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Driving in Japan

Mycernius

The Hairy Wookie
4 Feb 2005
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When I have saved up enough pennies to go Japan (hopefully soon) I was wondering is it worth hiring a car. If so what are the roads like in Japan and what are they like to drive on? I have looked for info, but I seem to get conflicting info from 'safe' to 'foolhardy' to 'they are all maniacs'. What is the safety record like on Japanese roads? How do they drive? :?
 
If you're going to stay in Toyko, don't bother. It's a headache, and is really a "weekends only" type of thing. Japanese drivers (despite what some people think) are very safe-agressive drivers. They use blinkers, rarely change lanes, but move pretty quick and know what they're doing. Korea they are all maniacs. Ignore lane-dividers and drive on the sidewalks (I'm not joking). In Hawaii where I live now, they are just flat out awful drivers. Nobody uses or pays attention to blinkers, don't pay attention in general, and often plow over pedestrians. "Island" is a great way to describe these people. Since 1996, there have been 230 pedestrians killed, and something like 1500 injured. Alcohol only attributed to 1/4 of the accidents.
 
GaijinPunch said:
Japanese drivers (despite what some people think) are very safe-agressive drivers. They use blinkers, rarely change lanes, but move pretty quick and know what they're doing.

Excuse me, but that's the biggest load of bollocks I have ever heard. And I like to think I am in a position to know.
 
mikecash said:
Excuse me, but that's the biggest load of bollocks I have ever heard. And I like to think I am in a position to know.

And what part of that is bulllocks? What would you say? Dangerous agressive? Don't mind other peoples signals and whatnot? I can introduce you to a whole island of people that are statistically (and in actuality) much worse. Korea I've only visited a few times but it only takes once to see that Japan is a dreamland compared. Thailand is another crazy part of Asia that comes to mind. I never drove a car in Japan, but I rode in cabs... a lot. Almost daily the last 2-3 years. Wouldn't that put me in a "position to know"?

That's not to mention that I cycled for most of the time. From Ikejiri to Akasaka in morning and evening rush of all times.

I guess it's all relative though. If you've only been exposed to Metropolitan Tokyo and just about any other US city other than maybe the few big ones, you would obviously think otherwise.
 
Cab drivers would have to drive safe and keep there calm more then common drivers.
Same goes for everywhere.

If i sit in a taxi in England they drive smoothly and keep calm. I drive with someone i know of family etc there is usually swearing, cutting people off, the occasional fight.

However i have heard the Japanese aviod confrontation at all costs, is this the same for driving ???
 
Cab drivers would have to drive safe and keep there calm more then common drivers.

There are some crazy ones, but for the most part they're the main culprites not changing lanes and whatnot. Longer ride = more money. It is frustrating. You can usually tell them to step on it if it's in a hurry. I had a massive dump coming on one morning and still had like 10 more minutes 'til I got to the office. He was cool, and ran some yellows and whatnot. He got to keep the change which was upwards of 900 yen or so.
 
GaijinPunch said:
And what part of that is bulllocks?

The entire portion that I quoted. That's why I selected that part to quote.


What would you say? Dangerous agressive? Don't mind other peoples signals and whatnot?

All that and more.

I never drove a car in Japan, but I rode in cabs... a lot. Almost daily the last 2-3 years. Wouldn't that put me in a "position to know"?

My driving in Japan has been feeding, clothing, and sheltering a family of four for at least 5 times that long. I play in Japanese traffic from 12-14 hours a day. I do it from a high perch in a tractor-trailer, with ample opportunity to observe traffic all around me. Like I said...I like to think I am in a position to express an informed opinion on it.


I guess it's all relative though. If you've only been exposed to Metropolitan Tokyo and just about any other US city other than maybe the few big ones, you would obviously think otherwise.

On a daily basis my driving ranges from the rural to the urban. Gunma to Tokyo/Yokohama and points around the Kanto area, averaging about 250km per day and covering all hours of the day for both rural and urban.

In the past it took me from Aomori in the north to Okayama in the west. Likewise with a generous blend of rural and urban. Same goes for the US; I've driven professionally in somewhere around 35 of the 48 contiguous states (I forget the exact number), rural and urban, north, south, east, and west. But that's not relevant to the point at hand.
 
Tim33 said:
Cab drivers would have to drive safe and keep there calm more then common drivers.

You would like to think so, wouldn't you?

Just the other day I remarked to a friend that in Tokyo if you fail the car license test three times they give you a taxi license as a consolation prize...or at least such would seem to be the case based on my observations.

