Japanese Driving license

[Mulboyne]

This local news report (Japanese) says that Hamamatsu in Shizuoka prefecture will employ the country's first foreign traffic safety instructor (交通安全教育指導員). Prefectural authorities say that foreigners are involved in proportionally more accidents than Japanese drivers which they put down to a lack of understanding of the differences in traffic regulations.

[GomiGirl]

Does anybody know if Chile is covered by the treaty for conversion of drivers licence?

A friend of mine is wanting to know and she has a Chilean issued licence and wants to convert it to Japanese one.

[Greji]

Does anybody know if Chile is covered by the treaty for conversion of drivers licence?

A friend of mine is wanting to know and she has a Chilean issued licence and wants to convert it to Japanese one.

One of the sites on J-licensing, lists this:

"....Japan has agreements with the following 22 countries that allow the holders of the drivers licenses issued in these countries to be exempt from the written and practical exams, so all you need to do is the paperwork :

Iceland, Ireland, UK, Italy, Austria, Australia, Netherlands, Canada, Korea, Greece, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Denmark, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, Finland, France, Belgium, Portugal, Luxemburg...."


I don't know how up to date that info is, but, it would look like she would have to do both the written and practical tests. What does she look like? I can be a very good instructor....

[omae mona]

I don't know how up to date that info is, but, it would look like she would have to do both the written and practical tests. What does she look like? I can be a very good instructor....

If she looks like a goat, tell her to watch out!!

I think Greji is right. Note that for her to qualify for the "gaimen kirikae" (foreign license conversion) process, she needs to have a license from Chile and prove that she was resident in Chile for at least 3 months while she had that license.

If Greji does not accept your friend into his exclusive training program, tell her to expect a long arduous process. I've heard that on average, applicants for conversion pass the driving test on their 3rd time. Each time takes a full day out of your life, more or less. I think the best way to pass the first time is to practice driving on narrow roads *and* find online information about the driving course (or alternatively, understand enough Japanese to understand everything the examiner is saying).

[ttjereth]

If she looks like a goat, tell her to watch out!!

I think Greji is right. Note that for her to qualify for the "gaimen kirikae" (foreign license conversion) process, she needs to have a license from Chile and prove that she was resident in Chile for at least 3 months while she had that license.

If Greji does not accept your friend into his exclusive training program, tell her to expect a long arduous process. I've heard that on average, applicants for conversion pass the driving test on their 3rd time. Each time takes a full day out of your life, more or less. I think the best way to pass the first time is to practice driving on narrow roads *and* find online information about the driving course (or alternatively, understand enough Japanese to understand everything the examiner is saying).

The best way to practice on the first try (and I know this will be unpopular) is to go to a driving school here.

Not the full wacko $3000US course that the Japanese take, but most schools will give you a 1 day 5000 yen license test primer and tell you exactly what the examiners are looking for, and exactly what areas you personally need to be careful of. You also take the receipt for the lesson with you when you take the test and give it to the instructor. They make note of it.

I've only know one person who got their license first time out and he did the one day driving school thing. I wasn't able to pass my test until I finally did the one day thing.

The test examiners don't tell you what you did wrong (unless you happen to get a really nice guy, good luck with that) and since I didn't make any mistakes (no bumping into anything, riding up on the curb, exceeding speed limits, etc.) I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong to fail.

Turns out in my case there were two things, which seemed pretty common overall with everyone I know who took the tests.

1. Checking the stupid mirrors. They expect you to check the mirrors so many times, each and every time you start, stop, turn, etc. it is ridiculous. Each and every time, right mirror, rear view, left mirror, right mirror again in that order. By the end of the test when I passed I had checked the mirrors more than 70 times...

2. When making left turns from the leftmost lane you have to practically ride up on the curb "to prevent bikes from trying to squeeze between you and the curb, potentially causing an accident".

This was by far the most counter intuitive thing for me.

[halfnip]

I've only know one person who got their license first time out and he did the one day driving school thing. I wasn't able to pass my test until I finally did the one day thing.

