J-Word Play: February 2013

ものすごいスピードで走るバスは何ですか？

（ものすごいスピードではしるバスはなんですか？）

Highlight the text below to see the answer…

Answer: 都バス（とバス） (metro bus)

Our question asks, “What kind of bus runs at an incredibly fast speed?” and our answer is a pretty straightforward pun. 「都バス」also doubles as the Japanese verb with the same pronunciation 「飛ばす」which means to run or drive fast. That leaves all of us in the more inaka (train-less) parts of Hyogo wishing for a bus that runs as on time (or as frequently) as a metro bus.

Geoff Parker