Japanese Driver's License (Tokyo)

[mikem]

Has anyone gotten their driver's license here?

In particular I'm an American with a California issued driver's license. So I get to take all of the tests, but I want to avoid driving school if at all possible.

There's a website that will guide you completely through the process, but they want 100,000yen and you still have to actually pay for everything. (ie. License translation, testing fees, etc.) That's still cheaper than driving school.

Is anyone familiar enough with the process to even know where to start? I think I can handle all of the offices and paperwork if I knew where to start. (Going to college here teaches you a lot about doing paperwork and dealing with government offices.:gloomy:)

[ZaichikArky]

It costs THAT MUCH to get a drivers license in Japan? What the fuuuuck..

[DL84]

thats also the sum over here..you spend at least 3 or 4k chf..

[Pierrot le Fou]

The test is something like 8,000 yen. If you pass it within 10 times, depending on your nenkyu situation, and the cost to go to the center, it's better just to try and try again. Not that I recommend this, mind you, but it will likely work out. The schools and such may give you a better success rate, but they're hellishly expensive, and the benefit is questionable.

I believe there are also courses you can take the day of the test (at least for the scooter license) that are cheaper and give you a better shot. Look into that perhaps?

[ミュー]

I don't have any useful information, but please post here when you get it how you ended up doing it. I will be doing the same in a few months. Personally, I have driven a LOT in Japan, but never with a license. All I can say is, if you like driving then it is worth it. Also, highway cops are either really laid back (or just don't care) on the Joetsu-sen. You'd figure that 150 in a 50 during a storm counts as speeding, but apparently not so up there.

[Azrael]

First, you'll need to have your license translated by JAF (Japanese Automobile Federation). It costs I think 6,000 yen, or somewhere around that price.

Once you have your translation, you can go to the Japanese version of the DMV. First you have to put in the appropriate paperwork, and pay the fees and what not. Again, I don't remember exact figures, but you're probably going to break 10,000 at some point. You have to take a written test, and there's an English version available. You can study up for it if you like, but the test is kind of retardedly easy ("Does alcohol make you a better driver, a worse driver, or have no effect?").

After passing the test (they grade it on the spot), you can take the drivers test. This is, without question, one of the most frustrating experiences you will have in Japan. And that includes kancho. You've come this far...and no matter how good of a driver you actually may be...they will fail you. No ifs, and's, or but's, just auto-fail. You go home with your fail as the instructor tells you to study for the next time.

Which means you have to go all the way back to the driving center on another weekday, taking the time off work if you must. You can skip straight to the driving test. It costs about 3-4,000 yen to take the test. If you make sure you're not the first in line, you can sit in the car as some other Gaijin take the test before you. If you're lucky, one of them might pass, so you should take notes.

You, however, will not pass.

You will not pass your second time. You probably will not pass your third time either. Fourth, maybe. From the fifth time you take this damned test, maybe you now have a chance of passing...but they can and will still fail you. When I took the test for the fifth time (which I failed), there was a lady who went before me, and finally passed it...she broke down in tears, and when her friend asked why, she said "this is my 9th time taking the test!" Goddamnit.

Keep in mind that you can only take the driving test once per day, so that means you're guaranteed to have to make at least 4-5 trips out to the driving center.

It's not a measure of good driving ability at all. There are certain very specific things they want you to do. For example, there'll be a mock railroad crossing - you have to come to a complete stop, roll down your windows, actually stick your head out, look right, left, right again, roll up the windows, double check both directions, and then maybe actually cross the tracks. Every time you make a turn/lane change, you have to physically turn your head and check for imaginary scooter/bikers coming up on your side. Oh, and if you ever run up on a curb at any time, that's insta-fail.

There's a page somewhere out there with a very detailed explanation of the whole driving test, and some of the manners you're expected to perform. I forget where it is, but if you do a search you should find it.

If you do driving school, that's pretty much a guaranteed insta-pass. Hell, you could probably find a way to hit a few pedestrians on the othewise deserted track, and you would pass. I believe the driving center offers a training course on Saturdays for over 10,000 yen. If you take it, it'll go on your record as having took it, and the inspector may be a little bit more inclined not to insta-fail you.

If you haven't figured it out by now, yes, getting a license in Japan is all about the Fukuzawa's, baby. Your actual driving ability is irrevalent.

