Cat Bus

The Catbus (or 猫バス, Nekobasu) is one of the two most recognizable characters in the Studio Ghibli film My Neighbor Totoro (Tonari no Totoro), directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It is a large creature, depicted as a grinning cat with a hollow body that serves as a bus, complete with windows and seats coated with fur, and a large bushy tail. A door magically appears when a person would like to board it to travel. With its multiple caterpillar-like legs, it runs, flies, bounces, and hops across forests and lakes to reach its destination, making whole rice fields sway in its wake. Its eyes shine a yellow light brightly like headlamps to guide itself. Mice with glowing eyes suspended next to its destination sign and from its rump serve as running and tail lights. The Catbus is visibly male in one scene (minutes 79-81).

With its large elongated smile and its ability to appear and disappear at will, Catbus is very reminiscent of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland.