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This little bit is for any Americans – or those other unfortunates hailing from a country where you have to take both a written and driving test to obtain your Japanese Driver’s License (South Africa, China, Brazil, Africa, Asia, South America, Eastern Europe, and Russia) – who want to get their driver’s license in Japan…or who just want to read about my experience!You can happily drive here with your International Driver’s License for a year but then you have to convert to a Japanese License (unless you can go home for about 93 consecutive days/year). It’s a good idea to get your Japanese license as soon as possible if you’re going to be here a while because if you’ve had any traffic violations in Japan with your International License, you cannot convert your current license into a Japanese one and will have to go through the entire deal that any Japanese who has never had a license has to do – usually including ￥300,000 for driving school. I had tons of questions before I went to get mine, so I will share my experience with you in the hopes that it will help you:

First things first – you have to have been in the country where you got your driver’s license for at least a period of 3 months after you got the license. If your original foreign license doesn’t have an issue date printed on it or the issue date doesn’t cover 3 months residing in a foreign country (like if you just renewed it but were living in Japan the entire time), you need to bring your old original licenses or obtain a driving history from the Department of Motor Vehicles in that country. I was lucky enough to have all my old license’s in a photo album here and just brought them all – from my first license until now – and had no problem.

Now you need a Japanese translation of your most recent foreign license. Sure, my husband is Japanese so would have no problem doing this; however, you need a translation from the Japanese equivalent of AAA – JAF (Japan Automobile Federation).

Just go to your nearest JAF with your original license, a copy of it (front & back), your foreigner registration card “gaijin card” (gaikokujin torokushou外国人登録証 – you might need to bring a copy of this too, depending on which country your license was issued in), and ￥3,000. It takes about 30 minutes for them to do it, usually – you can wait or pay them to mail it to you. They’ll provide you with English instructions of what to bring and where to go to convert your license (at least in Hyogo Prefecture they do). While you are there be sure to pick up the Rules of the Road handbook for ￥1,000 – they have it in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Persian, Chinese, and Hangul.

After you’ve gotten yourself familiar with the Rules of the Road you’re ready to head to the Driver’s License center for your written test. If you live in Kobe: Akashi, Hyogo. Take the map,

• your valid foreign license,
• your Passport (proving you lived there for 3 months after receiving your license),
• your Foreigner Registration Card,
• a photo (w2.4cm x h3cm – don’t worry if it’s a bit bigger, just pick the smallest ID size at the photo booth and they’ll clip it for you there),
• your JAF Japanese translation,
• your name stamp (if you have it: hanko/inkan 判子・印鑑),
• and your old original licenses or driving history if your license doesn’t have an issue date or the date is too recent to prove you were in the country 3 months after obtaining it.

In Akashi, you should arrive at 9am and head to #7 on the first floor. Take a number, and wait until they start calling people at around 9:30am. They will ask you some questions and then fill out all your forms, including detailing every entry and departure on your passport. You take a very simple eye test that invloves looking at a C symbol in different sizes and indicating which side the opening is on – very much like the one they do where I get my contacts in Japan. They also ask you to tell them what color a couple of circles are. If all of your paperwork is in order, you go and pay the ￥4,150 fee and return for a 5 minute, 10 question, True/False written test that is very easy except for the English wording is a little strange. When you complete that successfully they will ask you to go downstairs to #8 and make an appointment for your driving test – depending on how busy they are, it might be a while. I went on September 30th and the first available appointment was October 20th. If you arrive bright and early, this all should be over by around 10:30am.

Now, if you have an International License still, you are free to practice on your own – but I recommend getting a driving school lesson. Some guy handed me a card outside of the DMV when I left and my husband called and booked an hour for us. He picked us up at Port Island Minami-Koen station where there is a driving course for anyone to use and practice on (though you have to pay) nearby. An hour with him (including the course rental fee) was ￥6,000. He was a crabby guy with a dingy car, but he seemed to be at least as strict as the people who would grade my driving test. He told me exactly what I should and shouldn’t do for the test as we went round and round the course. He also smacked my hands every time I went to make a turn holding the steering wheel underhanded! “Dame!” Here is what I noted that was important for the test:

