pull up at a junior high school that will be on the layout.  For folks wise in Japanese bus-lore, would buses heading to a junior high school be more likely to have warning tags or not?

Edited May 13, 2020 by Cat

[bill937ca]

Generally school buses are rare in Japan.  Students travel to school by railway or private operator bus. The exception is special needs students.

 

That bus is run by 茨城交通 or Ibaraki Transportation In English, Ibaraski Kotsu in Romaji. Following your link they are offering commuter pass for school trips so that isn't really a school bus in the North American sense. It could make one trip on a school run and then go to a regularly scheduled non school trip.

 

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/茨城交通

 

The red and cream is apparently a local service paint scheme.  It seems Ibaraski Kotsu runs a lot of highway coaches.

 

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/茨城交通#/media/ファイル:IBARAKIKOTSU_792_HINO_BlueRibbon_U-HT2MMAA.jpg

[Cat]

Tomytec has been very kind to Ibaraki Kotsu.  For highway buses, they have models of the Roseliner (edit, whoops, that's a JR Kanto East) airport express bus which has popped up in videos at Mito and Katsuta stations; and a general sightseeing tour bus, spotted at Katsuta Station and Hitachi Seaside Park.  And they have the general local service bus, white with blue and red stripes that are very thick around the stations.

According to the jpg link, the cream and red was originally Ibaraki Auto, acquired by Ibaraki Kotsu in 2010.  They are still in the mix of buses at Mito in videos from 2012 and 2014; many of which have the schoolbus (or school service if you prefer) triangle symbol painted on the front.  These are not rare going past Mito Station in the morning.

 

 

Edited June 15, 2020 by Cat