[Japan First] Sapporo City Launches Local Training Program for Specified Skilled Worker Bus Drivers Led by Municipality / Driving School-Based Startup "Tetra Shift" Selected as Sapporo City's Contractor
Sapporo City, in collaboration with driving school-based startup Tetra Shift, has launched Japan's first on-site training program for foreign bus drivers utilizing the Specified Skills system to address the bus industry's labor shortage. This initiative aims for stable talent acquisition and route maintenance.
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- 📰 Published: April 15, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 15, 2026 at 10:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 10:33 (96h 1m after Collected)
Image: Masayuki Iwamata, Representative of Tetra Shift Inc., and participants in the Sapporo City Foreign Bus Driver Training Program (Sapporo City)
Tetra Shift Inc., a driving school-based startup (Headquarters: Toshima-ku, Tokyo; Representatives: Masayuki Iwamata, Tsuguo Sogawa), was selected on April 15, 2026, as the contractor for Sapporo City's "FY2026-2028 Support for Training Foreign Bus Drivers" program, which begins this fiscal year. This initiative aims to secure stable personnel and maintain bus routes by utilizing the "Specified Skills" system for foreign employment in Japan and training motivated overseas talent to become high-quality bus drivers. The project involves a three-year collaboration between Tetra Shift, which already has a track record in the foreign bus driver field, and the city. It will provide a package of services to bus operators within the city aiming to hire foreign drivers, including overseas recruitment and Japanese language education, as well as Japanese-style traffic education from the local stage, support for visa applications, driver's license acquisition after arrival, and post-arrival life support. Tetra Shift is a registered support organization with roots in designated driving schools, making it rare nationwide. Its greatest feature is the ability to provide a one-stop service for pre-arrival driving education and post-arrival license acquisition, in addition to general foreign national introduction and support. According to the Japan Bus Association (Minato-ku, Tokyo), as of the end of March, there were 21 "Specified Skills" Class 1 bus drivers in Japan. This is believed to be the first attempt by a local government in Japan to consistently train "Specified Skills" drivers from on-site development.
Program Name: FY2026-2028 Support for Training Foreign Bus Drivers
Project Period: April 15, 2026 – October 31, 2028
Contractor: Tetra Shift Inc.
Number of Trainees: 10
Accepting Bus Operators: JR Hokkaido Bus Co., Ltd.
Jotetsu Co., Ltd.
Hokkaido Chuo Bus Co., Ltd.
Background and History
Currently, the labor shortage in Japan's bus industry is extremely severe. According to the Japan Bus Association, a shortage of 36,000 drivers is projected by FY2030. Furthermore, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's Transport Policy White Paper, the average age of bus drivers is 55.3 years, more than 10 years above the average for all industries. Sapporo City is no exception. According to its Regional Public Transportation Plan (FY2024), 64% of bus drivers were aged 50 or older in FY2023, presenting an extremely serious challenge. In the decade from 2013 to 2022, nearly 30% of bus routes have decreased. As of April 2026, there have been approximately 130 fewer weekday services (a 1.7% decrease) within the city, making the maintenance of bus routes an urgent matter.
(Excerpt from Sapporo City Regional Public Transportation Plan 2024 (FY2024))
As a measure to overcome this situation, the government added "Automotive Transport Sector (Buses, Taxis, Trucks)" to the "Specified Skills" residency status for foreign nationals in FY2024. This system allows overseas talent to work as professional drivers, provided they meet conditions such as Japanese language proficiency, knowledge of Japanese road traffic laws, and obtaining a Japanese driver's license. The government has set a reception framework for 22,100 individuals by the end of March 2029.
Sapporo City is promoting a model project to train bus drivers targeting international students in Japan, which began in 2025, ahead of other local governments nationwide. This project is a further step beyond that model, being the first on-site training initiative by a local government in Japan. In its proposal for this project, Sapporo City emphasized the implementation of Japanese-style driving education locally and information dissemination to foster public understanding.
Tetra Shift is a human resource introduction and material development company specializing in the Specified Skilled Worker Automotive Transport sector. It possesses abundant test preparation content for the Automotive Transport sector. Furthermore, leveraging its roots in designated driving schools, it had already been deploying Japanese-style driving education at a high level throughout Vietnam as its own business, which contributed to its selection for this contract. In this project, it plans to nurture drivers with high safety awareness and skills by providing unique theoretical study and Japanese-style driving practice from the local training stage in Vietnam (illustrated below).
