Fukaya Kanko Bus: A 19-Year-Old Chartered Bus Driver is Born
Fukaya Kanko Bus Co., Ltd. has appointed a 19-year-old as a driver for large chartered buses, an unprecedented case nationwide. The young driver, Hibiki Akiyama, acquired his Class 2 license following deregulation and will also undergo training for autonomous driving bus operation. This initiative highlights the company's commitment to addressing the bus industry's aging workforce by recruiting and training young talent.
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- 📰 Published: March 28, 2026 at 16:36
- 🔍 Collected: March 28, 2026 at 21:59 (5h 23m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 15, 2026 at 11:52 (421h 52m after Collected)
Fukaya Kanko Bus Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Fukaya City, Saitama Prefecture; Representative Director: Yuzo Takada; https://www.fukayakanko.com/), while promoting the recruitment and training of young bus drivers, will have a 19-year-old driver for a large chartered bus, pioneering this nationwide.
This young driver has already started driving alone on route buses and specific shuttle buses, and is scheduled to start driving chartered buses alone from April this year or later (currently making final adjustments). 19-year-old large bus drivers are still rare nationwide, and especially for chartered buses, this will be an unprecedented case in the country.
In the bus industry, the aging of drivers is progressing, and securing young bearers has become a major challenge. To solve the issues of local transportation, Fukaya Kanko Bus hired a teenage young driver after high school graduation, on the premise of training. After joining the company, he acquired a Class 2 driver's license for large vehicles, and after undergoing ride-along training and practical vehicle training, he met the company's safety standards, so he was appointed as the youngest chartered bus driver in the company. This is due to the relaxation of the conditions for acquiring a Class 2 driver's license for large vehicles due to deregulation.
In addition, starting with the autonomous driving bus adopted for the northern shuttle route of the Fukaya City Community Bus "Kururin", the company, as a member of the Fukaya Autonomous Driving Consortium, is in charge of the operation of autonomous driving buses in collaboration with Saitama Institute of Technology. Therefore, we will proceed with training aiming to appoint him as a "Specified Autonomous Driving Safety Personnel" so that he can also be in charge of the operation management of the "Autonomous Driving Bus (Level 2)".
■ Comment from the Individual
Name: Hibiki Akiyama
Origin: Fukaya City, Saitama Prefecture, born October 31, 2006
"It has been my dream to become a bus driver since I was a child. As I watched the drivers of the school shuttle bus I took in high school, that desire grew stronger. It wasn't easy, but my parents understood my dream, and thanks to the people who supported me, I was able to come this far. I will become a driver that local residents can ride with peace of mind."
■ Comment from Yuzo Takada, Representative Director of Fukaya Kanko Bus
Employee Akiyama has had a strong dream of "becoming a bus driver" since he was in high school and has continuously expressed his intention to join our company. In response to his enthusiasm, his strong will and effort led to this appointment. Our company will continue to work on promoting the training of young people and the active participation of diverse human resources, while prioritizing safety above all.
■ Company Overview
Company Name: Fukaya Kanko Bus Co., Ltd.
Representative: Yuzo Takada
Location: 356 Nishionuma, Fukaya City, Saitama Prefecture
TEL: 048-571-1881 (Main)
Established: March 1962
Business Content: General chartered passenger vehicle transportation business, regular route passenger vehicle transportation business, specified passenger vehicle transportation business, travel agency
Number of vehicles owned: 24