Two Highway Buses, Same Colors, Same Route, Nearly the Same License Plate

What's going on

Long-distance highway buses in Japan usually make a stop partway through the trip at a service area so passengers can stretch their legs, grab a snack, or use the bathroom. Since two buses can be running the exact same route at the same time, staff sometimes pair them up in matching colors and liveries — which is convenient for the company, but a nightmare for anyone trying to find their way back to the right one.

One passenger got exactly this warning from staff during a rest stop: the bus parked next to theirs was decorated identically and headed to the same destination, so they'd better be careful not to climb aboard the wrong one. Sensible advice — so the passenger figured they'd just memorize the license plate number as a backup. That's when things got interesting.

Comments

The highway bus I’m on just stopped at a service area for a break. When I got off, they told me “the bus next to us has the same color scheme and same destination, so make sure you don’t board the wrong one.” Figured I’d just memorize the plate number as backup, so I looked… and found this.

今乗ってる高速バスが休憩でサービスエリアに停まった。降りる時に「隣のバスとカラーリング同じで行き先も同じなので間違えないように」と言われたので、ナンバー覚えておくかと見たらこれ。

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Wait, is that even allowed? The exact same plate number?

え、これってアリなんです？全く同じナンバー？

Nope, the last two digits are slightly different.

いえ下2桁が微妙に違います。

Oh, you’re right lol that’s way too confusing lol

あ、本当だw紛らわし過ぎますねw

A trap!!

罠！！

That’s beyond a trap at this point 😂

トラップにも程がある😂

Whoa

すげえ

This is nuts

これはヤバい

That’s a Zhuge Liang-level trap lol (a stock phrase in Japanese internet slang for an overly clever, elaborate trap, referencing the legendary strategist from Romance of the Three Kingdoms)

孔明の罠級の一致w

Please, don’t park next to it…

隣に止まらないでと・

My company has stuff like this all the time and it’s so confusing

うちの会社もこんなのばっかで混乱する

Same destination too? You’d have to take a photo or you’re definitely mixing them up

行き先まで同じとか写真でも撮らないと間違えるな

Advice from the field: I’d recommend snapping a photo

現場からアドバイスですが写真を撮っておくことをおすすめします

Why not just take a picture with your phone?

スマホで撮っておけば？

Even with a photo, I feel like I’d still get it wrong

写真撮っておいても間違えそう

Just memorize the last digit. That’s really all you can do.

下一桁だけを覚える。しかない。

Thought “just remember the H657-~ number,” then realized that made me the bus nerd here <RP

H657-〜の番号覚えりゃ良いじゃんと思った自分がマニアだったことに気づく＜RP

Ugh, what a mess. I wish they’d display “Bus 1” and “Bus 2” in big letters or something

うわ、ややこしい1号車、2号車とか大きく表示しておいて欲しいですね

This difficulty level is way too high (lol) — I want them to hang some kind of marker or charm on the door

これは難易度高杉晋作ドアにめじるしアクセサリか何かぶら下げてほしい

The original plays on 高すぎる (“too high/difficult”) sounding like 高杉晋作 (Takasugi Shinsaku), a famous historical figure — a pun that doesn’t carry over into English.

Would be nice if they just stuck an animal magnet sticker on the door or something……(

ドアに動物のマグネットシールでもついてればいいのにね……（

Way too much of a trap… I wish they’d put clearer stickers on there. Like a turtle, or a bunny… or an anglerfish or something

罠すぎる・・・もっとわかりやすいステッカーとか貼っといて欲しい。かめさんとかうさぎさんとか・・・あんこうとか

If you’re the type who never messes with your own seat, there’s no way you’d catch this… (I mark mine with a charging cable or a drink bottle)

自席を乱さないタイプの人だとこれもうわかんねぇな…（充電ケーブルとかドリンクのボトルとかでマーキングをしたりする）

At least if the destination’s the same, the damage is fairly minor 🤣

行き先が同じなら、比較的キズは浅いですね🤣

This is the “next thing you know, you’ve been hauled off to some remote corner of Gunma” scenario (Gunma is the long-running punchline of a Japanese internet joke about being the most forgettable, middle-of-nowhere prefecture)

気がついたら群馬の秘境に連れてかれる奴だ

And then, from taking a photo of them side by side, you end up boarding whichever one has its left door open, and wind up visiting some unexpected town…

そして並べて撮ったことで左の扉が開いてる方に乗ってしまい予期せぬ街に訪問する結果に…

My take

Honestly, at this point the correct move might just be giving up and staying glued to your seat the whole trip.

#Funny #Society

Source & translation note

Comments loosely translated for tone. Reactions collected from Togetter and X threads.

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