Japan selects Vietnamese workers for first foreign bus driver training programme
Sapporo city in Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture has launched a new initiative to train foreign drivers before recruiting them to work in the city, marking the first time a Japanese local government has directly supported training for overseas bus drivers, with Vietnam selected as the first trainee supplier.
Official data showed that Sapporo operated 7,153 bus trips per day in 2024, down 24% compared to 2019, largely due to a severe driver shortage.
The city’s three main bus operators – Hokkaido Chuo Bus, JR Hokkaido Bus and Jotetsu – employed around 1,500 drivers in 2024, approximately 300 fewer than in 2020. About 70% of drivers are currently in their 50s or 60s, raising concerns over a wave of retirement in the coming years.
To maintain local bus operations, the Sapporo administration has turned to foreigner recruitment. Under the initial phase of the programme, 10 trainees will be trained in their home country before relocating to Sapporo to work as bus drivers.
Vietnam has been selected as the first recruitment market, with hiring scheduled to begin in May 2026. From July 2026 to October 2027, trainees will study in Vietnam to obtain driving licences, learn Japanese and familiarise themselves with Japanese culture and customs. The training will then shift to Japan, where participants will undergo one year of practical driving training at driving schools starting in autumn 2027 to maintain certification requirements.
The three local bus operators will serve as employers, with the drivers expected to begin work in 2028. The Sapporo administration will cover Japanese language training costs in Vietnam as well as travel expenses to Japan.
The project has been assigned to Tetra Shift, a Tokyo-based company specialising in foreign workforce recruitment support.
In 2024, the Japanese Government added the automobile transport sector to the list of industries eligible for the Specified Skilled Worker visa programme, allowing the recruitment of foreign workers for medium- and long-term employment.
While some bus operators in Japan have already started hiring foreign drivers, direct involvement and support from a local government in implementing such a programme remains highly uncommon.
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