It can be done without the courses, but it will take repeated efforts. One of my friends, an excellent motorcycle driver, was failed 3 times, finally getting his license on the 4th try. On the 3rd fail, the inspector even said to him "Wow, you're a really good motorcycle rider!" while failing him. Another friend failed it 4 times, getting it on the 5th try. I failed it 5 times and have yet to try again - the 5th attempt was actually stopped halfway through, as the inspector noticed that my American license had expired. I went back to the paperwork area, and explained that my license had been automatically renewed, and was basically the exact same thing just with a different expiry date. The lady explains that the translation they have has an expired license, so OMG they can't use it. I would have to go back to JAF, get a new license translation, and start ALL THE WAY from the beginning of the process...which probably meant I'd have to fail the driving test another 3-4 times before they'd consider passing me again. I told them to go fuck themselves with the nearest garden rake, and I now happily enjoy riding around Kyoto on my trusted bicycle.

Good luck to you though.

[ミュー]

Are there any loopholes to this? I was thinking about heading to Iwate in the fall to see some friends, and I reckon they're not as picky seeing as how cattle is probably the most dangerous road hazard up there...

[koku]

hahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

WOW. I knew it was EXPENSIVE to get a driver's license, but I didn't know you had to act so freaking retarded and Japanese-ish (the whole focus on HOW careful you look vs. how you're actually driving) to pass the test.

That's an editorial of its own. Wow. Just take the train.

[Azrael]

I can't imagine the Japanese letting that pass. "Well, your Gaijin Card says you live in Tokyo...but sure, you can take the test here in Iwate! So what if that's a little irregular! We don't have to do everything by the exact letter of the law."

If that actually did happen, if I were you, I'd check out the window to make sure I didn't overshoot Iwate, and end up in like Hong Kong or something.

[mawande]

Are there any loopholes to this? I was thinking about heading to Iwate in the fall to see some friends, and I reckon they're not as picky seeing as how cattle is probably the most dangerous road hazard up there...

It's best to take the test closest to where your card says you reside. Now, you could get lucky. There are actually instructors who will pass you IF YOU DO NOT MAKE ANY STUPID MISTAKES. But you, my friend, have a quite different problem. Your age. Here in Japan you cannot legally get a car-driver's license until you are eighteen. ... Say, when is your birthday?

Anyhow:
Conditions>
1) A valid driver license from another country.
2) Can prove that you have lived in the country where you obtained that license for more than 3 months after it was issued.
<Necessary documents for application>
1) A valid driver license from another country. Documentation that proves you lived in the country where you obtained that license for more than 3 months after it was issued.
*You must have your foreign license translated into Japanese by an embassy, JAF or other official institution.
2) Passport
3) Certificate of Foreign Residents Registration
4) Personal seal (Signature is also acceptable.)
5) Photograph (3×2.4cm)
6) Application fee ¥5,200 (standard license)

On one of my many tries, I was sitting in the back while a Middle-Eastern gentleman was driving. I realized he was doing it so darned well the tester had even lowered his clipboard. And then the man ran the red light. Such things as that are insta-zero. The tester looked miserable.

I was lucky. Unlike Az, I was dealing with people who really wanted me to pass. But they would never give me points I didn't deserve.

Here in Japan we are supposed to drive to the right in the lane, to allow for motorcycles or/and bicycles on the left side. Only when turning do we nudge up against the edges of our lanes. The instant the person testing you says "Change to the right lane," you hit your winker and do the dramatic looking around before actually switching lanes. Take the test as though you are in the middle of rush-hour traffic. It doesn't matter if any other vehicle may be too far away even to see.

[ミュー]

I can't imagine the Japanese letting that pass. "Well, your Gaijin Card says you live in Tokyo...but sure, you can take the test here in Iwate! So what if that's a little irregular! We don't have to do everything by the exact letter of the law."

If that actually did happen, if I were you, I'd check out the window to make sure I didn't overshoot Iwate, and end up in like Hong Kong or something.
...but HK is to the south of Tokyo and Iwate is due north. If I "overshot" Iwate (presumably my method of transportation would be really big slingshot) then I'd probably land on hot Russian lesbians, or an iceburg.

[mikem]

1) A valid driver license from another country. Documentation that proves you lived in the country where you obtained that license for more than 3 months after it was issued.

Any idea what kind of proof they want?

I was planning on changing my license from California to Texas, but that suddenly seems like a bad idea. My current license expires in less than a year though.

[Fred]

When I got my Japanese driver’s license, there was a treaty in effect between the US and Japan stating that anyone with a valid US driver’s license could get a Japanese driver’s license. So, I did not have to take a driving test.

I did have to go through the application process and take a vision test. The testing/licensing center was about 90 minutes from my apartment and I had to submit my application sometime between 8:00 am and 9:00 am. I don’t remember what the fee was, but it was probably around 5,000 yen. Then I had to wait around for a couple of hours while the applications were being processed. After that, I had to take a vision test, which was no problem. Then, I had to take a color-blindness test. This was a problem, because I am colorblind.

For those who have never taken a color-blindness test, it works like this: There is a book with several pictures in it. The pictures are made of large dots. There is a number in the center of each picture made from dots that are a different color from the background dots. Depending on the type of color-blindness people have, they either will not be able to see a number or they will see a wrong number. Here is a link: http://www.toledo-bend.com/colorblind/Ishihara.html

There were two guys in front of me for the colorblind test. The book was sitting open on a small table. There was a clerk standing by the table and monitoring the test. He called the first guy up and asked him what numbers he saw. The guy told him. To my delight, I was able to overhear his answers. The clerk called the second guy up and I listened closely to him as well. He gave the same answers. I was starting to feel confident. Then he called me up and as I stepped forward, he turned the page. He asked me what numbers I saw and I had no clue. I had to tell him I didn’t know. He frowned as if to say, how bad does your Japanese have to be that you can’t even read a number. He turned to another page and asked me what numbers I saw. Again, I had no idea. So, he called me over to a machine and had me look into it. The machine reproduced the colors of a traffic light in the order that they appear in a traffic signal. So, it was not difficult for me to determine the correct color. After that, I got my driver’s license.

[andrewt]

Jeff - you shoulda made that into another gaijinsmash article - add a few more alliterations and yer there =P

Fred - cool link - though you have to jump up one page and back it seemed for the right page to come up. I wonder how that all works... o_O

[Fred]

This site has a good explanation of color-blindness: http://colorvisiontesting.com/color2.htm

In fact, after reading that website, I wrote a poem about color-blindness

A Villanelle about Colorblindness

The redness in a color is seen more weakly from the protanomalous view.
Please do not think of it as a defect.
Red, orange, yellow, yellow-green, and green, appear somewhat shifted in hue.

Make fun of my errors as much as you want to.
It will have no effect.
The redness in a color is seen more weakly from the protanomalous view.

You get a charge out of a flapping red cape. Why? I haven’t a clue.
I have a peaceful affect.
Red, orange, yellow, yellow-green, and green, appear somewhat shifted in hue.

When you asked for the pink ones, you got your lavender shoes,
What did you expect?
The redness in a color is seen more weakly from the protanomalous view.

In traffic lights, the red light is always on top. To do otherwise is Taboo.
But I am also dyslexic and must be circumspect.
Red, orange, yellow, yellow-green, and green, appear somewhat shifted in hue.

From a practical standpoint, it is easy for the colorblind to make due.
There is no loss to self-respect.
The redness in a color is seen more weakly from the protanomalous view.
Red, orange, yellow, yellow-green, and green, appear somewhat shifted in hue.

[Pierrot le Fou]

The valid driver's license is only necessary for getting an international license here. You can get a normal license through the same process as any Japanese without one.

Just for reference.

[erbiumfiber]

I looked into going to the local driving school (expensive, like 300,000 yen but I can't take 10 days off work to take the test). They were very nice, despite my crappy Japanese. Then I asked a couple of Japanese people and they thought that my crappy Japanese wouldn't be enough due to the foul, evil-tempered people who work at said driving schools. Obviously, working at a driving school is a shit job so you don't get the salt of the earth working there.

So, maybe I'll have my Japanese teacher do a few lessons as if we were in driving school and maybe I'll try it out. I have no patience with taking the test 10 times.

On the bright side, the Japanese guy we transferred to our Viriginia office failed the VA driving test 4 times. But that's probably because he's a crappy driver. Also, this would be the same DMV that issued ID cards to the 9/11 terrorists. So I'm guessing they're a little freaked out by foreigners and there could be some bias.

I don't think there is bias in Japan against gaijin taking the exam as they seem to fail native Japanese at the same rate...unless, of course, you have the magical driving school course behind you. Most of my Tokyo co-workers went the driving school route. But then, a lot of them came from families that didn't own a car so they needed the school to actually LEARN to drive, not just pass the test.

Yeah, it's a racket but as long as the rules are clear (pay 300,000 yen, get license) I'll play by the rules...

There is a school (in Minato-ku I think) that teaches in English for 400,000 yen.

[stsparky]

Last time this came up - Japan-zine did a article on the topic. I can't find it via their archive ...

If you think you might be driving in Japan, you should get an International Driving Permit (IDP) before leaving your home country. An IDP (also called an international driver?s license) is issued in your home country based on your home country driver?s license. This license can be used in lieu of a Japanese driver's license during your first year in Japan. In the United States, IDPs are issued by the American Automobile Association and a similar organization called the American Automobile Touring Alliance rather than by state departments of transportation or by departments of motor vehicles.

You can also convert your regular foreign license (not the IDP) to a Japanese driver?s license if you were resident in the country of issue for at least three months after the license was issued. Because of this residency requirement, if your driver?s license does not show the date of issue, you should obtain a statement from the issuing authority documenting the date of issue.

http://www.seekjapan.jp/article/jz/708/The+Nuts+and+Bolts+of+Owning+A+Car+in+Japan
Dear Kazuhide, I took the driving test to get a Japanese driver's license. Out of 12-15 foreigners who took the test, apparently only one person passed (and it wasn't me). All these people had driver's licenses in their home countries. What's the deal? - Ed

Dear Ed, Japan is not third world country like Canada or Australia. We have the higher standard to permit automobile using. Japan is the safety country, not Iraq war zone.

[erbiumfiber]

From Article:

"Thanks to a series of reciprocal agreements (ah, the beauty of diplomacy!), if you hold a license from any of the following countries, you won't have to take anything more than an eyesight test to get your paws on a Japanese license: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and The United Kingdom."

Looks like you're screwed if you're from the U.S...wonder why we let that agreement go? Probably some September 11th fallout. Yeah, lots of Japanese terrorists trying to get American licenses :gloomy:

[japanat]

Like Fred, I got my license before the change. Wasted a whole day, spent 3000yen, got my license, including motorcycle rating. They started the driving test just a few years later, then the written test a few years after that, and the test is slowly getting more and more difficult (though nowhere near as bad as the Japanese test).

My friend's Japanese wife just got a booklet of Japanese road law, studied it, failed the written test 5 times, then took the driving test twice. Spent about 50-60K yen, at a time when driving schools average 300K. Don't waste your money; get the booklet, read it with a friend if you can't read it by yourself, then try the test. If you live in one of the foreign-unfriendly places, like Kyoto or Himeji, expect to fail the test many times. Folks I've talked to who tested in Akashi tend to pass 1st try.

[Azrael]

...but HK is to the south of Tokyo and Iwate is due north. If I "overshot" Iwate (presumably my method of transportation would be really big slingshot) then I'd probably land on hot Russian lesbians, or an iceburg.
Ok, so my geography sucks.

----------

One of the things that really annoyed me about the process is that it could only be done on weekday mornings. Which meant that everytime I took the test, I had to take the day off work. That was 5 paid vacation days - a whole week, wasted just to go to the damned Japanese DMV.

...And who says I'm not going to make it into an editorial?

[erbiumfiber]

Yeah, my point above in admitting I am considering the extortion that is driving school.

I'm not blowing all my vacation time on taking driving tests. OK if you're a student and can maybe go not during classes (or if you're a housewife) but if you have a real job, well...

[Oosutorariajin]

From Article:

"Thanks to a series of reciprocal agreements (ah, the beauty of diplomacy!), if you hold a license from any of the following countries, you won't have to take anything more than an eyesight test to get your paws on a Japanese license: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and The United Kingdom."

Does Kazuhide read the articles? He tries to say that Australia and Canada are third world countries but they are two of the listed that dont need tests! Bloody Oath!

[six-eight-ten]

I've heard of a few people who passed the driving portion on the first try without having gone to a driving school, but such cases are rare. I had to take the driving portion twice. I paid one of the driving school instructors to take me out on their practice course for about an hour to explain exactly what they were looking for during the test. It helped to know things like "This post on the side of the road indicates a parked car" or what they are looking for on the crank (don't round the corners, imagine making 90 degree turns) or the S portion (start signalling halfway through the S for the stop at the end of it, even though you're still not entering the second part of the turn) of the driving course.

[EIJI]

JAF website
http://www.jaf.or.jp/e/switch.htm

[mawande]

From Article:

"Thanks to a series of reciprocal agreements (ah, the beauty of diplomacy!), if you hold a license from any of the following countries, you won't have to take anything more than an eyesight test to get your paws on a Japanese license.
Looks like you're screwed if you're from the U.S...wonder why we let that agreement go? Probably some September 11th fallout. Yeah, lots of Japanese terrorists trying to get American licenses :gloomy:

*scratches head* When DID we have that agreement, anyway? Erbium, when I went to do my license it was already that US couldn't just switch over, and that was well before 9/11. Or did something change in between when I got my license and now? It easily could have.

