A sightseeing bus plowed into the back of a chauffeur-driven car in central Tokyo on Wednesday, killing the sedan driver, who was in his 50s, and prompting police to arrest the bus driver at the site.
No passengers were on the bus — operated by Hato Bus Co., which is known for its unique tours around the capital — or in the sedan when the accident occurred at around 6:35 p.m. near the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building in Shinjuku Ward, the police said.
The sedan had been stopped at a red light when it was rear-ended by the tour bus, which continued over a divider to the far side of the road before smashing into a street lamp before coming to a stop, according to police.
Soichi Mori, the 37-year-old bus driver, was apparently uninjured but police temporarily released him to receive medical evaluation at a hospital.
The bus was in the midst of a night sightseeing tour after departing Tokyo Station with seven passengers at 5:10 p.m., but all of them had been dropped off at a nearby sushi restaurant before the accident took place, according to the bus company.
The company is known for its yellow buses marked with its dove logo, or hato in Japanese. It has offered a range of tours in and around Tokyo for more than 70 years.
