Catbus (Nekobasu)

The Catbus is an original invention for the 1988 Studio Ghibli film My Neighbor Totoro (director Hayao Miyazaki). Introduced in the film's narrative world of rural, forest-adjacent Japan, it appears as part of the same imagined ensemble of supernatural beings that includes Totoro; in the plot the Catbus is encountered when the child protagonists need transportation (notably in the bus stop and travel-related sequences) and assists them. Sources emphasize that Totoro and related creatures are Miyazaki creations rather than figures drawn directly from traditional folklore.

Described in film references and encyclopedic sources as a very large, grinning, twelve-legged cat with a large bushy tail and a hollow, bus-shaped body, the Catbus has windows and seats covered with fur and an exterior of striped fur. Voice acting in versions of the film underscores its animal-like vocalizations (Japanese voice actor Naoki Tatsuta; English dubs have used Frank Welker and Carl Macek). The interior and exterior are shown as furred, with human-sized seating and bus-like windows integrated into the creature's body.

Within the film's depiction the Catbus functions as a living passenger conveyance: it can be boarded and carries the child protagonists. Sources describe it as a hybrid being rather than a mechanical vehicle. Beyond its hybrid form and role as transport, the supplied sources do not reliably document additional supernatural powers, origins, or mechanics; discussions and encyclopedic entries focus on its appearance, role in the story, and cultural reception rather than enumerating further abilities.