[mawande]

What they are looking for on the crank (don't round the corners, imagine making 90 degree turns) or the S portion (start signalling halfway through the S for the stop at the end of it, even though you're still not entering the second part of the turn) of the driving course.

I remember the S and the crank (I called it the Z). I remember it was so intimidating, until I got bright and walked out and looked at the course. The S and crank were more than twice as wide as the car I was driving. Go figure. I made it the very next time. Well, made the crank. It took a few more times to manage to not lose so many points and actually pass.

[Oosutorariajin]

JAF website
http://www.jaf.or.jp/e/switch.htm

That says nothing about these countries that dont need to go through the whole rigmarole. I tried finding info from australian sites and only one site talks about it and it gives the impression that there is no testing but doesnt say it out right. Maybe this is going to be a whole adventure I get to experience when the time comes.

[Fred]

Looks like you're screwed if you're from the U.S...wonder why we let that agreement go? Probably some September 11th fallout. Yeah, lots of Japanese terrorists trying to get American licenses :gloomy:

I heard the reason Japan removed the US from the list was because of the number of Japanese citizens circumventing the Japanese Driving test by getting a license in the US and then converting it when they returned home.

[erbiumfiber]

That's hilarious. You know your system is messed up when people actually get their FIRST license in a foreign country to avoid the crappy system in their home country.

And here I was, thinking it was the U.S.'s fault (I'm pretty quick to blame my own country for most of the problems in the world...).

[Ivor's Tinfoil Bandana]

Another possibility is that the standards for driving tests are too low in the U.S.

[jindojim]

Why do you need to drive in Tokyo anyway, if you don't mind me asking? The fees to maintain a car are prohibitive, the traffic is ghastly, gas prices are astronomical, and, in contrast, the public transportation is just so damn efficient.

And that's once you actually get the license. Compared to all those expenses, you know, I think it's best just to save money, take the driver's ed classes (despite its price), and just take the test once or twice.

I got to drive once in Japan. It was to move stuff I'd bought from the local recycle shop (only a 10 minute bike ride away) to my apartment. They accepted my international license, and let me use their truck (which had a manual transmission). That was probably the most frightening hour on the road I've ever spent. The wide roads were fine, but once you got to the little narrow side roads, navigating around becomes rather hectic. Especially when you have to rely on side mirrors to look behind you... Not to mention having to always look out for pedestrians and cyclists. I don't think I ever felt happier to be back on my dinky mama-chari after returning that truck (thankfully without hitting anything) back to the shop.

[Kyletherealninja]

I've always thought that if I ever lived in Japan I would live and die by public transportation, and reading this thread hasn't kindled my enthusiasm for driving in Japan.

[EIJI]

That says nothing about these countries that dont need to go through the whole rigmarole. I tried finding info from australian sites and only one site talks about it and it gives the impression that there is no testing but doesnt say it out right. Maybe this is going to be a whole adventure I get to experience when the time comes.
'gaimen kirikae' is the key word. Google it!
http://www.google.co.jp/search?q=gaimen+kirikae&lr=lang_ja&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:ja:official&client=firefox-a
You'll find like this.
http://www.gaijinpot.com/bb/showthread.php?t=2777

[mawande]

I heard the reason Japan removed the US from the list was because of the number of Japanese citizens circumventing the Japanese Driving test by getting a license in the US and then converting it when they returned home.

Er... I don't know. But I do know they instituted the rule that you can only use your International Driver's License for one year (details are slightly different, I think) and to have it all right again, you have to spend at least three months back in the foreign country you got it in, because of Japanese citizens who weren't even bothering to GET a Japanese license and just constantly renewed their International ones.

[erbiumfiber]

I only want a driver's license to rent a car in the country- like maybe drive around Hokkaido. I would never own a car and drive it on a day-to-day basis.

[Pierrot le Fou]

The reason is because licensing in the US is controlled on a state-by-state basis, and lacking a reciprocal agreement (as some states do), Japan stopped.

[Ivor's Tinfoil Bandana]

The reason is because licensing in the US is controlled on a state-by-state basis, and lacking a reciprocal agreement (as some states do), Japan stopped.
This is more believable !

OOT, but I wonder what are the prices for 1L of gas in Japan?

Edit : After a bit of research, I've just found out it's actually cheaper than here...

[Oosutorariajin]

In Australia licencing is organised by state but on the other hand there are only 8 states and territories in Australia. I looked on the New South Wales site and it lists all the same countries as Japan plus the US.

