Japan expands multilingual license tests for taxi and bus drivers

Labor crunch brings exams in English, Chinese, Nepali and Vietnamese

20240430 foreign drivers at Hinomaru Kotsu

Hinomaru Kotsu, a major Tokyo taxi operator, has been hiring foreign drivers since 2010, and has about 120 from 29 territories. (Photo courtesy of Hinomaru Kotsu)

Nikkei staff writers

May 4, 2024 20:26 JST

TOKYO -- Japanese authorities are offering taxi and bus driver's license tests in more languages, in a bid to ease an acute labor shortage in the transport industry by lowering hurdles for foreign applicants who struggle with the Japanese-only exam.