Stop request button
What the stop request button is
The stop request button is how you signal the driver that you are getting off at the next bus stop. Pressing it sounds a chime and lights up the lamp on the button along with a display inside the bus, so everyone on board knows the bus will be stopping. The buttons are fitted all around the interior, on the wall beside the seats, on the handrails and under the windows, so you can always find one within reach without leaving your seat.
A local bus will drive past a stop where nobody is getting off and nobody is waiting. That is exactly why you have to make your intention known with the button as your stop comes closer. Put the other way around, if someone has already pressed it and the lamp is lit, the bus is certain to stop, so there is no need to press again.
When to press it
Your cue is the onboard announcement naming the stop you want. Check the stop name from the "the next stop is ..." announcement or the display at the front of the bus, then press, and you will be neither too early nor too late. Press before the announcement and the bus may pull in one stop short of where you meant to go; press just as the bus is arriving at the stop and there may not be enough distance left for it to slow down.
If you miss the button and the bus goes past your stop, do not leap to your feet. Moving around while the bus is running is how falls happen, so the safe course is to stay in your seat, or keep hold of a strap, get off at the next stop, and walk back from there. The basic rule is to leave your seat only once the bus has come to a complete stop, and Toei Bus asks riders to "please wait until the bus has stopped before standing up" for exactly that reason, to prevent injuries on board.
Tips for older riders and first-timers
On a route you have never taken before, memorizing the name of the stop just before yours lets you get ready with time in hand. Rest your hand on the button as the bus pulls away from that earlier stop and press when the announcement comes, and nothing feels rushed. If you have a choice of seats, sitting close to a button is another good move.
Note that one press is enough, and the buttons are normally built with no way to cancel. If you press one by mistake, a quick word to the driver near the exit door is all it takes. Our article on riding the bus comfortably for older passengers has more on taking buses at an unhurried pace.