Just today I called a cab company to report a driver for running a red light (and not by a little bit either), speeding, and weaving in and out of traffic recklessly. Lest I come off as a total ***** (I am a total *****...just don't want to look like one), I have also in the past called a cab company and passed on a compliment on a driver whose attention to driving safely in a severe downpour stood out and reflected very well on him and his company.

If you want my advice, in Tokyo stay the hell out of cabs operated by Tokyo Musen.
 
(for those who cant take a hint, mike is a truck driver and is probably the best person to listen to for this.... and well anything really)

I ride a motorbike here in Aus but I'm anxious about taking that hobby up again in Japan, after what I saw last time I was there I would probably be safer taking a bus for my longer trips :(
 
Truck drivers are one of the best to listen to for info. I should know, it is what I do in the UK. Cheers for the current info
 
(for those who cant take a hint, mike is a truck driver and is probably the best person to listen to for this.... and well anything really)

It's all relative on what you're used to. Believe me. I rode a bicycle... not a moped, not a motorcycle, a dirt bike through these "dangerous drivers" for years. There's a certain zen to the traffic in Tokyo. Agressive? Yes. Overly dangerous and scary? I stick by my previous claim. I ride on the sidewalk most of the time in Hawaii. Too many speeding morons... and nobody can forget those statistics. I was run off the road by a city bus driver just two weeks ago. The day I moved here a 60 year old man was struck by a car going 40-50mph and died instantly. He was in the bicycle lane mind you.

I can't speak for much of the countryside. Did very little cycling while living in anything that resembled the sticks.
 
one point that you are not recognizing gaijinpunch, is that mr. cash does this everyday. every single day. if i ever wanted info on driving here he would be the first person i would want advice from.
 
I drove in Japan quite a bit while I lived there. I had a car the whole 4 years and used it quite extensively. (though obviously not as much as a pro truck driver) I found several very common habits that I found particularly annoying. Going through red lights is such a common occurance that I've seen guys do it right in front of a cop with no qualms about it, and stop signs are often treated as slow slightly signs. The following distance on the expressways are WAY too close. It is very scary to look up in the rearview mirror to see truck headlights so close you think the truck is in the back seat.

However I made it through the 4 years without a single accident. Most of my driving was in rural Japan mainly Nara-ken but I often drove in Osaka and made 2 trips to Tokyo. The original post was "wondering if he should rent a car" and I think if you are interested in getting off the beaten trail it can be very rewarding, and if you can drive in London you will probably survive it in Japan... but make sure you get the insurance
 
duff_o_josh said:
one point that you are not recognizing gaijinpunch

I'm fully aware of that... which is why I didn't question in it.

if i ever wanted info on driving here he would be the first person i would want advice from.

In this case you'd be getting a pretty biased report.
 
well, I don't particularly think that drivers in Japan are that safe. I mean they put stickers on new/elderly drivers cars so that they have less responsability and more on you to be "aware" of those drivers and what they "might" do! Also, taxi drivers and buses have the right of way no matter what! Taxis can may an illegal U turn or drive at incredibly slow paces to try and drum up business from people who are not even trying to hail cabs! IMHO Taxis in Japan are the least safe drivers on the road.
 
mikecash said:
Biased, but informed.

I don't see how my opinion is uninformed...especially considering the person asking seems to have never been.

As a systems engineer I would tell you that Windows is a gigantic turd. Poor architecture and design, filled with holes, expensive, and overall unpleasant. I might even say it's a bollocks OS. As much as I hate to admit it, that does not make it fact... only my interpretation after using it (and the competition). Or perhaps I should say informed.

I mean they put stickers on new/elderly drivers cars

Sounds like another country I know of.

IMHO Taxis in Japan are the least safe drivers on the road.

Well, I don't disagree with you. Before blaming them though I would blame a system that requires them to work 24 hour shifts with minimal break. All things considered, I think they're pretty skilled given the stress of their job. In their defense... I've sat in many sedated taxis. I prefer the reckless ones. I'd also like to see a source on that U-turn claim. Sounds fishy, obviously.

Final Thought: If the population of the city you're from barely hits 6-digits, you'll probably not like the driving scene in Japan (Tokyo specifically). If you're from another big city, you should do fine.
 
GaijinPunch said:
I don't see how my opinion is uninformed...especially considering the person asking seems to have never been.

I didn't say your opinion is uninformed. For that matter, I don't see how my opinion is biased, but I didn't feel like arguing about it.

Well, I don't disagree with you. Before blaming them though I would blame a system that requires them to work 24 hour shifts with minimal break. All things considered, I think they're pretty skilled given the stress of their job. In their defense... I've sat in many sedated taxis. I prefer the reckless ones. I'd also like to see a source on that U-turn claim. Sounds fishy, obviously.