Make that two people. I was just down at Samezu for my Gaimen Kirikae and although I too expected to fail at least 3 times, yet once I finished the test the instructor shouted out "OK!", much to my surprise. Out of about 20 or so of us, only 3 passed. The other 2 people that passed were there for their 2 and 3rd time. One guy failed again after having been there 7 times and he didn't even make it through the full course. One of the funniest things was riding in the back seat with the person before you. This is a good chance to get a full look of the actual course and what the instructor looks for/criticizes during the test. However, the guy I was with was SOOO freakin' horrible that the instuctor stopped the test after about 2 minutes. This was after saying he had about 20 plus years experience driving in his "home" country.. Yikes--!

My advice:

-If you're taking the manual test, please understand that you're expected to know how to drive a manual shift. It is understandable to not be familiar with the car, as every clutch is different, but if you are a "jerky" driver, you can bet that you'll fail right there on the spot. I was told that if you stall 1-2 times, that's fine. But you should not be giving whiplash to your passengers, let alone when you're being tested on it.

-Every turn, coming out of a stop sign/signal and EVEN pulling out at the very beginning of the test---look at your rear view, both side mirrors and your blind spots.

-Before you get in the car, circle around the car and make sure there is nothing "under" the car. This sounds ridiculous, but just do it.

-Stay in the left lane AT ALL TIMES. The only time you should be in the right lane is when the instructor tells you to be (a right turn, etc.). You should be in the left lane throughout the test. If you veer toward the center white line or veer off in to the right lane, you will be failed right on the spot.

-Stay in 2nd gear throughout the test. The only time you should be in 3rd is when the instructor tells you to punch it to 45. After that, downshift and slow down before the curve. I found it difficult to get all the way up to 45, as it is a small straightaway, but don't force it. Coming in to the straightaway (coming off the curve), you should be in 2nd. Just punch it, shift smoothly in to 3rd and hit past 40. Downshift from there and you should be fine...

-Coming around the first main curve there will be a few cones in the left lane. Signal right, go in to the right lane, then signal left and get back in to the left lane. Again, turning signals and always being in the left lane comes in to play here.

-Don't EVER cross the white solid line at a stop sign/signal. Do not be too far from it either. You should be able to see the line just before your bumper. If you do this, you will be failed right there...

-The L and S. If you make it this far, you are in good shape. Again, take it slow. Turning in to the S you should be in 1st. It is a 1 way street type of situation, so get in the middle of the lane and TAKE IT SLOW. If you get too close to the curb, stop and reverse. You are not penalized for this, just don't do it 3-4 times. If you go up the curb, you're done, so take it slow. It's not too narrow, so don't freak out. Again, coming out of the L, you'll have to make a left, so hit your signal again and wait at the stop light. After this, you're pretty much done. So relax and DON'T FORGET TO SIGNAL when turning back in to the ending point..

That's pretty much it. When getting in to the car, of course fasten your seat belt, adjust the mirrors an do not turn on the engine until he tells you to. Take it slow and drive like you normally would with the exception of being extremely cautious. Don't be robotic, as they can smell that and will attempt to criticize, just drive naturally.. The instructor will be talking most likely throughout the course, so although it may be annoying, listen to what INSTRUCTIONS he gives and say "hai" to everything. He'll tell you where to turn, stop, etc.

If you want more details on this, let me know, as it is still fresh in my mind.. The waiting/paperwork part is as stated. A complete waste of a whole day. I spent nearly 5 hours there the 2nd time and 3 hours there the 1st (registering for the test, etc.).

[ttjereth]

Make that two people. ]
Congrats. Unfortunately, this means you now have to drive alongside the people who think these methods are correct

-Every turn, coming out of a stop sign/signal and EVEN pulling out at the very beginning of the test---look at your rear view, both side mirrors and your blind spots.

Yep. I mentioned this above briefly, but this was the main reason I kept failing because they take off points for each and every time you fail to check a mirror. Not just, didn't check the mirrors when I stopped that time, minus points but minus # points for not checking left mirror, minus # points for not checking rear view, minus # points for not checking right mirror x each and every time you forget to do it. You fail the test after not checking the mirrors two or three times, and unless you are a really terrible driver, most of the examiners don't tell you when you have failed. They wait until the end of the exam, then tell you that you failed and don't tell you why.

-Before you get in the car, circle around the car and make sure there is nothing "under" the car. This sounds ridiculous, but just do it.