[mikem]

Why do you need to drive in Tokyo anyway, if you don't mind me asking? The fees to maintain a car are prohibitive, the traffic is ghastly, gas prices are astronomical, and, in contrast, the public transportation is just so damn efficient.

I want to drive OUT of Tokyo actually.

Trains start to suck once you get outside of the Yamanote.

It's funny because you answered the question yourself really. :innocent:

[mawande]

Prices for 1L of gasoline in Japan vary per neighborhood, town and gasoline stand. I think they're all presently above 120 yen. *sniffle* Tokyo, says my son, has places selling for 140.

[Ivor's Tinfoil Bandana]

1L here currently costs between 1.20 and 1.40 € (1.65 - 1.94 $, or 197 - 230 yen). Japan isn't that bad !

[ミュー]

I want to drive OUT of Tokyo actually.

Trains start to suck once you get outside of the Yamanote.

It's funny because you answered the question yourself really. :innocent:
This is very true! To be honest, the "super terrible traffic" is really not all that bad if you take the right roads. There's all kinds of cool roads, and driving around is a ridiculously cheap form of entertainment compared to the alternatives. You can't take a piss in Tokyo without paying out the nose for it, so getting outside is the only way to live cheaply sometimes...

[japanat]

Yesterday I paid ￥134/liter (US $4.20/gal); to fill my car cost $66.66. Sha・ken (car safety check and taxes) runs about $700+ every 2 years for bigger cars, plus you have to get decent insurance.

If I could live my life w/o a car, I'd happily do so (and probably be much healthier, too), but that really isn't possible in this area.

[Fred]

The driving I did was all business related. I had about 20 stores in Osaka and Nara I routinely visited, plus I usually did all the warehouse pickups. The two vehicles I drove were both gutless wonders. One was a 5-door station wagon (a Nissan maybe) and the other was a regular-sized van.

There was only one time I ever wanted to own a car in Japan for personal use. A friend of mine was good friends with a guy who owned a car lot. One day she told me he had destroyed 2-tone Mustang in mint condition because he couldn’t sell it. I don’t remember the year. If I had know about the car before hand, I would have offered to buy it.

[ESPayne]

I heard the reason Japan removed the US from the list was because of the number of Japanese citizens circumventing the Japanese Driving test by getting a license in the US and then converting it when they returned home.

Bingo! We have a winner! I know a few people who did this. The funny part is that they don't drive, but have a license.

Also, you can no longer transfer a "Base License" to a regular Japanese License. (BTW, The driver's test on base are given by Japanese Civil Service workers.) And I think about a year ago, they added a new rule. You can not get your first license on base anymore. You have to already have a license from another country.

[ESPayne]

I remember a while back there was another thread about this, but there was much more arguing on whether or not racism played a part in passing or failing the driver's tests. While the average number of tests taken until you pass may be the same for Japanese and foreignors, their attitudes clearly showed they did not like dealing with anybody not Japanese. At least that's the way it is at the Futamatagawa center. I won't go into that side of it, but I will talk about how my tests went.

Something that you should know is that you can only take one test a day. And because of the wait, you will have to take a full work day off to take your test. Unless you work at night, and just don't plan on sleeping that day.

The first test I took was the "Learner's Permit Written Test." It was actually very easy. If you read the book on traffic laws and signs, you should do fine. If I remember right, I think it was about 50 questions.

The second test I took was the "Learner's Permit Driving Test." This was hell, and took me longer to pass than the real driving test. I think I took this test 5 or 6 times. Basically, I made it to a new corner on the course, until I actually passed it. Here's where I had problems:

1) The "stay left" rule. This is the stupidest thing I've ever heard of. Go outside and take a look at the street. What do you see? Parked cars, and mopeds zipping by. So what would happen if you "stayed left" forever?

2) The course's speed limits. There are only 2 speed limit signs on the whole course, you are according to the testers "just supposed to KNOW what the speed limit is."

3) Lack of consistancy. This may have been the most frustrating. It seems to me that they pretty much have a quota system on how many times it takes people to pass the tests. Of course it's not exact, but it's very obvious. You can pick out people that would have failed at an earlier test, but get passed once they decide that you can pass. Also, having a different tester makes it really hard. You have no idea what your particular tester will accept as normal or safe driving.

