US driver's licenseﾂ?徽apanese driver's license

[DrS]

I am a Japense and have a California driver's license(I do not have Japanese one).

In order to obtain Japanese driver's license by converting the one from US, I need to pass both written and practical examination.

I don't worry about written part but practical.
Has anyone taken practical exam before?
And could you let me know how they test candidates?

Thank you in advance.

 

[Damicci]

I also thought you had to attend a driving school in Japan to obtain a license?????

Also you need to test for manual or automatic I think. My S/O has license but it is only for driving automatic vehicles.

 

[DrS]

I also thought you had to attend a driving school in Japan to obtain a license?????

Also you need to test for manual or automatic I think. My S/O has license but it is only for driving automatic vehicles.

Thank you for the reply.
It is not necessary to attend a driving school to obtain a license.
I have already confirmed with license department about this issue.
I was told that I need to take written and practical examination in order to transfer my US driver's license.

But I am not sure how difficult is the practical part.

 

[yukio_michael]

I'm no expert on this, but a Japanese friend who drove a car in the States (which he painted spray-paint blue, lulz) just used an International Drivers License.

 

[DrS]

I'm no expert on this, but a Japanese friend who drove a car in the States (which he painted spray-paint blue, lulz) just used an International Drivers License.

Thank you very much for the reply.
It is OK to drive a car with an international driver's license if live in States more than 3 month per year.
It was not like this before.
The law has just changed.

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

The written test could be passed by a drunk monkey.

The practical test is not technically difficult by any means, but the thing to keep in mind is that the purpose of the test is not so much to gage whether or not you are a competent driver, but rather to gage how well you know the rules of the road. I failed 2 or 3 times before I came to this realization and passed the following time. Good luck!

 

[DrS]

The written test could be passed by a drunk monkey.
The practical test is not technically difficult by any means, but the thing to keep in mind is that the purpose of the test is not so much to gage whether or not you are a competent driver, but rather to gage how well you know the rules of the road. I failed 2 or 3 times before I came to this realization and passed the following time. Good luck!

Thank you so much for your input.
It helped me a lot.
Do you live in Mikawa?
If I am correct, Mikawa is close to Nagoya?
The reason I asked you is that I plan on living in Nagoya from April.

BTW, I liked your blog.
It is very impressive that you write such a decent Japanase!

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

Thank you so much for your input.
It helped me a lot.
Do you live in Mikawa?
If I am correct, Mikawa is close to Nagoya?
The reason I asked you is that I plan on living in Nagoya from April.
BTW, I liked your blog.
It is very impressive that you write such a decent Japanase!

Yes, I live in Mikawa, birthplace of Tokugawa Ieyasu , Ichiro, and Kotomitsuki. If I take the Tokaido line to Nagoya from here it takes about 20 minutes, so yes, it's quite close!
Thanks for reading my blog! I must admit that the Japanese on it is not very impressive for the most part. There's one entry, I do like, however, about the forgotten battlefield.

Good luck getting your driver's license! It's ironic in a way because today I'm taking off of work to get my International Driver's License for my next trip to America.

 

[ET_Fukuoka]

The written test is like 10 super easy questions. The driving test is a pain in the neck!! I passed on the first time though!! \(^.^)/

The first thing I recommend is go to the drivers license center and watch for a couple hours. Study the routes and watch how the other drivers do it. They have been through drivers education and know exactly how to pass the test.

The test is very anal but pretty easy to pass, if you know all the little tricks. For example before you get in the car for the test you have to look under the front and back of the car, then before opening the door you have to look behind you to make sure there is no car coming. There are lots of little things you have to remember to do in order to pass.

 

[KirinMan]

I actually feel kind of sorry for you guys that have to take the written and practical tests to get your licences. When I got here all I had to do was have my stateside license translated and poof I had my Japanese Lic.

Oh well times change.

I have read about and heard many people complain that the practical test "instructors" or "testers" can be downright anal at times. Like failing people the first and second time for really little **** like failing to check around your car before getting in. Like Mikawa-san wrote and ET added pay attention to the little details and exagerate the movements when taking the prac. test.

You know like actually turning your head to "look" in the rear view mirror. Oh and make sure that the person checking you out has their seatbelt on as well. Because in Japan it is now the law for front passengers to wear theirs as well. If there is anyone in the back, have them do it too, I doubt however that someone will be sitting in the back.

Good Luck.

 

[ET_Fukuoka]

What's really messed up is that Canada, UK, NZ, Aus, etc dont have to take the driving test!! Only the USA and a few other places!! My Canadian friends just walked up took the paper test and BAM.....finished.

Most Americans I know took the test 2 or 3 times before passing. I actually drove on a international license for a year before I took the test. I also did A LOT of research on the web, asked every Japanese friend I had, and watched at the testing center a couple times, and practiced A LOT!!

The conversation in the car during the test was kind of funny too:

Him: "Do you speak Japanese"
Me: "Not really, but I can understand simple Japanese"
Him: "oh I see"
Me: "But I will try my best"
Him: "Did you take Drivers Ed?"
Me: "Yes" (I didn't tell him it was in the US when I was 15)
Him: "Oh I see"

Half way through the test

Him: "You are a pretty good driver"
Me: "I have been driving over 15 years with no accidents"
Him: "Oh I see"

Him: "You Passed"
Me: "Thanks a million!!"
Him: "Do you like Japan?"
Me: "I love it!!"

 

[KirinMan]

ET I dont know if you know the reason why, and I am not sure if it has been written here before but it's because each state in the US has different guidlines for getting a drivers lic.

 

[ET_Fukuoka]

The reason I heard was that every State in the US has their own laws and each of those states laws would have to be translated so.......

