1. What the Ban-etsu Expressway Microbus Accident Shows

Final legal responsibility for the accident should be determined through police investigations, prosecution, and court proceedings if applicable. This article does not make conclusions about the responsibility of any specific person or organization.

However, based on the reported facts, foreign drivers and employers should pay attention to one central question: Who was responsible for operation management, and was the combination of vehicle, driver, contract, and company license appropriate for transporting people as work?

2. Being Able to Drive and Being Allowed to Transport People as Work Are Different

To drive in Japan, you must have a valid driver’s license for Japan. However, having a driver’s license alone does not automatically mean that you can transport passengers or cargo as work.

For bus, taxi, truck, and other transportation work, several points must be checked together: the driver’s license, the employer’s transport business license, operation management, labor management, safety checks, and the permitted activities under the driver’s status of residence.

3. White-Plate Vehicles, Rental Vehicles, and Microbuses

In Japan, vehicles used by licensed passenger transport businesses generally use green license plates. White-plate vehicles and rental vehicles, on the other hand, are generally used for private use or vehicle rental.

This does not mean that every use of a white-plate vehicle or rental vehicle is illegal. The risky situation is when a white-plate vehicle or rental vehicle is effectively used as a driver-included passenger transportation service.

Foreign drivers should understand the difference between licensed transport services and informal vehicle arrangements.

Typical Risky Situations

• A rental microbus is used together with a separately arranged driver to transport people.
• A driver introduced through a personal connection drives without formal operation management by the company.
• There is no clear transport contract, written arrangement, quotation, or receipt.
• No one clearly takes responsibility for roll calls, alcohol checks, health checks, seat belt checks, or working-hour control.

In such cases, if an accident occurs, it may become unclear who was responsible for operation management. This can lead to criminal, civil, and administrative issues at the same time.

4. What Is the SSW Automobile Transportation Field?

The Specified Skilled Worker visa for the automobile transportation industry is a pathway for foreign nationals to work in transportation fields such as trucks, buses, and taxis after meeting the required skills, Japanese language, and other conditions.

However, even under the SSW system, a foreign national cannot simply drive any vehicle for any type of work. The employer’s license, the driver’s license, examinations, Japanese language ability, safety training, and support system must be checked according to the actual job duties.

5. What Foreign Drivers Should Check Before Accepting a Job

Foreign nationals who want to work as drivers in Japan should check the following points before starting work.

• Whether your visa status allows you to perform the driving work.
• Whether your Japanese driver’s license matches the actual job duties.
• Whether the company has the proper transport business license.
• Whether the vehicle plate and vehicle management match the work.
• Whether roll calls, alcohol checks, health checks, seat belt checks, and working-hour control are conducted.
• Who is responsible for operation management if an accident occurs.
• Whether the work is being presented as “just for a friend” or “only once.”

6. What Employers Should Check

Employers who want to hire foreign drivers should not focus only on labor shortages. When accepting a Specified Skilled Worker, the company must also confirm the transport business license, safety management system, labor management, and support system.

Employers must check both immigration requirements and transport safety rules when hiring foreign drivers.

Main Points for Employers

• Whether the planned work falls within the SSW automobile transportation field.
• Whether the company has the necessary transport business license, certification, and safety management system.
• Whether the foreign national satisfies the required license, skills test, Japanese language, and other conditions.
• Whether the employment contract, working hours, wages, safety training, and accident response system are clear.
• Whether the company or a registered support organization can provide proper support.

7. Conclusion: Driving Work Must Be Done Within a Safety Management System

Serious accidents such as the reported Ban-etsu Expressway microbus accident make us think not only about the individual driver, but also about the vehicle, contract, company management system, organizer’s checks, and operation management structure.

Working as a driver in Japan is not just about driving a vehicle. Safe transportation requires a connection between the company license, vehicle management, operation management, labor management, the driver’s visa status, and the driver’s license.