Marineboy's Marine Bus

[kurohinge1]

http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/photojournal/images/03/20ferry340.jpg
Faster than a speeding bullet... (http://mdn.mainichi.co.jp/photojournal/07.html)

The new futuristic vessel "Himiko" sails along Tokyo Bay as the landmark Rainbow Bridge is seen in background, in Tokyo. The 114-ton silver metalic water-bus was designed by popular cartoon artist Leiji Matsumoto (http://www.leiji-matsumoto.ne.jp), with hopes to appeal to the younger generation, and is to start service in the Japanese capital on March 26.

http://www.coolstuffvideos.com/images3/marineboy14.JPG
The pilots?
:lol:

[Taro Toporific]

The new futuristic vessel "Himiko" sails along Tokyo Bay as the landmark Rainbow Bridge is seen in background, in Tokyo. The 114-ton silver metalic water-bus was designed by popular cartoon artist Leiji Matsumoto (http://www.leiji-matsumoto.ne.jp),
It's looks like they slapped on few extra pimpmoble moonroofs and added fender skirts to make a low-rider version of the standard water-bus which hasn't changed in style in past 25-30 years. :twisted:

http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:XvxW491vLeoJ:www.city.itabashi.tokyo. jp/dokan/510water-bus1.jpghttp://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:-KqSHzJt4rAJ:www.kensetsu.metro.tokyo.jp/kasen/image/waterbus.jpg

"Low bridge, everybody down...." (http://www.syracuse.com/features/eriecanal/extras/song.html)
http://www.kawauso.net/tokyo/images/tokyo43.jpg

Low bridge, everybody down (http://www.syracuse.com/features/eriecanal/extras/song.html)
Low bridge for we're coming to a town
And you'll always know your neighbor
And you'll always know your pal
If you've ever navigated on
The Concrete-love Canal

[GargoyleTS]

It's all closed in...no good that is! Are Japanese generally agoraphobic? Or is it designed to appeal to the commuter switching from trains to boats?


(and where will they stow my bike?)

[AssKissinger]

What's wrong with you guys? That thing's totally cool.

[Taro Toporific]

It's all closed in...no good that is! Are Japanese generally agoraphobic? Or is it designed to appeal to the commuter switching from trains to boats?
(and where will they stow my bike?)

Only a few people use the water-bus as public transit since one's company pays for commuting cost and the water-bus costs twice the price of the train. Japan in hell-on-earth hot so the covering for air-con and dank rainy season. It's just for tourism and a few luckly people who just happen to live and work convenient near water-bus stops (the water-bus is slower than taking a train except for a couple of rare situations).

[ultragaijin]

http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/images/reijicp2.jpg
http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/images/reijicp.jpg

more cosplay action (http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/forums/showthread.php?p=32294#post32294)

[kurohinge1]

What's wrong with you guys? That thing's totally cool.
I'm with AK on this one.

A hovercraft version would also be fun

or maybe a design based on one of Matsumoto's other artworks ...
http://www.leiji-matsumoto.ne.jp/img_sugimoto/top_02_v102.jpg

Bring back the airships! :wink:

[GargoyleTS]

I admit, it is cool looking, I just like access to the atmosphere when on watercraft. It's a nature thing. (Leo, born in a Year of the Tiger, and I LOOOOOVE water. Go figure!)

As for the Airships...bring 'em on! I remember reading several novels (and many RPG video games) with Airship Liners on them and think it would be awesome! Taking an Air Cruise across Europe or Asia (or any number of places) like a land-bound ocean cruise. Stopping in various countries for touring and shopping. It would be teh kewl!

[Alcazar]

Gargoyle, isn't this the middle of the night for you? :wink: 8O

[ultragaijin]

Bring back the airships!

