Ski Bus Driver Admitted Lack of Driving Ability Prior to Fatal Crash

“We did not recognize at the time that the driver was inexperienced.”

The defense made this statement and once again argued for acquittal.

On November 17, at the Tokyo High Court, the first hearing of the appeals trial was held for Misaku Takahashi (64), president of the bus operating company, and Tsuyoshi Arai (57), former operations manager, who are charged with professional negligence resulting in death and injury. Around 2 a.m. on January 15, 2016, a large ski tour bus operated by Takahashi’s company veered off the national highway in Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, and fell off the roadside. Fifteen people, including university students and the driver, lost their lives in the major accident.

“In the first trial ruling handed down in June 2023, the Nagano District Court stated that ‘the driver’s lack of familiarity with large buses was recognized, and the accident was foreseeable,’ and sentenced Takahashi to three years in prison and Arai to four years. Meanwhile, both defendants insisted that the accident was unforeseeable and had claimed innocence since the first trial,” said a national newspaper court reporter.

FRIDAY covered the bus accident in detail in its February 5, 2016 issue, reporting on the tragedy in which promising students lost their lives. By introducing testimonies from surviving passengers and people in the large-bus industry, we would like to reflect on the operation company’s lax and careless management structure (at the time of publication, some names were real, but comments here are anonymized out of consideration for the victims’ privacy).

From all across the darkness of the night

The accident that claimed 15 lives occurred near Iriyama Pass on the Usui Bypass of National Route 18. The large ski tour bus lost balance, crossed over the guardrail, and crashed into a standing tree. It overturned so violently that the roof was crushed flat.

A university student who survived gave the following testimony right after the accident:

“The driver didn’t tell us to fasten our seat belts. I fell asleep right after the lights were turned off, but I woke up to a violent impact. When I realized it, I was lying in the forest. There was blood everywhere all around me. From all across the darkness of the night, I could hear painful groans.”

The bus driver, A, a man in his 60s who died in the accident, had already been regarded as lacking driving skill before the crash. Here is a reprinted comment from someone at the bus company where A previously worked:

“Mr. A joined (Takahashi’s company) about two weeks before the accident, but he hadn’t driven a large bus for about five years before that. He was nowhere near the level required to drive a large bus. He couldn’t even back into the garage. He even admitted himself, ‘I’m not good at driving.’

Mr. A said he was alone with no family. If anything happened, he would have no choice but to rely on welfare, so he probably wanted to work while he still could. He seriously asked the company, ‘Please give me more shifts.’”

Another person involved said:

“Normally, employees are required to have a health checkup once a year, but I heard (Takahashi’s company) didn’t have that. I also heard that the company president sometimes arrived late for roll call before departure. The tour bus industry is extremely competitive. Costs meant for safety can end up being cut. Some companies cut lodging expenses for drivers or force them into long hours of driving. (Takahashi’s company) must have been making considerable unreasonable demands to keep operating.”

As the defendants argue, was there truly no problem with the company’s management system? The next hearing is scheduled for March 13, 2026.