Tetra Shift's Unique Foreign Driver Training Scheme
Features of This Project Program
Tetra Shift conducting pre-skill assessment test preparation lectures (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)
Point 1: Thorough Pre-Arrival Education On-site
In the pre-arrival education, participants will acquire Japanese traffic rules and driving etiquette from before entering the country, going beyond mere test preparation, by utilizing Tetra Shift's developed textbook "Specified Skills Class 1 Automotive Transport Sector Exam Preparation Text" and "Online Lecture Videos." Additionally, it covers preparation for regular driver's licenses and Class 2 Large Vehicle licenses after arrival.
Tetra Shift Inc., a driving school-based startup (Headquarters: Toshima-ku, Tokyo; Representatives: Masayuki Iwamata, Tsuguo Sogawa), was selected on April 15, 2026, as the contractor for Sapporo City's "FY2026-2028 Support for Training Foreign Bus Drivers" program, which begins this fiscal year. This initiative aims to secure stable personnel and maintain bus routes by utilizing the "Specified Skills" system for foreign employment in Japan and training motivated overseas talent to become high-quality bus drivers. The project involves a three-year collaboration between Tetra Shift, which already has a track record in the foreign bus driver field, and the city. It will provide a package of services to bus operators within the city aiming to hire foreign drivers, including overseas recruitment and Japanese language education, as well as Japanese-style traffic education from the local stage, support for visa applications, driver's license acquisition after arrival, and post-arrival life support. Tetra Shift is a registered support organization with roots in designated driving schools, making it rare nationwide. Its greatest feature is the ability to provide a one-stop service for pre-arrival driving education and post-arrival license acquisition, in addition to general foreign national introduction and support. According to the Japan Bus Association (Minato-ku, Tokyo), as of the end of March, there were 21 "Specified Skills" Class 1 bus drivers in Japan. This is believed to be the first attempt by a local government in Japan to consistently train "Specified Skills" drivers from on-site development.
Program Name: FY2026-2028 Support for Training Foreign Bus Drivers
Project Period: April 15, 2026 – October 31, 2028
Contractor: Tetra Shift Inc.
Number of Trainees: 10
Accepting Bus Operators: JR Hokkaido Bus Co., Ltd.
Jotetsu Co., Ltd.
Hokkaido Chuo Bus Co., Ltd.
Background and History
Currently, the labor shortage in Japan's bus industry is extremely severe. According to the Japan Bus Association, a shortage of 36,000 drivers is projected by FY2030. Furthermore, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's Transport Policy White Paper, the average age of bus drivers is 55.3 years, more than 10 years above the average for all industries. Sapporo City is no exception. According to its Regional Public Transportation Plan (FY2024), 64% of bus drivers were aged 50 or older in FY2023, presenting an extremely serious challenge. In the decade from 2013 to 2022, nearly 30% of bus routes have decreased. As of April 2026, there have been approximately 130 fewer weekday services (a 1.7% decrease) within the city, making the maintenance of bus routes an urgent matter.
(Excerpt from Sapporo City Regional Public Transportation Plan 2024 (FY2024))
As a measure to overcome this situation, the government added "Automotive Transport Sector (Buses, Taxis, Trucks)" to the "Specified Skills" residency status for foreign nationals in FY2024. This system allows overseas talent to work as professional drivers, provided they meet conditions such as Japanese language proficiency, knowledge of Japanese road traffic laws, and obtaining a Japanese driver's license. The government has set a reception framework for 22,100 individuals by the end of March 2029.
Sapporo City is promoting a model project to train bus drivers targeting international students in Japan, which began in 2025, ahead of other local governments nationwide. This project is a further step beyond that model, being the first on-site training initiative by a local government in Japan. In its proposal for this project, Sapporo City emphasized the implementation of Japanese-style driving education locally and information dissemination to foster public understanding.
Tetra Shift is a human resource introduction and material development company specializing in the Specified Skilled Worker Automotive Transport sector. It possesses abundant test preparation content for the Automotive Transport sector. Furthermore, leveraging its roots in designated driving schools, it had already been deploying Japanese-style driving education at a high level throughout Vietnam as its own business, which contributed to its selection for this contract. In this project, it plans to nurture drivers with high safety awareness and skills by providing unique theoretical study and Japanese-style driving practice from the local training stage in Vietnam (illustrated below).
Tetra Shift's Unique Foreign Driver Training Scheme
Features of This Project Program
Tetra Shift conducting pre-skill assessment test preparation lectures (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)
Point 1: Thorough Pre-Arrival Education On-site
In the pre-arrival education, participants will acquire Japanese traffic rules and driving etiquette from before entering the country, going beyond mere test preparation, by utilizing Tetra Shift's developed textbook "Specified Skills Class 1 Automotive Transport Sector Exam Preparation Text" and "Online Lecture Videos." Additionally, it covers preparation for regular driver's licenses and Class 2 Large Vehicle licenses after arrival.