The real space cruiser would be better. :P

[GargoyleTS]

Yeah Alcazar, it is 1 am as I type this post. I am also a night owl (or on tokyo time, I am unsure which). I have tried my best to switch to a "normal" schedule, but I fear the only thing that can change that is moving. I have had day jobs requiring I get up early for them (7am or better) and still fall right into the night-owl life on the weekends and usually couldn't sleep before midnight when I did work days. So, if my regular schedule will hold, I will magically become a morning person when I get to Japan. (right now I is a kollidge stewdint) and prefer to sleep until 2-3pm and be up all night.

[Alcazar]

Yeah Alcazar, it is 1 am as I type this post. I am also a night owl (or on tokyo time, I am unsure which). I have tried my best to switch to a "normal" schedule, but I fear the only thing that can change that is moving. I have had day jobs requiring I get up early for them (7am or better) and still fall right into the night-owl life on the weekends and usually couldn't sleep before midnight when I did work days. So, if my regular schedule will hold, I will magically become a morning person when I get to Japan. (right now I is a kollidge stewdint) and prefer to sleep until 2-3pm and be up all night.
Oh, that's not so bad, I thought it might be even later. Yeah, I like staying up late too, and when I was studying like you, I would routinely work through the night on papers. Somehow I could think and work much better then-less distractions etc. We can take it though, because we're young! :thumbs:

[kurohinge1]

As for the Airships...bring 'em on! I remember reading several novels (and many RPG video games) with Airship Liners on them and think it would be awesome! Taking an Air Cruise across Europe or Asia (or any number of places) like a land-bound ocean cruise. Stopping in various countries for touring and shopping. It would be teh kewl!
Now you've got me started - poking around this site's (http://spot.colorado.edu/~dziadeck/airship/japan.htm)news on Japan & airships revealed ...

Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH & Co KG has sold a Zeppelin NT to the Japanese airship operator Nippon Airship Corporation (NAC)... The new owner is going to put the airship principally into sightseeing and advertising flight service. What the Japanese investors for the short term are also keeping their eyes on is the 2005 World's Fair in Aichi, Japan. By the middle of this year, the Zeppelin NT is supposed to commence its 12,000 km (7,500 mile) journey to Japan - in the air ...

The "Bodensee" is the Zeppelin NT sold. She will make the journey to Japan via LZ127's historic route probably by June this year. Until that time, the media reported, the "Bodensee", one of two commercially operating Zeppelin NTs will remain in service by its owner/operator Deutsche Zeppelin Reederei (DZR). Its 2004 tourist flying season is scheduled to start in a few days, the first weekend in March.

Japan's new airship ...
http://www.zeppelinflug.de/webcam/webpic_ausserbetrieb_klein.jpg

Not quite as impressive as the much larger predecessor, 75 years ago ...
... The large 787 foot hangar at Juterbog, near Berlin, was dismantled and erected at the Japanese Naval Air Station at Kisamagaura, near Tokyo, where it housed the LZ127 Graf Zeppelin on her 1929 flight around the world ...
http://www.allstar.fiu.edu/aero/images/lz127d.gifhttp://spot.colorado.edu/~dziadeck/zf/images/posters/JAPAN.gif

[GargoyleTS]

Nah, current production airships are too small and are the wrong materials. I want HUGE ships with massive propellors and built like luxury Yachts for about 80 passengers (crew are extra). Think something like Vision of Escaflowne or the later Final Fantasy's for size, but perhaps more like the War Against the Cthorr novels for looks. (basically massive crystal ships. Clear polymers over silvery frames)

[Steve Bildermann]

The 114-ton Japanese water-taxi 'Himiko' was designed by anime artist Leiji Matsumoto (Space Battleship Yamato) "to appeal to the younger generation."

http://www.gizmodo.com/archives/water_taxi_himiko.php

http://www.interphysical.com/002/my-images/himiko.gif

:arrow: http://www.leiji-matsumoto.ne.jp/

:arrow: Legend of Himiko (http://www.fattvideos.com/videos_and_dvds_by/23759/Anime_Manga/LEGEND_OF_HIMIKO)