Vo Van Hieu, 43, and Ho Van Quy, 33, have taken the wheel for Iyotetsu Bus, a local transport company in Matsuyama, under the country’s Specified Skilled Worker program.
The two men joined Iyotetsu Bus in September 2025. After obtaining licenses for large passenger vehicles and completing extensive training in driving and customer service, they began operating selected routes on June 25.
On July 3, the pair visited the Ehime Prefectural Government offices alongside Iyotetsu Group President Ichiro Shimizu. During the meeting, Governor Tokihiro Nakamura welcomed the new drivers and expressed hope for their success in supporting public transportation in the prefecture, Iyotetsu announced in a press release posted on its official Facebook page.
Both Hieu and Quy previously lived in Japan as technical intern trainees and can communicate comfortably in Japanese. They are continuing to study the language while working and interacting with colleagues at the bus depot.
Vo Van Hieu (R) and Ho Van Quy, two Vietnamese drivers who have become Shikoku’s first foreign route bus drivers under Japan’s Specified Skilled Worker program. Photo coutersy of Iyotetsu Bus |
Speaking to The MainichiHieu said he feels a strong sense of responsibility and hopes to provide a safe, comfortable service that passengers can trust. Quy emphasized the importance of mastering Japanese traffic regulations and prioritizing passenger safety.
Their appointment comes as Japan faces a worsening shortage of bus drivers.
The Nihon Bus Association estimates the country could face a shortage of about 36,000 drivers by 2030. Iyotetsu Bus has already been forced to reduce some routes and service frequencies in recent years due to declining ridership following the Covid-19 pandemic and difficulties in recruiting staff, according to The Mainichi.
To improve employee retention, the company has raised driver salaries by more than 7% on average for three consecutive years. Although these measures have helped, the total number of drivers has continued to decline.
Shimizu noted that while job applications from outside Ehime have increased, staffing remains insufficient. This makes the arrival of the Vietnamese drivers especially valuable for maintaining local bus services.
Japan expanded its Specified Skilled Worker system in March 2024 to include the automobile transportation sector, allowing companies to hire foreign bus drivers under the Type (i) visa category. However, according to the Immigration Services Agency, only 12 foreign drivers held this status nationwide at the end of 2025.
As reported by NHK in May, bus operators across Japan warn they are running out of time to address the worsening labor shortage. Industry groups estimate a nationwide shortfall of around 30,000 bus drivers in the coming years.
Tokyu Bus, in particular, hopes to eventually hire foreign workers under the Specified Skilled Worker visa to make up around 10% of its annual driver recruits. Even with this influx, executives worry it will not be enough to maintain the current workforce.
Meanwhile, the city of Sapporo in Hokkaido prefecture launched an initiative in May to train foreign drivers before recruiting them to work in the city. To maintain local bus operations, the Sapporo administration has turned to overseas recruitment, selecting Vietnam as its first partner market, Vietnam News Agency reported.
Under the initial phase of the program, 10 trainees will be trained in their home country before relocating to Sapporo to work as bus drivers. Hiring was scheduled to begin in May 2026. From July 2026 to October 2027, trainees will study in Vietnam to obtain their driving licenses, learn Japanese, and familiarize themselves with Japanese culture and customs.
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