Toei Bus Anniversary

Today, and January 18th annually, is the anniversary of Toei Bus. Toei Bus operates primarily in Tokyo. The Toei Bus operated for the first time on this day in 1924, so more than 100 years of service. What is very interesting is how it came to be. 

According to various sources, the Toei Bus service was initially started as a temporary, emergency measure service. After the great Kanto earthquake of 1923, much of Tokyo's train system was destroyed. Toei Bus was started to aid transport while the trains were out of commission. Thankfully, it stuck around, presumably due to its success and obvious need. 

Today, the Toei Bus network remains an essential part of daily life for millions. It connects neighborhoods that trains don’t reach and offers a reliable alternative during rail disruptions. Despite having rode on a Toei bus on many occasions, I have no photos in my personal collection, so I used an old bus stop advertisement (from a now closed museum in Ome City, Tokyo) for the feature of this post.