Job Fair for Bus Drivers: Indonesians Obtain Licenses as Mukuhara High School Halts Recruitment—The Triangle of ‘Lack of People’

Three news items arrived from Hiroshima Prefecture in the same week. Two individuals from Indonesia attended a job fair for bus drivers. The governor stated that there is a shortage of about 80 bus drivers in the prefecture. And Mukuhara High School in Akitakata City announced it would stop recruiting students starting in the 2029 academic year—these three seemingly unrelated events are interconnected on the same ground. The phrase “lack of people” resonates in the driver’s seat, in the classroom, and in the community itself.

Where to Bring People to the Driver’s Seat

The shortage of bus drivers faced by bus operators in Hiroshima Prefecture amounts to about 80 individuals. Multiple operators, including Hiroshima Electric Railway, Hiroshima Bus, and Bihoku Kotsu, are experiencing chronic vacancies, and some are considering service reductions and route reviews as real options. Governor Yokota stated in the prefectural assembly, “We will consider all means, including the utilization of foreign personnel.”

One aspect of those “all means” was visible at the job fair held recently. Among the Japanese participants, two individuals from Indonesia were present. They are either already in possession of a Japanese large vehicle license or are currently undergoing training to obtain one. Acquiring a large vehicle license requires about 300,000 to 500,000 yen in training costs and several months of instruction. They must overcome not only language barriers but also learn Japan’s unique traffic laws and driving etiquette. Nevertheless, they chose this job due to a clear motivation: “I want to secure stable employment in Japan.”

The job of a bus driver is heading towards a limitation on working hours due to the 2024 issue—applying caps on overtime work. This means that to operate the same number of buses, more “heads” are needed than before. The shortage of 80 drivers could potentially increase further as regulations tighten. The entry of foreign personnel is expected to fill this gap.

However, the question I want to raise is not, “Will hiring foreigners solve the problem?” but rather, “Why are there no locals choosing this job?” This is a more fundamental inquiry.

Disappearance of People from the Classroom—What the Halting of Mukuhara High School Recruitment Reflects

Mukuhara High School, a public school in Akitakata City, has announced its intention to stop recruiting students starting in the 2029 academic year. This is part of a reorganization plan for public high schools promoted by the Hiroshima Prefectural Board of Education, driven by a decline in enrollment numbers. In recent years, the number of students enrolling per grade has consistently fallen below 20. Even when combining all students, the total does not reach the number of a single grade in the past.

Since its opening in 1948, Mukuhara High School has been responsible for education in the region for over 70 years. It has an agricultural program and has served as a connection to local industries. Many graduates have found employment in local bus companies, construction, and agriculture. In other words, this school was part of a system that produced “people who work in the community.”

The population of Akitakata City is approximately 25,000. It was about 35,000 in the year 2000, meaning that over the past 20 years, the population has decreased by 10,000. The proportion of the population under 15 years old is dropping below 10%. Schools cannot sustain themselves without children. The absence of children is due to the lack of child-rearing generations in the area. The absence of young people leads to a shortage of drivers. The shortage of drivers results in fewer buses. With fewer buses, there is one less means for commuting to high school—this cycle hits the same wall no matter where you start.

The Structure of the Triangle—The Three ‘Absences’ that Create a Shape

Let’s line up these three events:

• Shortage of bus drivers—absence of labor
• Halting of Mukuhara High School recruitment—absence of young population
• Indonesians obtaining licenses and attending the job fair—an effort to supplement the absence of local talent from outside

These three are not a linear flow of cause and effect. They form a triangle where each side undermines the others’ premises. The decrease in young people leads to a shortage of drivers. The shortage of drivers leads to fewer routes. Fewer routes make commuting inconvenient, jeopardizing the school’s existence. If the school closes, there is one less reason for child-rearing generations to live in that area. And again, young people decrease.

The entry of foreign personnel is a direct remedy for one side of this triangle—the “shortage of drivers.” However, it does not reach the other two sides. Even if the two individuals from Indonesia sit in the driver’s seat, students will not return to the classrooms of Mukuhara High School. Their presence signifies that the traditional cycle of “nurturing local people to work locally” can no longer sustain itself on its own.

Which Comes First, the System or the People?

Maintaining regional transportation is not merely a service issue. Bus routes are infrastructure that supports high school students’ commutes, elderly medical visits, and the lives of those who struggle with shopping. In Hiroshima Prefecture’s mountainous areas, for residents without private vehicles, the cessation of bus services equates to a halt in “freedom of movement.”

On the other hand, bus operators are also facing tough times. Many local routes are running at a loss and are barely maintained through municipal subsidies. The annual wages of drivers are below the average across all industries, with the average annual income for bus drivers nationwide being around 4 million yen. Early morning and late-night shifts, holiday work, and the stress of dealing with passengers create a reality where this job is not one that young generations actively choose.

Hiroshima Prefecture has announced plans to expand support measures for securing bus drivers starting in the 2024 fiscal year. These measures include subsidies for obtaining large vehicle licenses, establishing systems for accepting foreign personnel, and formulating guidelines for improving workplace environments—various initiatives are lined up. However, for these to function as a “system,” they need to be interconnected. Just providing subsidies for license acquisition does not guarantee retention after obtaining the license. Even if a system for accepting foreign personnel is established, without a comprehensive design that includes housing, language support, and building relationships with the community, people will not stay.

The same can be said for the halting of Mukuhara High School’s recruitment. Closing the school itself may be an unavoidable decision in light of the reality of student numbers. However, without a design for the “post-closure” phase—such as means of commuting to the school that will integrate students, alternatives for educational functions remaining in the community, and utilization of the site—the halting of recruitment becomes merely a retreat.

The Question of ‘Who Benefits?’

Before this triangle, I want to ask—who do the current policies benefit?

Do they benefit the bus companies? Do they benefit the passengers? Do they benefit those who come from abroad to obtain licenses? Or do they benefit the people who remain in the community after Mukuhara High School is gone?

There is not just one answer, nor should there be. However, as long as the policies run separately, the number of people who benefit will be limited. Are the measures for securing drivers, the school reorganization plans, and the strategies for maintaining regional transportation being discussed at the same table? At least at this point, each responsible department is handling them as separate issues—this is where the roots of the structural problem lie.

What the two individuals from Indonesia felt at the job fair is not fully captured in this article. When the day comes that they live in this area, drive buses, and interact with passengers, there may no longer be Mukuhara High School along the bus routes. Yet as long as there is someone riding that bus, the route holds significance.

Systems exist for the sake of people. When people are no longer present, how to restructure the system is not a matter of retreat but of design. A perspective that sees all three sides of the triangle simultaneously is needed in this region now.