Japanese pro-wrestler confused by one key feature on Vancouver buses
When Japanese pro-wrestler Wakana Uehara visited Vancouver earlier this month, one small detail about TransLink’s public transit buses stood out to her.
It was not the route or the ride itself — it was how you request a stop.
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According to travel website Japan Guide, most local buses on Japanese public transit systems require passengers to enter the vehicle through the rear door. Upon boarding, riders either take a ticket from a small machine near the door — used to calculate the fare for cash payments — or tap their public transit smart card on a reader next to the entrance. To request a stop, passengers press buttons located along the walls to signal the driver that they wish to get off at the next stop.
Before exiting, riders must insert their ticket and exact fare into the fare box beside the driver or tap their smart card again on the card reader. There are some exceptions. In certain cities, such as Tokyo, passengers enter through the front door, pay a flat fare upon boarding, and exit through the rear door.
But in her social media post, Uehara shared that the yellow cord running along the windows — one of the main and most accessible ways to request a stop — felt highly unfamiliar to her. Due to her confusion, she even missed a few stops on her ride to Granville Island. This was her first time taking a public transit bus outside of Japan.
Inside a TransLink bus, with both the yellow cord and buttons for bus stops. (Simerjot S Benipal/Shutterstock)
This yellow cord system is common on buses in Canada and the United States, although many buses also include some push buttons at various locations for stop requests.
“First time taking a bus abroad. Instead of a button, you pull a yellow cord to get off—so different from Japan! I actually missed my stop by 3 stations because I was so confused lol,” she wrote on her posts, which garnered some attention.
バンクーバーで初めて海外のバスに乗ったんだけど、降り方が分からなくて3駅乗り過ごしたのは内緒😂
Visited Granville Island! 🇨🇦
First time taking a bus abroad. Instead of a button, you pull a yellow cord to get off—so different from Japan! I actually missed my stop by 3 stations… pic.twitter.com/XaHlD1bPz2— 上原わかな (Wakana Uehara) (@wakana_uehara) April 23, 2026
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For local riders, the yellow cord is routine. But for visitors used to only the button-based system, it can take a moment to understand.
It is a minor detail, but one that shows how everyday systems can vary between places — and how those differences can shape a tourist’s experience in simple ways.