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Japan immigration

Japan expands multilingual license tests for taxi and bus drivers

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

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)

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.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department in late April made it possible for applicants to take an examination for Class 2 commercial licenses, which are required for transporting passengers, in English at three test centers in the capital.

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