Foreign Bus Drivers Deployed on Local Routes for First Time

Dec 25, 2025 | News On Japan

TOKYO - Foreign nationals have been appointed as drivers on local bus routes for the first time nationwide, using Japan’s Specified Skilled Worker program, in a move aimed at easing chronic labor shortages in the sector.

The familiar onboard announcement asking passengers to fasten their seat belts is now being delivered by a foreign driver behind the wheel of a local route bus. The driver made his debut on the 23rd, marking the first time in Japan that the program has been applied to route bus operations.

Tokyo Bus began operating local bus services driven by foreign nationals on December 23rd in Tokyo and Okinawa, becoming the first company in the country to do so.

Tokyo Bus driver Anacrito Japeto Juarez said he felt nervous carrying passengers for the first time.

Tokyo Bus President Harunari Nishimura said the company is facing a serious shortage of personnel, adding that even raising wages for drivers has failed to attract enough applicants, reflecting the structural difficulties facing the industry.

The Specified Skilled Worker program allows Japan to accept foreign nationals recognized as having specialized skills in industries suffering from acute labor shortages. As driver shortages have led to repeated reductions in local bus services, the automobile transport industry was added to the program’s scope in 2024.

In Tokyo, five foreign drivers from the Philippines have been hired. After undergoing long-term training, they obtained Specified Skilled Worker Type 1 status and officially began driving on December 23rd.

Juarez said he was happy to finally be able to drive in real service, adding that he was glad to transport passengers safely to their destinations. He said that until he becomes a fully fledged driver, his sole focus every day will be safe driving.

Newly deployed foreign drivers are initially supported by Japanese drivers but are expected to operate independently after several months.

Nishimura said the company hopes to expand the initiative to help resolve driver shortages, gain public understanding, and ensure that passengers feel comfortable and safe riding buses driven by foreign nationals as quickly as possible.

Source: FNN

Sano Issues Level 5 Emergency Safety Order

Sano in Tochigi Prefecture issued a Level 5 Emergency Safety Order at midnight on July 18 after the Hata River, which flows through the city, exceeded the designated flood occurrence level following heavy rain.

Research Map Shows Japan Faces Scorching Summers

Japan is likely to face increasingly long and dangerously hot summers as global temperatures continue to rise, with advanced climate simulations also pointing to more frequent torrential rain, rising seas and accelerating ice loss by the end of the century.

Japan Revises Imperial Law to Keep Married Women in Royal Family

Japan's revised Imperial House Law was enacted after clearing the House of Councillors with majority support, allowing female members to retain royal status after marriage and male-line descendants of former imperial family branches to enter the Imperial Household through adoption.

New Typhoon Likely to Form Far South of Japan

A tropical depression near the Truk Islands is expected to strengthen into a typhoon within 12 hours, but forecasters say it is unlikely to have any direct impact on Japan.

Protest Held Against Japan Flag Protection Bill

A protest against Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was held in Tokyo's Shibuya district on July 16 as public concern grew over a bill that would impose criminal penalties for damaging the Japanese flag.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Education NEWS

National Academic Test Shows Persistent Writing Challenges in Japanese

Japanese elementary and junior high school students continue to struggle with written-response questions in Japanese, while average accuracy rates in arithmetic and mathematics remained in the 50% range, according to nationwide academic test results released by the education ministry on July 16.

The Long History of Intimate Goods in Japan

Japan’s relationship with intimate goods is far older than the modern online adult shop. Long before discreet packaging, digital payments, and private home delivery, Japanese artists, writers, merchants, and townspeople were already exploring the boundaries between desire, humor, privacy, and everyday life.

Young Doctors Flock to Cosmetic Medicine

A growing number of young doctors in Japan are moving directly into cosmetic medicine after obtaining a medical license and completing their initial clinical training, raising concern that the trend may be worsening staff shortages in insurance-covered medical care.

Foreigners Failing to Pass Driving School Exams Is Skyrocketing

Foreign drivers seeking to convert overseas licenses into Japanese ones are increasingly turning to driving schools after tougher rules introduced last October sharply reduced pass rates for both written and practical checks.

Why Are Foreign Sumo Wrestlers Fluent in Japanese?

Foreign-born sumo wrestlers are often praised for speaking remarkably natural Japanese, a sharp contrast to many overseas athletes in other professional sports.

Students Honored for Catching Shoplifter

Police in Isehara, Kanagawa Prefecture, presented letters of appreciation to two first-year junior high school students on July 10 after they chased a suspected shoplifter for about 250 meters and helped detain the person.

Hokkaido City Drills for Bear Encounters

Noboribetsu in Hokkaido conducted a drill to cull a brown bear under emergency gun-hunting procedures, based on a scenario in which a bear appeared at a park near schools and residential areas in the city, with local hunters taking part as bear sightings continue to be reported across Japan.

Nurse Festival 2026 Offers Workstyle Ideas and Skill Training

An event designed to help nurses think about future career paths while building practical skills opened in Tokyo on July 8, offering hands-on training sessions alongside sales of colorful uniforms and stethoscopes.

< 2 3 4 5 >