I forgot about that! Also fasten your seatbelt and ensure that everyone else in the car has done so (including the next/previous examinee in the back seat).

[GomiGirl]

I think Greji is right. Note that for her to qualify for the "gaimen kirikae" (foreign license conversion) process, she needs to have a license from Chile and prove that she was resident in Chile for at least 3 months while she had that license.

Yep she has all the right forms with her. Valid current licence and a full driving record from when she first received her licence at the age of 18. She is now in her 40's and has PR and speaks Japanese fluently.

It was just that in all of the sites I looked at it just gave an example of the countries covered by the treaty and not a full list. eg Canada, UK, Australia etc.

Thanks Greji for the full list. She may have to do the test. What she didn't want to do is start from scratch and spend a fortune in driving lessons.

I will send her all the comments you have all posted. Thanks guys!!

[Greji]

Thanks Greji for the full list. She may have to do the test. What she didn't want to do is start from scratch and spend a fortune in driving lessons.

Gomi, I have no way of knowing if that list has changed recently. Most embassies have the latest info. I don't think Chile is on-line, but you might advise her to give the embassy a call as they are expected to have information available on what to do for their citizens.

BTW, they got a lot of goats in Chile, don't they?

[Mulboyne]

A rant:

[omae mona]

A rant:

I almost turned this off after the first minute because she was whining about the most trivial things (e.g. "too many signs in the building", "I had to fill out forms!"). But soon the video turns to a describing her "interrogation". This fascinated me. They brought her to a special room and asked minute details about her driving history, as if they thought her U.S. license was a forgery. If she's not exaggerating, it's rather amazing.

I've never heard of this type of interrogation during the "gaimen kirikae" process to switch over from a foreign license. Has anybody else? Is this an inaka thing?

[Sentakki Fried Chicken]

Never went through anything like that...just filled the forms in and that was it. I only had a three-year probabationary license back home when I changed, but got a full license that also let me ride minibikes here (need separate licenses for cars and bikes back home), so I remember I was really happy!

[FG Lurker]

[Gilligan]

I've never heard of this type of interrogation during the "gaimen kirikae" process to switch over from a foreign license. Has anybody else? Is this an inaka thing?

IIRC, not too long ago, Kusaijiji had to go through a similar interrogation. And he's Australian.

But when I changed my American license over about 8 or 9 years ago I didn't have to go through any of that--just take a pathetically easy multiple choice computer test and then a driving test about a month later. I passed the driving test without much difficulty, but there were a lot southeast Asians there complaining that they'd failed the test 6 or 7 times.

As for her comments about the rules for Americans and other gaijin being different, as far as that's true (and I have no idea whether or not it is) I imagine it has more to do with the US not wanting to (or being able to, since all states have different laws--even for people switching licenses from one staet to another) reciprocate than anything else.

[omae mona]

[kusai Jijii]

[FG Lurker]

[wuchan]

She seems like a sheltered upper-middle class whiny white kid. OMG, HOW DARE THEY ASK QUESTIONS!!! WTF, did she just think that she could just walk in and show her USA lic and get a japanese one? If you get a transcript from home and then get it translated by JAF they will not ask too many questions. Mine was easy. Filed the papers, took the tests, and got a lic. Would have been nice to skip the tests but I can see their reasoning.

Example: My friend has a CT lic. He lost the right to drive in RI over some ticket dispute which he refuses to pay. We get pulled over in MA and the cop tells him that he can't drive in MA because if the RI thing(I end up driving). A while later I am in the car with him in CT and remember the incident up in MA. Apparently since the ban he has renewed his CT lic, been pulled over in CT, NJ and a few other places and never had a problem again.
Not all the states are hooked into the national database so if you have a lic from one of these places you can get a clean transcript while having outstanding tickets in other states.

[IkemenTommy]

I couldn't stand her f-bombs so I had to stop it 2 minutes into the video. I know the frustration she must have gone through with all the runarounds at the menkyojo. Getting your license converted is a pain in the ass but you just need some gaman and deal with it. Maybe if she had the chance to read FG and this thread beforehand, her processing could have been more smooth sailing.