List me as a source, if you like. I prefer those to the ones like I encountered the other day in Naka-Meguro who decided he would make a right turn from the left turn lane. The taxi was radio #1873 of Nihon Koutsuu.

Final Thought: If the population of the city you're from barely hits 6-digits, you'll probably not like the driving scene in Japan (Tokyo specifically). If you're from another big city, you should do fine.

Not necessarily. Often when I see a car driving cluelessly and seemingly befuddled in Tokyo I take a look at the license plate and say to myself, "Yep. Yokohama tags."
 
I didn't say your opinion is uninformed. For that matter, I don't see how my opinion is biased

Sorry then. Just sounded that way. I think by default your opinion on traffic would be biased though. I think anything someone does daily, especially for a job, has an impact on how they see things.

Naka-Meguro who decided he would make a right turn from the left turn lane. The taxi was radio #1873 of Nihon Koutsuu.

Not necessarily. Often when I see a car driving cluelessly and seemingly befuddled in Tokyo I take a look at the license plate and say to myself, "Yep. Yokohama tags."

Well indeed every population is going to have some seriously clueless people. I guess some people are luckier than others when it comes to how often they encounter them.
 
GaijinPunch said:
Sorry then. Just sounded that way. I think by default your opinion on traffic would be biased though. I think anything someone does daily, especially for a job, has an impact on how they see things.

Imagine for a moment a discussion of the various flavors of Windows. Imagine that one fellow pipes up and says, "I've never used Windows myself, but I've been in the room when other people were using it, and I think 3.1 is a jim dandy operating system." And another fellow says, "I've used 3.1, 95, 98, ME, 2000, and XP. 3.1 sucks".

Would his opinion be biased? Or just better informed?

Saying that someone's opinion is "biased" gives the impression that the opinion is either based on a misunderstanding of actual facts or, more likely, dishonestly presented in a manner inconsistent with actual facts.
 
CC1 said:
well, I don't particularly think that drivers in Japan are that safe. I mean they put stickers on new/elderly drivers cars so that they have less responsability and more on you to be "aware" of those drivers and what they "might" do! Also, taxi drivers and buses have the right of way no matter what! Taxis can may an illegal U turn or drive at incredibly slow paces to try and drum up business from people who are not even trying to hail cabs! IMHO Taxis in Japan are the least safe drivers on the road.

japan isnt the only place where new drivers have to have somesort of sticker on there car. in british columbia canada, new drivers have to have a huge green "n" sign on their vehichle. one thing i find a little dangerous about japanese drivers is the curtiousy to turn off their headlights at intersections, but not all remember to turn them back on, thats a bit scary when crossing the road.
 
duff_o_josh said:
japan isnt the only place where new drivers have to have somesort of sticker on there car. in british columbia canada, new drivers have to have a huge green "n" sign on their vehichle. one thing i find a little dangerous about japanese drivers is the curtiousy to turn off their headlights at intersections, but not all remember to turn them back on, thats a bit scary when crossing the road.


Well, coming from the US, this was new to me...also, they are not held as liable in an accident as you would be...even if they hit you. You (being an experienced driver) should not have been in the area at the time of impact seems to be the train of thought here! Basically, because they have that little sticker, I am supposed to read their freakin' mind and know that they are gonna change lanes without a signal and sideswipe my car in my blind spot! :? But no worries here, I stay away from the new drivers and the elderly ones too! Those damn taxi's and the driving school cars get on my nerves the most though!
 
The stickers for the new drivers are mandatory for the first year. The stickers for the elderly drivers are optional.
 
Saying that someone's opinion is "biased" gives the impression that the opinion is either based on a misunderstanding of actual facts or

Doesn't a biased opinion just mean leaning one way or the other... regardless of what that opinion is based on?

I'd have to disagree with both Windows users... Calling me tainted is an understatement, so perhaps that was a bad analogy. Perhaps if I spent all day in trafffic, I'd have a different view of that as well.
 
In what way does my opinion lean? Away from an accurate representation of the actual circumstances, I mean.

Today's taxi-drivers-have-l33t-skillz balloon burster:

I was sitting at a red light on Yamate-dori in Shinjuku today. Next to me were two taxis. The one in the front was driven by Mr. Magoo. Traffic cleared out a little bit on the other side of the light and Mr. Magoo takes off. The taxi behind him took off behind him.

Only problem was....the light didn't change from red to green until about 10 seconds after they were both gone.
 
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