Japan’s public inquiry into rural transport heard on Friday that the government’s 96.8% access figure included communities where residents could not simply turn up and ride. Testimony from local officials and residents challenged how “daily links” to clinics and other essential services were counted under a programme launched in 2024.
The hearing, held in Tokyo by a committee of the national legislature, examined figures covering 286 remote settlements. A review presented to members found that 73 had been counted as connected through minibuses that required advance booking; in 21 settlements, passengers had to reserve at least a day ahead.
What counted as a daily link
The Rural Access Secretariat’s published tally described a settlement as connected if a service was “available” on a weekday. The inquiry heard that this definition did not require a vehicle to run every day, carry a passenger without prior notice or reach a clinic at the time an appointment was scheduled.
Mathilde Betz, who lives in Kogane Valley in Nagano prefecture, told the hearing that the minibus serving her area must be booked by telephone before noon the previous day. “The map says we have a daily link. But if a doctor offers an appointment tomorrow morning, the bus may already be full,” she said.
The distinction matters as Japan directs more public money towards transport in depopulating mountain areas, where conventional bus routes have been cut. The government has set aside ¥1.8 billion (about €11 million) for grants next fiscal year, and committee members asked whether the current figures should guide those allocations.
A service that exists on a timetable is not necessarily a service a resident can use.
Rémy Vachon, transport researcher
Rémy Vachon, a transport researcher who gave evidence to the committee, said the headline percentage blended fixed-route buses with demand-response services, which operate only after a passenger calls to request a trip. He said the method was useful for tracking whether a service had been offered, but not whether people could reach essential appointments.
A map against lived experience
In Kogane Valley, Betz said a scheduled bus stops near her home three mornings a week, while the bookable minibus serves other parts of the valley. She keeps a paper timetable beside her telephone and said neighbours sometimes share rides when the booking window closes. The hearing did not assess individual cases.
A committee member asked the Secretariat to publish a settlement-by-settlement breakdown by 15 December, including operating days, booking deadlines and the number of completed trips. The Secretariat’s representative said the agency would review its wording and submit revised figures, but did not say whether the 96.8% estimate would change.
The inquiry is due to hear from five more prefectures next month. Its findings are expected before the next round of transport grants is finalised, leaving local authorities to decide whether to extend booking hours, restore fixed routes or argue that their existing services meet residents’ needs.