[kusai Jijii]

I cetainly agree with Wuchan & Tommy that the chick in the video was a whiney pain in the arse, and i also agreethat in Japan, a little gaman, patience, and good will gets you a long way.

But I dont think her right to complain is without merit. The gaimen kirikae system is based on mutual bilateral agreements between Japan and several other countries. As such, provided that the applicant has a valid licence from one of those countries, has a certified translation from JAF, pays the required fees, takes an eye test, I actually don't see how the Japanese authorities need to ask irrelivent questions in an 'inteview' so that they can 'decide' wheter or not to grant a licence. its either a binding bilateral system that japan wishes to participate in, or it aint. If Japanese are able to transfer their licences over in participating countries without all this shit, why does it have to be so hard in Japan? As I said in a previous post, I've done gaimen kirikae twice, and in both instances, the questions they asked me were, on the whole, idiotic.

[Adhesive]

If Japanese are able to transfer their licences over in participating countries without all this shit, why does it have to be so hard in Japan?

Good point, I wonder what the terms of the agreements actually are, and how much discretion each member country has in honoring it.

[wuchan]

. If Japanese are able to transfer their licences over in participating countries without all this shit, why does it have to be so hard in Japan? As I said in a previous post, I've done gaimen kirikae twice, and in both instances, the questions they asked me were, on the whole, idiotic.

In the US, well at least MA, a j-national has to take the standard test like everyone else. But it is a four hour or less ordeal. walk in, pay, eye test, written, driving, photo and poof you have a lic.

[Taro Toporific]

In the US, well at least MA, a j-national has ... a four hour or less ordeal. walk in, pay, eye test, written, driving, photo and poof you have a lic.

While most foreign license takers are poofters, in the states of Illinois, Texas, and Colorado all a foreigner has to do is walk in, take the eye test, pass a 20 question who-is-buried-in-Grant's-tomb written test in JAPANESE or a dozen other foreign languages, pay $15-20, and they get a license.

^^^^^^^^^^^
My Japanese brother-in-law lost his Japanese license because of too many parking tickets in Shikoku, so I sent him on a 5-day vacation to Houston Texas to get a Texas license from which he obtained an International driver's license valid for 6 months in Japan (that International driver's license loophole closed a few years ago).

[Mulboyne]

In the UK, a Japanese licence holder has to do much the same as I would have to do in Japan. They need to obtain a translation of their licence from the Japanese embassy, and then send the relevant application off by post. They are also supposed to surrender their domestic licence in order to get a UK licence.

[omae mona]

They are also supposed to surrender their domestic licence in order to get a UK licence.

Now that is a serious pain in the arse. I'd be irritated if Japan made me give up my US license, because I drive almost equal amounts in both countries. I'd hate to have to continually get IDPs from Japan and drive around in my own country with one. In fact, I'm not sure the police back home would be pleased if they pulled over a U.S. citizen driving with an IDP.

Overall, I have had no complaints about the gaimen kirikae process, even including the driving test for Americans. But if I had this bizarre interrogation like the video blogger and kusai jijii, I don't think I would have been very happy about it.

If I recall, the police department's web pages are very clear about what documents are required to prove the validity of your foreign license & the length of your driving experience. If you properly prepare these documents, it doesn't seem very nice for them to hold an inquisition to dig deeper. Kusai jijii, just out of curiosity - I know it's a stretch - but is it possible you didn't have adequate supporting paperwork? I wonder if the interrogation was a way for them to be helpful and get enough information to grant your license, as opposed to sending you home to try again with the right paperwork.

Before moving to Japan, I had recently switched states in the U.S. and had a fresh driver's license, so the license itself provided no evidence I had more than a few months' driving experience. I brought other supporting paperwork (e.g. past car insurance payments and renewal notices from DMV in the past) to show my long history of driving, and they were quite interested in it, asking me to explain each document. Without it, I would not have been allowed to do gaimen kirikae by the books.

[Gilligan]

Now that is a serious pain in the arse. I'd be irritated if Japan made me give up my US license, because I drive almost equal amounts in both countries. I'd hate to have to continually get IDPs from Japan and drive around in my own country with one. In fact, I'm not sure the police back home would be pleased if they pulled over a U.S. citizen driving with an IDP.

