Japan marks 20 years of tackling human error in public transportation

Japan Airlines President Mitsuko Tottori offers flowers during a memorial ceremony near the 1985 JAL jumbo-jet crash site in Ueno, Gunma Prefecture, on Aug. 12. | JIJI

Jiji

Oct 6, 2026

Japan’s transport safety management system, created to prevent accidents caused by human error in public transportation, marks its 20th anniversary this year.

The system requires transport operators to build and continuously improve their own safety management arrangements. While it has been revised and strengthened over the years, experts say operators must sustain their efforts, with one warning that “cultivating a culture of safety cannot be achieved overnight.”

Human error typically stems from mistakes or misperceptions, but it can also occur even when a risk is recognized. Many such cases involve rule violations, attributed to poor understanding of the rules or to the absence of penalties for breaking them. The workplace environment and corporate culture have also been identified as contributing factors.

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