Questions Mount Over High School Bus Crash

Investigators from Fukushima Prefectural Police entered the headquarters of Kanbara Tetsudo in Niigata Prefecture shortly after 8 a.m. on May 8th as authorities launched an investigation that could involve violations of the Road Transport Act.

The accident occurred on May 6th on the inbound lanes of the Banetsu Expressway while a microbus carrying members of the Hokuriku High School boys' soft tennis team was traveling from Niigata City to Tomioka Town in Fukushima Prefecture for practice matches.

Third-year student Hiroto Inagaki, 17, was killed in the crash, while 20 others, including students, were injured.

The driver, 68-year-old Tetsuo Wakayama, who was initially hospitalized following the accident, was arrested on the evening of May 7th on suspicion of negligent driving resulting in death and injury.

Wakayama reportedly admitted responsibility for the crash, telling police: "I caused the accident. I misjudged the speed. I was driving at around 90 to 100 kilometers per hour."

Police said the scene showed no clear skid marks or evidence of sudden steering maneuvers, raising the possibility that the driver may not have noticed the impending collision until impact.

Investigators also revealed that Wakayama denied falling asleep while driving, saying: "I was not drowsy driving."

Authorities further discovered that Wakayama did not possess the special second-class driver's license required for transporting paying passengers.

Kanbara Tetsudo had planned to hold a press conference on May 8th, but canceled it after the police search began.

Company president Kazuhiro Shigeno said: "Because the investigation is underway, we can no longer hold the press conference. The search is continuing, so we are unable to comment."

Sharp disagreements have since emerged between the bus company and Hokuriku High School regarding how the rental vehicle and driver were arranged.

According to Kanbara Tetsudo, the school requested a cheaper transportation option instead of a chartered bus.

Shigeno explained: "The school told us they wanted to use a rental vehicle rather than a chartered bus this time. They also said there was no one at the school capable of driving this type of microbus, so they asked whether we could introduce a driver."

The school, however, strongly denied those claims.

Principal Masahiro Haino said the school's adviser for the boys' soft tennis team contacted the company in early April and requested a chartered bus in the usual manner, providing details such as passenger numbers, departure times, and destinations.

Haino stated: "The adviser confirmed that no such comments were made regarding arranging a rental car or requesting a driver."

Kanbara Tetsudo employees suggested financial considerations may have led to the use of a rental vehicle.

Sales representative Kenji Kaneko said: "There are always budget discussions among parents and teachers. Using a green-license chartered bus costs more, so they wanted something cheaper, which eventually led to the rental vehicle."

When asked whether the school requested lower costs, Kaneko replied: "Yes."

The company claimed it accepted the arrangement despite making little or no profit in hopes of maintaining future business ties with the school.

The school again rejected the explanation, with Haino saying: "That is not true. We confirmed this directly with the club adviser."

Parents who attended an emergency meeting following the accident expressed confusion over the conflicting explanations.

One parent said: "It feels like either the adviser or Kanbara Tetsudo is saying something that isn't true."

Further scrutiny has also fallen on the process used to select Wakayama and arrange the rental vehicle.

According to Tainai City in Niigata Prefecture, Wakayama had worked as a municipal microbus driver for three years through 2024, transporting children around four or five times per month.

Residents also said school microbuses had previously been parked at his home, and he had reportedly coached athletics teams at another high school in Niigata Prefecture.

The bus company acknowledged that Wakayama had been introduced through a personal connection with a sales employee and that no checks had been conducted regarding pre-existing medical conditions or past accident history.

Kaneko also admitted he personally rented the vehicle under his own name.

When asked whether someone whose driver's license had not been presented was legally permitted to operate the vehicle, Kaneko responded: "Is that so? I'm sorry. I didn't know that."

The company further admitted there were no written contracts or formal documents regarding the arrangement, describing it as a verbal agreement.

The school also acknowledged that such practices had become commonplace for club activities and practice matches.

Haino said: "We have been told that written agreements are generally not exchanged for these kinds of trips. This is not something that would normally happen in standard business practice, and we believe there is a need to review contractor selection and safety management procedures."

The case has raised broader questions about the management of school sports trips across Japan and whether the fatal accident could have been prevented.

Source: YOMIURI