Getting Your Japanese Driver’s License

[Initial D theme intensifies]

Picture this: you’re a new ALT fresh out of your home country and you find out you’ve been placed in Gunma. Gunma sounds lovely! It’s got mountains, lakes, shrines, and the 3^rd highest rate of car ownership in all of Japan. Oh, dear. Sounds like you’ll probably need to drive, and if you mean to stay for longer than a year, you’ll have to get a Japanese driver’s license. Now, this can seem intimidating at first. You may have already heard that Japan’s licensing process is complicated, outdated, steeped in bureaucracy, and downright arcane. While all of that may be true (editor’s note: very, very true…), this guide will hopefully make this process as smooth, easy, and painless as possible. Nobody should have to be turned away from the window after taking a whole afternoon of nenkyuu. We’ve broken this guide down into three easy sections: the basics, the window, and the test.

Part 1: The Basics

Before we get to the licensing, there are 2 questions you should ask yourself:

1. Do I need a license in the first place?

In most cases, if you want to stay longer than a year or didn’t get an IDP on your way out of your home country, the answer is likely yes. However, if you can bike or are one of the lucky few that can take the train or bus to work and have it be practical, and don’t mind not having access to a car, then you’re in luck! You can probably stop reading this and move on with your blessed life. Go get yourself sakura-flavored Starbucks with the time and money you’re saving, you monster. If you need a license like the rest of us then move on to the next question.

2. Need I suffer?

It’s a question one must ask themselves in daily life, but in this context, it refers to whether or not you have to take the practical driving exams. If you meet the following criteria, you can skip the tests. You must:

1. 1. Be from one of the following JET countries:

(The other non-JET countries that don’t require a practical exam are the Czech Republic, Greece, Iceland, Luxembourg, Monaco, and Portugal.)

1. Have a valid license from said country
2. Have lived there for at least three months after getting your license
3. Be 18 years old or over
4. Have a valid visa in Japan
5. Have a registered address in your city/municipality in Japan

If you meet all these criteria, great! You can stop reading this article after Part 2. Unfortunately, if you’re from anywhere else, or haven’t ever had a driver’s license, it means you will have to go through the stringent Japanese examination system. Read Parts 2 and 3 of this article:

Part 2: The Window

This section covers the finer points of the bureaucratic hurdles you will have to face. Follow these steps and you’ll have your very own driver’s license.

1. Call and make a reservation!!!

This is really important and we can’t stress it enough. You’ll need to call and make a reservation several weeks in advance to book a time. Unfortunately, it’s a bit of a balancing act, because you’ll usually only be able to reserve at least three or four weeks in advance, but at most only eight or nine. As a general rule, you can call and make a reservation for the next month without issue, any earlier or later and it may not work out.

2. Collect your documents:

You’ll need all of the following physical documents to transfer your license, and if you’re missing anything the staff are likely to turn you away and you’ll have to come back another time. That being said, copies can be made on-site at the copying machines on the second floor for some pocket change in the back by the vending machines. If you have a flash drive handy you also may be able to print off certain forgotten files. You’ll need:

1. A driver’s license from your home country (original and copy)
   • Your license MUST display the issue date – if your license only shows the expiration date, you’ll need a driving record to prove when you originally obtained the license, even if you’re from one of the lucky countries listed above.
   • The cranky policeman may ask for any previous licenses, too. It’s better to have copies of those handy if you have access to them and not need them than to try and find them again when you’re turned away.
2. Your passport (original and copy)
   • If you come from a country that uses stamps for entry and exit, you’ll need copies of those stamps too.
3. Official license translations from the JAF (costs ¥2000-3000)
   • Make sure you get this early. The translation could be available the next day or could take up to 3 weeks. You can also opt to have it mailed to you.
   • License Translation Form – English
4. Driving abstract/record (Americans only)
   • Obtainable through your state DMV. You can apply online or through the mail in most cases; the time to receive will vary by state.
5. A certificate of residence (original and copy) obtainable at your city hall for ¥300.
6. License-sized photo (3cm x 2.4cm) This can be taken at the photobooth of any supermarket or on-site at the traffic center for ¥800.
7. Zairyu card (original and copy)
8. IDP
9. Proof of 3+ month residence in your home country
   • Credit card statements are safest. 3+ consecutive monthly statements from the same card will work fine in most cases. Barring that, things that have also worked or supplemented statements include:
     • Consecutive monthly timesheets from work in your home country (including the address of your workplace)
     • Driving history sheets from your DMV or equivalent.
     • IRS residency record or equivalent.
10. ¥6000. This may be lower depending on the type of license you get. I got a medium-sized vehicle license (it includes pickups and moving vans) which is, unfortunately, the most expensive one.

3. Be there at 1 pm or be square

Bring a Japanese speaker for extra security – you can get turned away if your Japanese is not proficient enough to communicate. It’s a good idea to check out local associations in your area to see if volunteer translators are available.

4. Register, process paperwork, and wait in cycles

5. If everything works out, time to pay and take an eye exam

6. Take the written test if you have to (see Part 3)

7. Take the practical test if you have to (see Part 3)

8. Go downstairs for a reflex test:

As part of the reflex test, there is a depth perception test which can be particularly confusing at first blush. Essentially, you will be staring into a black bar moving back and forth between two lines, and you will have to determine when the three line up, either when coming forward, moving backward, or both. It can be hard to tell they are even moving on the first try, but remember to pay attention to the centerline as it appears to grow and shrink by moving closer or further away from you.

9. Wait for the staff to print your license:

For this section, you will join a group of other people all waiting on the main floor right outside the reflex test; simply wait for them to call your name.

10. You’re done!

If you’re lucky enough to skip the tests, then congratulations! That’s it, you can breathe a sigh of relief (and remember to be kind to those that do have to take the tests). You can skip right to the end.

Otherwise, here is what you need to know for the test:

Part 3: The Test

If you are from America or any other country not listed above, this is the part that everyone dreads. After completing the paperwork, you will take a 10-question written test about Japanese traffic law. This part is fairly easy and relies mainly on common sense. It is offered in English, so you don’t need to be too nervous about it.

The practical test, however, is the biggest hurdle in getting your license. In almost every case you will have to come to the traffic center multiple times before finally passing the practical exam.

The traffic center begins to check paperwork from 3 pm each day, so make sure you arrive by 2:50 pm to secure a place in line; the earlier you are, the faster you will go through the process. They will check that your paperwork is all in order, and then have you pay the test fee: ¥2550 each time. You will be given a number and sent to the testing location.

The practical test checks your ability to do what the instructors want rather than your actual driving ability, so you need to know how the test is conducted. GAJET has made a step-by-step guide, which you can find right here.

After completing the test, you will then go back to the main reception area to await your results. They announce all results together on a whiteboard, and your number will be written here if you have passed. If you have passed, the staff will tell you how and when you can complete the process. If you have failed, you will need to get in line to register for your next test date.

Driving Schools

Driving schools in Japan can be expensive, but they can also be very helpful in learning the particulars of the test. These are some of the larger ones in Gunma that may be worth a try.

Editor’s note: Some schools will let you practice for your drivers’ test, but only after you fail it and receive/request a recommendation from the Gunma Traffic Bureau that you need to practice. Each place has an entry fee of ¥5,400 plus another ¥5,400 per hour to practice with an instructor. Some schools may want you to buy training packages, so check before you enroll for anything. Bringing a Japanese speaker is highly recommended for your first visit.