Anyway, I think it was my 3rd or 4th test when my suspicions were confirmed. After you get failed, they will tell you why. THIS is why I made it to a new corner after every failure. Once you know why you failed on a particular section, you know what they want from you. The tester actually told me that she knew I already know how to drive. She said that I have absolutely no problem handling the car, and that I always drove very smooth during the tests. BUT I DID NOT KNOW WHAT THEY WANTED ME TO DO!!! But for the measly price of about 5,000yen an hour on Saturday, they would drive me around the course and tell me how to pass it. Unbelieveable!

After passing the "Learner's Permit Driving Test," you can now actually drive! Of course, you have to buy or make your own "Learner" sign for your car, and have a licensed driver with you. I forget what the actual requirement was before you could take the real "Driver's License Written Test," but it wasn't much. You pretty much just have to get a licensed driver to sign off on rides with you. I can't remember if there was a kilometer distance you had to drive, or if it was just the number of drives you took.

The third test I took was the "Driver's License Written Test." Again, it was very easy. I think this one may have been 75 or 100 questions. It was basically the same as the first test, just longer.

The fourth test I took was the "Driver's License Driving Test." Here is where the inconsistancy really got me. I got a few different testers, and thier personal preferences failed me. One failed me for speeding. He said that he knows that I was speeding to keep up with traffic, and that he knows I was just going with the flow. But rules are rules, and the speed limit was 40 so I failed. The other guy failed me for driving too slow (on the same road!). This guy said that he knows that the speed limit sign said 40, but because I wouldn't go with the flow and keep up with traffic, I was a danger and an inconvenience for everybody else on the road. But now I figured I'd be okay, because I knew what these guys wanted from me speed wise. They all said that my car handling and driving was fine, it was just my speed that failed me. So I think that my next test should be a cake walk. I was wrong. One of the things you have to do during this test is to pull over (you have to find a "safe" spot) and look at a map to find your way to the end. The first driver goes out, then the second driver has to find the way back to the test center. It's not hard at all, and after you've doen it twice you know where to go. But you HAVE to still pull over and look at the map, and point out your route to the tester. But you can deviate from your route, without losing points as long as you stay on the map (there's also no time limit). Well, I was the second driver, so I had to drive back to the test center for this test(I think this was my 3rd or 4rth try). Well, we are heading up this hill, and the guy wants me to pull over behind a bus at a bus stop to check my map. The bus stop was in a really stupid spot, and if I pulled over behind him, the back half of my car would be in an intersection (it was a residential area, and there was no traffic light at this intersection). So I tell him I want to pass the bus, and pull over somewhere up the road. He tells me no, he wants me to pull over here, and if I don't do it he'll fail me for not following his instructions. Now keep in mind this is the guy that failed me for not driving over 40 to keep up with traffic on a previous test. So he's looking down at his clip board at something, and I pull over. I get as close as I can behind the bus, but I'm still out in the intersection. When he looks up, he says I'm too close to the bus. So I tell him that the back of the car is still sticking out in the intersection, so I couldn't stop further back. He starts looking around, and he knows he fucked up. So he hems and haws for a minute, and sighs. So I'm looking at him with this WTF! look on my face, waiting for him to say something. It wasn't good. He apologizes for telling me to do something wrong, but he has to fail me for following his instructions. He says he knows he was wrong, but I shouldn't have done it. He also says that he shouldn't have said he'd fail me if I did't listen to him. I came about a breath away from losing it. I had already drew my arm back to knock the shit out of him, and he saw it coming. Luckily, I stopped myself. But he saw my fist, and saw my arm draw back. Guess what the pussy did? He just bowed his head, and wouldn't look up. He didn't even have the guts to look me in the eye when he handed me my "failed" notice and next test appointment back at the test center. I'll be damned, I passed the next test. But something funny did happen. If you pass the first part of the driving test, you have to do a parking test back at the test center. It's easy, you just back into a spot, and NOT hit the poles they have set up around the parking spot. So I back into this spot, and he tells me that I barely passed. I was parked as perfect as I think I could have, there was equal space on both sides of the car, and I had plenty of room in the back. BTW, the space is much larger than you'd find at a store or just about anywhere else. The guy said that I almost failed, because I never looked back. I want to you think about that. I asked him how he thought that I could have BACKED into a parking spot WITHOUT looking back, not hit anything, and be centered in the spot. He shrugs, and says I still passed.

