Absolutely, if you don't come here, you'll never have such an astonishing striking feel.

I went in the middle of winter The snow was heavy and there's no parking lot so you have to park on the street. Even on a holiday daytime there's almost no traffic. I took photos and left, but since it's a mountain pass the wind was strong and it was terribly cold. I left right away.

This pass, located on the mountainside of Mt. Otoe in Fukagawa City, is a unique spot where you can enjoy playful touches inspired by how its name is read, "Totoro (戸外炉) Pass", along with overwhelming views. The biggest highlight is, above all, the abandoned bus in the form of the "Catbus". The bus, once used as a rest hut for farm work, was painted by a local town revitalization group in the style of the character from the movie 『My Neighbor Totoro』, and has now become a sacred site visited by many fans and riders. There's also a bus stop sign with the destination "Nanakuniyama" written on it, and the somewhat nostalgic and fantastical sight can't help but bring a smile to your face. The view from the adjoining "Totoro Pass Parking Park" is also wonderful, giving you a panorama of Fukagawa city, the Ishikari River, and the vast Sorachi Plain from an altitude of about 380 meters. Especially in the paddy area from May to June, the flooded rice fields reflect the light and shine, letting you enjoy a beautiful patchwork-like landscape unique to this place. In addition, this pass also has a face as a "night view planetarium". At night, the streetlights of the city are arranged to draw constellations such as the Big Dipper and Cassiopeia, so the night view spreading below looks like a giant planetarium, a fantastical device. In contrast to the openness of daytime, you can spend a romantic and tranquil time, so it's also very popular as a date spot. Access is very good, about 5 minutes by car from Fukagawa IC, so it's easy to drop in during a drive, and a spacious parking lot and restrooms are also available. The daytime panorama, the Catbus at dusk, and the planetarium at night, each showing a completely different face depending on when you visit, it's an attraction-packed viewpoint that can't be missed in Fukagawa sightseeing.

Seen from a distance it looks anime-like and not without a fantastical feel. But up close it's badly rusted and worn, and it's also broken down so it apparently can't go pick up Mei-chan. There's a bus stop nearby with a timetable posted, and I thought it was quite a nice touch. I hope it starts running again someday. To tell the truth, I was expecting a bonnet bus.

It's just a bus painted as the Catbus on display, but I think it's an irresistible place for Totoro fans. It was raining the day I went, and I wanted to park my bike next to the bus and take photos, but I couldn't get the side stand to stand up so I desperately made a U-turn.