While I've never been pulled over in the US, I always use an international license issued from Japan when I go back (just got a new one Monday). But I only go back to the States once or twice a year for a week at a time and have no official residence there any more. I've never had a problem renting a car, though.

Overall, I have had no complaints about the gaimen kirikae process, even including the driving test for Americans. But if I had this bizarre interrogation like the video blogger and kusai jijii, I don't think I would have been very happy about it.

... Kusai jijii, just out of curiosity - I know it's a stretch - but is it possible you didn't have adequate supporting paperwork? I wonder if the interrogation was a way for them to be helpful and get enough information to grant your license, as opposed to sending you home to try again with the right paperwork.

I suspect they just saw who it was and figured they ought to do their best to keep him off the raods ]Before moving to Japan, I had recently switched states in the U.S. and had a fresh driver's license, so the license itself provided no evidence I had more than a few months' driving experience. I brought other supporting paperwork (e.g. past car insurance payments and renewal notices from DMV in the past) to show my long history of driving, and they were quite interested in it, asking me to explain each document. Without it, I would not have been allowed to do gaimen kirikae by the books.[/QUOTE]

I'm curious as to how much a difference it makes where you go and who happens to be in charge that day. When I switched my license (in Tokyo), like I said, I had no problems at all. But when I moved to Kyoto a year or two later, I heard horror stories from gaijin who tried to switch their licenses. Another reason I think this is when you go to get an international drivers license in Kyoto, after you hand your paperwork in, they tell you it will take an hour to process everything--and an hour later they'll call your name and give you your license. Monday when I got my international drivers license in Nagoya, the ENTIRE process from the time I paid the fee and got the form until the time I actually received the license was 20 minutes.

[FG Lurker]

Now that is a serious pain in the arse. I'd be irritated if Japan made me give up my US license, because I drive almost equal amounts in both countries. I'd hate to have to continually get IDPs from Japan and drive around in my own country with one. In fact, I'm not sure the police back home would be pleased if they pulled over a U.S. citizen driving with an IDP.

The way the system is set up between Japan and Canada I can (actually must) drive in Canada on my Japanese drivers license when visiting, no IDP needed. Also if I move back to Canada I can take my Japanese license in and swap it for a Canadian license again, just like a Japanese national can do if they move to Canada. I believe other countries who are part of the "no test" kirikae system work the same way.

[Greji]

One of the major problems with changing a license from the US to Japanese, is that the US does not have a National Driver's License and issues them by state. Therefore with each state having a different DMV Code, there is not standard that can be used for a treaty agreement with Japan. Individuals from countries that do have these agreements, mostly based on the national drivers license, can exchange their license for a Japanese license in most cases without any test.

As for expiration, if your license expires while you are out of country, in a lot of cases, you can still do a straight forward renewal by just presenting your passport showing the dates of embarkation and return. Obviously, there are exceptions as in Ji's case and without knowing the circumstance in more detail I couldn't comment. But, as we all know, it doesn't take much of a deviation in paperwork to launch the J-bureaucrats into orbit. But as far as the US chick in the video, I'm at a loss at what her "actual" problem was.

[IkemenTommy]

They are also supposed to surrender their domestic licence in order to get a UK licence.

I can see the rationale behind that..

Gilligan kind of touched this matter too in his post, but I always wondered what would happen if you get a speeding or a parking ticket while driving a rental car (in say.. the US) with an international license for your Japanese license. I doubt they can do anything because once you are back in Japan, it's out of their jurisdiction. Is this loophole still open or did they finally figured this scheme out to close it?

[FG Lurker]

One of the major problems with changing a license from the US to Japanese, is that the US does not have a National Driver's License and issues them by state. Therefore with each state having a different DMV Code, there is not standard that can be used for a treaty agreement with Japan. Individuals from countries that do have these agreements, mostly based on the national drivers license, can exchange their license for a Japanese license in most cases without any test.

Canadian licenses are issued by province, there is no national license in Canada or national licensing standards.

Admittedly there are 50 different US licenses and only 13 different Canadian ones, but I think there must be some other reason the US hasn't entered into this agreement system that many countries have. States-rights issues? Possibly lack of data sharing between states as someone mentioned above, making it possible for one person to have separate licenses in multiple states?