• Before opening the door to get in the car, be sure to look both ways.
• Lock the door immediately after closing the door.
• Check to be sure everyone in the car is wearing their seatbelt – yes they will count off for this!
• Adjust mirrors, check where your blinker is, etc. (it’s easy to continuously hit the wiper when you are used to driving on the left side of the car/right side of the road)
• Check over your shoulder in the direction you are signaling EVERY TIME you signal BEFORE you signal.
• Enter the road – and stay to the left!
• When you are making a turn: Look over shoulder in that direction, signal, move to the farthest side of the lane you are in toward the turn without going over the line, check both ways, look over your shoulder again (for invisible scooters and bicycles) and make the turn.
• Don’t ever hold the wheel underhanded!
• Practice the S and Crank curve as much as you can – these are the only really technically difficult parts of the test!
• When approaching cones in the road, check over your right shoulder, signal right, move across the center line about 1 meter from the cones, check over your left shoulder, signal left, move back into your lane.
• When you finish and park. Pull the emergency break, turn off the engine, look out your windows both ways, open the door just a tiny bit, check to your right again, and exit the car. Walk around the front of the car.

Now you are ready for your big day! On your appointed day, come back to #7 with all the paperwork you were given the last time and ￥1,650 by 10am (don’t wear heels ladies!!) and don’t take a number – wait until they call you (ginoshiken=driving test people). They will check your paperwork and send you immediately downstairs to #8 – give them your paperwork and they’ll give you a slip of paper telling you where in line you are to take the test and which course you’ll do that day. This takes all of 20 minutes or less. From now you wait in the room to listen to an explanation of the test and watch a video (all in Japanese). At noon, you are free to walk the driving course and your driving test will start at 12:55pm.

In Akashi there are two courses for this test: Course 18 and Course 19. Here is course 18. As you can see, it isn’t very complicated, but beware – the S and Crank Curve are tough and they are VERY STRICT about everything.

Look at the last two digits of the number printed next to the date to see which you are – if you’re there early, like me, you’ll get to be first! I actually think it might be better to be second, when you have the privilege of watching another driver. However, should you not pass the test; you are free to go home after you book your next appointment. The person who will drive after you will ride in the back of the car while the others wait their turn in the building.

Then just remember all the tips above and do your best! I was lucky. I heard from others that it seems to be mandatory that all first-timers fail. I figured as a way to discourage driving in an already crowded country or to create revenue. One lady was there for her fifth try, two ladies for their second try, and myself and another gentleman for our first try. Only myself and the other gentleman (Indian) passed! On the S and Crank curve it is really difficult to tell if you’re gonna make it without bumping the curb or not – I did it fine twice on the practice course in Port Island, but to be safe, I backed up once at each curve. You won’t be in trouble for backing up as long as you look over your shoulder before you put the car in reverse. If you bump the curb you can correct yourself and only lose points, but if you actually drive over the curb you will automatically fail and be asked to return to the start of the course. Same if you bump the guide poles hanging on the sides.

If don’t pass, they will return your paperwork and you go and make another appointment (this will be around 1:30, depending on how many people are testing and where in line you were). If you pass they will ask you to wait. When everyone is finished you will be told to go to #3 on the second floor and give them your paperwork. Then you are told to wait until 3pm and go to another room. Here you fill out some paperwork, wait for the Japanese who passed their driving test, and listen to what to do next. Although you are the first to arrive in this room, you are placed last in line to leave the room and your pictures are taken in order from there (because you’re foreign?). You have your picture taken and head to pay the ￥1,650 fee. As I approached this counter, last of course, I noticed two ladies handing out tissue packets and saying Congratulations to the Japanese people ahead of me after they paid their fee. I thought, how funny – but nice! When I turned around they were gone and my new Indian friend said, “I guess the foreigners don’t get any tissues”!! Now you wait again until they call your name (last again) and sign or give your name seal to them to receive your Japanese Driver’s License! Congratulations!! I arrived at the Driver’s License Center at 9:30am and left at 4pm. A long day, but worth it if you don’t have to go back soon! Good Luck!

Tips for getting a License in Japan – japanDriverslicense.com
Japanese Automobile Federation
The Driver’s License System in Japan – Japanese Police Department Website
Kobe Living Guide – Driver’s License Information (PDF File – You need Adobe Reader)