Bus Service

Hello, I have a question about the history of bus and rail transport in Japan.
In the early 1970-1980-1990 years when buses and trains did not have automatic announcements, did the drivers announce the stops via microphone?

Can anyone who was there at that time tell us?
.thank you

I wasn't there 50 years ago, but there are still many trains and buses without pre-recorded announcements today, and the driver/conductor indeed does them by microphone.

From Wikipedia: automated announcements started to appear in the 70s on buses
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%BB%8A%E5%86%85%E6%94%BE%E9%80%81

good morning

most likely this would vary depending on transport companies, areas and routes.
eg cassette tapes of announcements were broadcast on buses in Hachioji City during 1981 to 1986.
https://hachioji.keizai.biz/headline/3220/

Yes, if there was a conductor, the conductor would do the announcing, and if there was no conductor, the driver would. In fact, even today, the conductor or driver would announce even if they play recordings (automatic announcements) as well.

As for microphones, way back in the days, they didn't even use them. Now they do.

But many buses were already using automatic announcements as early as the early 1970s. The route I was commuting on in Tokyo in 1973 surely had them. By then, local buses in Tokyo had no conductors, and all driver seats were equipped with a microphone sticking out.

The internet tells me that it was in 1951 that the first "One-Man" bus, meaning it had no conductor, ran in Japan in the city of Osaka.

I'm curious why you ask. I hope it helps anyway.