Where as each of the other countries has one set of laws.

That's what I heard but I am not sure if it's accurate.

 

[Mike Cash]

Thank you very much for the reply.
It is OK to drive a car with an international driver's license if live in States more than 3 month per year.
It was not like this before.
The law has just changed.

No, the rule is that you must have had the license for more than three months, I think. So if the license doesn't clearly show the issue date, then bring a letter from the state licensing agency stating the date of issue.

 

[DrS]

No, the rule is that you must have had the license for more than three months, I think. So if the license doesn't clearly show the issue date, then bring a letter from the state licensing agency stating the date of issue.

I dont know how you get that information.

Did you know one well-known Japanese singer was prosecuted recently because of what I mentioned the situation above.
His name is Shigeru Matsuzaki.

 

[Mike Cash]

I dont know how you get that information.

I always thought it was common knowledge. But if you need a link, here's one to information from the Osaka Police:

http://www.police.pref.osaka.jp/08tetsuduki/menkyo/04kakushu/09qa.html

Did you know one well-known Japanese singer was prosecuted recently because of what I mentioned the situation above.
His name is Shigeru Matsuzaki.

I don't keep up with the ﾅ竹窶拿ﾅ?E.

 

[DrS]

I always thought it was common knowledge. But if you need a link, here's one to information from the Osaka Police:
I don't keep up with the ﾅ竹窶拿ﾅ?E.

Thank you for the link.
But it only says, "You are able to obtain Japanese driver's license only if you live the country(in my case USA) more than 3 months. And it should be proved by indicating your passport and your driver's license"
ﾅ?Oﾂ坂?倪?禿??ｹ窶督湘佛ｽﾃｦ窶慊ｾﾅ津｣ﾂ、ﾅｽﾃｦ窶慊ｾﾂ坂?倪?堙??堙娯?佚伉催昶?堋ｪ窶凖看ｽZ窶堋ｵ窶堙?ﾆ停?毒椎ｽﾋ?按湘｣窶堋?窶堙ｩ窶堙娯?堋ｪ窶禿??ｹ窶督湘倪?ｹy窶堙柁恥ﾆ湛ﾆ竹ﾂーﾆ暖窶堙??m窶戳窶堙??堋ｫ窶堙ｩ窶堋ｱ窶堙?。
So it does not mean you can drive a car with international driver's license without living out of country for more than 3 months per year.

In my situation, I am able to driver a car in Japan with international driver's license from States in this year because I live in States for more than 3 months in a past year.
But it does not apply next year. I must have a valid Japanse driver's license in order to driver a car in Japan.

 

[.::b|ue Ash::.]

Hmm, perhaps it's not the same but.

My s/o received his International Drivers License this winter before leaving to Japan. He did not have to do anything special for it (like actual driving) I believe it was just a written test and a fee he had to pay.

Though as I said, this may be different in order to get a real Japan drivers license.

 

[Mike Cash]

I didn't read closely enough.

The thread started with mention of obtaining a Japanese license and I didn't notice when the focus shifted to an International license.

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

I didn't read closely enough.

The thread started with mention of obtaining a Japanese license and I didn't notice when the focus shifted to an International license.

Yes, I'm confused, too. Do you want an international driver's lisence or a Japanese driver's lisence? The process is completely different.

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

Here is the homepage from the Aichi Police with all the information you'll need in either case if you wish to go through the process here in Aichi.

運転免許 - 愛知県警察

 

[JerseyBoy]

For example before you get in the car for the test you have to look under the front and back of the car, then before opening the door you have to look behind you to make sure there is no car coming. There are lots of little things you have to remember to do in order to pass.

Thanks for the tips. I would be in the same shoes soon, as I would need to convert my US license to a Japanese one. I know I have to orient myself to the right side of the road (which is "left side"). My first stint behind the car in USA was moving over to the left side of the road and my good friend (American) on the passenger seat was yelling at me that I am on the wrong side of the road.
Based on the web research, other tips are: don't hit the curve, use your neck to look around when you change a lane, slow down when getting into the residential-looking area in the test course, stop at the line for the stop sign (so that the tester does not take your stop as rolling stop as that could happen if you stop a little too early), and etc. I heard there is a practice session avaiable if you pay JPY8000 or so.
Thank god I have a license in USA (I drive over 50,000 miles a year in USA; I am not a trucker, even though there is nothing wrong with that). Otherwise, I would end up spedning $3000 on the driving school. There are two routes to the Japanese license: from scratch (you pay high premium of driving school) or converting a valid "recognized" foreign driver's license.

 

[GaijinPunch]

Look into "convertering" your US license. You might have to take a practical test, but AFAIK, there is no written one. Foreigners are able to do this if they have had the license 3 months prior to entering Japan. For Japanese, it's 6 months. You will not only need to proof of issue date, you will also need your passport, showing you didn't get the license and then come to Japan the next week.

This is all for Tokyo though, and is results from research last year.

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

Look into "convertering" your US license. You might have to take a practical test, but AFAIK, there is no written one.

I don't know about Tokyo (although I couldn't imagine that it would be any different) but when I transferred my U.S. license to a Japanese one in Yamaguchi prefecture, there indeed was a written exam. However, it was something like 10 questions that were so easy that if anyone actually does manage to fail it, they really have no business on the road under any circumstances anywhere anyway!

 

[GaijinPunch]

The only written test I took was the one you take if you are getting a fresh DL, and haven't gone to driving school. The questions are tricky by nature, but the English is so horrible, you will miss 5% minimum due to grammatical errors. I counted one sentence with FOUR negatives in it.