Those were my experiences taking the driving tests at Futamatagawa. I'm sure that other test centers are different, but this is how my tests went. Oh, something to keep in mind for any of the tests that actually involve driving a car, YOU CAN NOT PASS ON YOUR FIRST TRY! They actually told my dad this when they failed him on his first real driving test. But he passed on the second try. Guess what? They told him the exact same thing about his parking, though. They said that even though he parked the car in the perfect spot, he somehow did it without ever looking back! :duh:

[ESPayne]

I almost forgot! During one of the course driving tests, I saw somebody get failed before they made it onto the course. I don't know what happened because I wasn't in the car, but this guy failed before he got onto the course. I'm really curious what happened. I would think that if it was something like not wearing his seatbelt, they would have failed him as soon as he put the car in gear.

Some other interesting things I saw:

1) Testers speeding on the course to get the cars back to the test area.

2) Testers can't park for shit. I saw them backing into spots, but to do it they had to open thier door and hang out the side.

3) Testers really can't drive for shit. I saw the testers stall the cars.

4) Motorcycle testers don't follow any rules or laws. No helmets, no boots, and they speed and drive whever they want.

5) When someone is taking the real driving test and are going to do the parking test, what they do up to the parking section isn't counted. That's right, they drive on the course, but they can't be penalized for breaking traffic laws on the course, because they already passed it.

6) Guys in suits (most likely driving school instructors) taking the testers aside and talking to them before and after the tests. I never saw somebody fail that had one of these guys talk to their tester. I've also seen whole groups (10 or more)of taxi drivers pass or fail. If the group had the suit guy with them they all passed, if they didn't they all failed. Very interesting to see.

[ミュー]

6) Guys in suits (most likely driving school instructors) taking the testers aside and talking to them before and after the tests. I never saw somebody fail that had one of these guys talk to their tester. I've also seen whole groups (10 or more)of taxi drivers pass or fail. If the group had the suit guy with them they all passed, if they didn't they all failed. Very interesting to see.
I honestly think this is the "driving school secret", they're bribing the instructors or at least intimidating them. Has anyone else seen this?

[erbiumfiber]

I haven't been to any test center but I know all my Japanese co-workers went to driving school. It's just legalized extortion. When I want it badly enough, I'll pay my 300,000 yen, go to some lessons, and get my damn license.

That's also how I got my license in NY. Went to a driving school, took a few lessons, USED THE DRIVING SCHOOL CAR DURING THE TEST, got license.

And when my daughter's time comes (she's 18, it's already overdue) I will send her to driving school and repeat the above.

Yeah, it's crap but I don't feel like getting pushed around by bureaucrats all day- oh wait, that's what happens all day for a living, dealing with the U.S. Patent Office, sucking up to a bunch of brain-dead examiners...

[SlickWilly440]

Do people in Japan stereotype themselves as Asains being bad drivers so much that they make them take the test over and over again to lessen there chances to being in an accident? Or do they just wanting to extort money from these people?

Down here in Texas the only way you can instantly fail a driving test is if you get into a reck. I screwed up on my parallel parking and following the right of way rule and still passed. Did I mention that the course was basically the campus roads of a technicall college which was deserted with no moving cars in sight?

[six-eight-ten]

2) Testers can't park for shit. I saw them backing into spots, but to do it they had to open thier door and hang out the side.



I see Japanese people doing this ALL the time. It's like the standard accepted way to back up.

[ESPayne]

I honestly think this is the "driving school secret", they're bribing the instructors or at least intimidating them. Has anyone else seen this?

Yep, I'm assuming the "talk" is about what the testers cut will be.

[ESPayne]

I see Japanese people doing this ALL the time. It's like the standard accepted way to back up.

That may be the standard practice, but you will fail the parking test if you try this. If the testers can't drive at the standard they are testing at, how can they judge anybody else?

[ESPayne]

Do people in Japan stereotype themselves as Asains being bad drivers so much that they make them take the test over and over again to lessen there chances to being in an accident? Or do they just wanting to extort money from these people?



I'd say it's all about milking money out of you. It would be much better if they just raised the test prices, and graded/judged the tests fairly.

[Hira-Kata to Sawa]

I know this has been well covered, but from most folks' responses, it sounds terrible. I took my Japanese DL tests last year, and passed the driving portion the first time. It's all about memorization of the course. You can buy a map of the course, and get time to walk the course before taking the test. Just keep in mind that you have to overexaggerate all movements, and drive like a grandma (but not TOO slow). I took my tests in Akita, but I heard the same horror stories from other foreigners living in Akita, so I know it's not just the place. Just drive nicely and be polite and things should go well. A little luck in the choice of examiner helps too.
As an aside, the day I took my driving test there were 2 other people who took the road test, both Japanese. I was the only one of the three that passed, and received polite applause from the both of them when my number was the only one called. Bout time the foreign guy gets a break...