First is RM1889 found at the "Little World" open-air theme park museum, set amongst great nature and a few exotic animals, at Inuyama, Nagoya, Japan.
Richard Coombs, who kindly sent me the photographs above, says "The bus is used to take visitors around the theme park that comprises a mixture of architecture and restaurants offering a variety of cuisine from around the world; but now (December '07) the bus is also used around Nagoya advertising various store products. Richard adds that the lower deck is usually empty as the Japanese don't have double-deckers so the opportunity to ride on an upper deck is a special treat. It is hired out by 'Upstar' a Tokyo based company that the driver says has three buses; but it is unknown if the others are also Routemasters."
According
to James Bunting both RM1889 & RM2018 (new in 1964 and exported to Japan in
May '89), are owned by Upstar and now appear to spend much of their life wrapped in
vinyl. Both are on this Japanese blog (link below) where the additional emergency exits,
that have been fitted to satisfy the Japanese Construction & Use
regulations, can be seen:
http://blog.livedoor.jp/koyapop2/archives/51818660.html
(RM2113, new in January 1965 and exported to Japan in October '89, is the third RM owned by Upstar. Ed.)
James Bunting sent in his images of RM2018 in the Marunouchi area of Central Tokyo taken in October 2014.
James
Bunting also visited Shimonoseki at the end of December 2013 and found that RM1164
had been retired from service. It appeared rather forlorn, in an area of
grassland with a low fence around it (see Google StreetView links below). Unfortunately, it was late in the day when
James passed by and there was no opportunity to take a picture. However, he has
found a blog with a photo of it, dating from 2016, by which time it seems to
have been joined by a funfair:
http://business-garden-tokyo.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/london-bus-in-shimonoseki.html
James
has also found a video of RM1164 in operation in Japan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPDnePUWBTQ
I'm grateful to Ralph Bosman for sending in these images of RM1164 snapped using his mobile phone at Shimonoseki; a city in West Japan that has strong ties with Britain as it was the location of the first British Consulate, says Ralph!. Conceding that the present RM1164 may be a very different bus from the original, Ralph also adds "RM1164 was 'the bus of my boyhood, as I went to Donhead and Wimbledon College located between Wimbledon and Raynes Park, and this bus was among those that replaced the trolleybuses on routes 604 and 605 running from Norbiton on Route 131." He says, however "at the time, I preferred the RT buses to the Routemasters, and I'm afraid I still do, though the Routemasters have certainly earned my ungrudging respect over the years and in fact I've become very fond of them too." Ralph further comments that it gave a surprisingly good ride which belied its age.
Ralph
Bosman has been back in Shimonoseki recently (March 2023) and confirms the information
about RM 1164 (as described above by James Bunting) remains correct as it now
still resides on the edge of a small fun fair and looks less forlorn than before, especially when seen from the front.
It is being well maintained; the paintwork is in good condition; and much better than.......
....... RM 2131 upon which the red paint has almost gone. RM 2131 is at
Omi-Hachiman City, on the banks of Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake.
It seems to be in use as a restaurant of
sorts and it was ' blinded' for route 98 (the Central London version, not the Uxbridge).
I was on a group tour when I found it and thus didn't get much time to observe
it, says Ralph.
I only hope it is still there if and when I get the opportunity to go and take
another look (see anecdotes from
Ralph Bosman here, Ed.)
(Unfortunately,
I haven't found RM 2131 on Google Street View. Ed.)
For
those who might be interested in finding the precise location of RM 1164 here
are three different links to Google's Street View:
RM
1164 at Shimonoseki,
Yamaguchi - Google Maps
RM
1164 at Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi - Google Maps
RM
1164 at Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi - Google Maps
(RM
1164,
was new in May 1962 and was presented to a Japanese museum in December 2006 and exported
there three months later. Ed.)
(Here's
a double helping of Routemasters [The
London Bus Cafe on Shima Sunset Road, Itoshima]
Ed.)
(The left one is RM
1131 that was new in February 1962 and went into service at Fulwell;
finishing its days back at Fulwell in February 1990, before being exported to
Japan in September when it was used as a shuttle bus. It became a 'London
Bus Cafe' in November 2011 and it has been at Itoshima since August 2014. Ed.)
(The right one is RM
1251 that was new in June 1962 going into service at Hendon in December and
finishing its days in store at Fulwell in July 1991, before being exported to
Japan sometime after August. Ed.)
(And
here's another RM also known as [The
London Bus Cafe near Akita] Ed.)
RML 2274 was spotted (on New Year's Day 2019) parked in the Venus
Fort Shopping Mall at the Odaiba district of Tokyo, by Chris Bowen who
kindly provided the image. The gentleman on the right was a bus driver in Hong Kong and has driven many iconic buses in his
time; seeing the Routemaster he was keen to have a memento photograph with the bus in the
background.
Clearly RM 2274 is another British bus being used as a mobile
cafe; and it appears in good condition for its new role.
(RML
2274 was new to Aldenham in July 1965; it was privatised to Metroline in
November 1994, withdrawn from service in March 2004 and bought by 'Asian Winds
Inc. Tokyo' in June 2007. Ed.)
Note: I would have
liked to show here a direct link to the Google Street Views of the Venus
Fort Shopping Mall; but unfortunately this is now impossible as 'embedded' Street
View links throughout the Venus Fort Shopping Mall are now being barred by
Google due to the mall having
been permanently closed for redevelopment on March 23rd 2022. However you
can still explore the Street Views manually; here's how:
(Tip for the following instructions; "click once on 'pegman'and
more green lines appear".)
For the Google Street View location where the
image was taken, click the link to the left and move the 'pegman'to the
arc immediately to the right of the first green arc you saw; Street View should
appear.
For the now
defunct mall click the link to the left
and move the 'pegman'into
the circle below the label 'Level 2' then settle on the one running NW to SE
within the circle; Street View should appear.
And in January 2024, below the Tokyo Tower, Chris saw another Food Truck, this time in the form of RML 2486. Chris confirmed that it's like a cafe with the food service being done from the separate red kiosk next to the bus and then using the upper deck as the restaurant area. As it's an RML (lengthening the standard RM by the extra centre panel) by examining both sides of the bus the alterations to the panel arrangement, no doubt to accommodate a remodelling of the upper deck, can be seen; not such an easy task as might initially be thought. Also the coachbuilders made the kiosk to match and kept the RML's identification plate; which usually gets thrown away or painted over. It's a good job! Ed.
(RML 2486 was new to Aldenham in May 1966. After 30 years servicing London's streets she was privatised to CentreWest in September 1994, withdrawn from service in November 2003 and began another short, 3-year career, in Glasgow. Following that, Beith Transport Preservation Trust Museum, Ayrshire took her on. But preservation wasn't for her, as just 21 months later she was off to Athens, Greece. Another 3 years went by, resting by the Aegean, before being back in London to be used at "World Skills London" events. In early 2012 she was finally sold to a restorer and in April 2014 she was bought by 'Ocean King Inc. Tokyo'. What a ride. Ed.)
Spot the Routemaster in Tokyo! Mark Gallery snapped this photo of a distant Routemaster at work in Tokyo and somewhat out-of-place in these unusual surroundings; and it is for that matter that this image has a certain charm. It's clearly fortunate that Japan drives on the left.