Japanese License

[Taka-Okami]

I have a Japanese license that will expire on the 28th of feb next year. I am visting japan fron end of Dec 2005 to early Jan. I know I can renew it, but I need a gaijin card to do it I think. The problem is that my gaijin card expired about 2 years ago, and my spouse visa will expire in August ( along with my re-entry VISA, so I dont think there is a way to have a valid gaijin card to be able to use to renew my license. Is it possible to renew my license?

[maraboutslim]

Is there any reason you need to renew it? If it were me, I'd just let it expire and get a new one if/when I ever lived in Japan again. But for what it's worth: They make exceptions for the usual rule of having to renew it within six month of expiration for people who have been out of the country. But I'd just forget about it. You don't need a Japanese license to drive a car in Japan anyway (if you have a license in your home country).

[dimwit]

I don't really understand the problem. If you have a spousal visa that I assume is for three years than your old gaijin card will still be valid since they only have to be restamped when your visa status comes up for renewal.

[Taka-Okami]

The problem is my spouse visa will expire in August this year. Since I dont live in Japan anymore I can't get it renewed. Therefore they wont issue me with a gaijin card coz I'll be travelling on a tourist visa. Since I don't have a gaijin card I believe they won't issue me with a new license. I'm up for a GOLD license, so I think it's worth having because I'll be going back to the land-of-J within a few years to live.

[dimwit]

[Ketou]

If the license has not expired and you are merely renewing it then do you really need to show your alien card? I know for Japanese it's just a matter of bringing the hagaki that they send out to you 1 month prior to expiry. Renewal time is from 1 month before until one month after the expiry date.
My license comes up for renewal in Sept so I'm not exactly sure for us Ketous....but you might get away with just the hagaki.

[Samurai_Jerk]

I need to renew my license this year. I know which date it's supposed to be done by (one month from my birthday) but how early can it be done? Does it have to be done after my birthday?

[wagyl]

Zombie thread is hungry for brains, but....

According to Saitama police, the period is a total of two months, one before, and one after your birthday.

Further, relating to other points further up this thread, Tokyo police say that foreign folk may be asked to produce their Gaijin Cards.

[omae mona]

I need to renew my license this year. I know which date it's supposed to be done by (one month from my birthday) but how early can it be done? Does it have to be done after my birthday?

Assuming you've kept your address on file up to date, you should get a postcard telling you the exact date range, and you are supposed to bring this postcard with you when you renew.

One time, shortly after I received my postcard, I suddenly found myself with some unplanned spare time on the weekend. So I figured I would use my time to get the license renewal done. The man at the front desk kindly pointed out that the start date for my renewal period was the next day, which somehow I had failed to bother reading or comparing with my calendar. I had to go home and come back the next day. So they seem to be pretty strict about it. Don't be an idiot like me.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Assuming you've kept your address on file up to date, you should get a postcard telling you the exact date range, and you are supposed to bring this postcard with you when you renew.

One time, shortly after I received my postcard, I suddenly found myself with some unplanned spare time on the weekend. So I figured I would use my time to get the license renewal done. The man at the front desk kindly pointed out that the start date for my renewal period was the next day, which somehow I had failed to bother reading or comparing with my calendar. I had to go home and come back the next day. So they seem to be pretty strict about it. Don't be an idiot like me.

I never updated my address and it's been 2 years since I moved so I doubt I'll get the card.

[BigInJapan]

Further, relating to other points further up this thread, Tokyo police say that foreign folk may be asked to produce their Gaijin Cards.

I renewed my license last month, and I did not have to show my ARC (I do have a "gold" license, but I that's irrelevant AFAIK).

On the above metro police page, it says that foreigners are required by law to carry their ARC at all times, and lower down it says that when getting a driver's license for the first time, a resident card and the ARC must be presented.

[omae mona]

[Greji]

Assuming you've kept your address on file up to date, you should get a postcard telling you the exact date range, and you are supposed to bring this postcard with you when you renew.

One time, shortly after I received my postcard, I suddenly found myself with some unplanned spare time on the weekend. So I figured I would use my time to get the license renewal done. The man at the front desk kindly pointed out that the start date for my renewal period was the next day, which somehow I had failed to bother reading or comparing with my calendar. I had to go home and come back the next day. So they seem to be pretty strict about it. Don't be an idiot like me.

They use to only send the postcard to those with violations, or accidents. I didn't know it had changed as having max allowable points each time, I always get a personal note to remind me for mine. I suppose they're surprised I still have a license....

BTW I just took my last freebie license renewal on the 10th of this month (I have to take the old codger's driving test in a car from the next time) and they did ask to see my ARC. It seems to me that they asked for it on the previous time as well. They did this at the first station after the eye test when the guy punches the hole in your old license to invalidate it and gives it back to you (This was at the Koganei Center in Fuchu).

[Samurai_Jerk]

[gaijinpunch]

So here's a kick in the balls:

Both of my license(s) (Hawaii & Texas) expired. I will have to take the written and practical tests for both of them again, which I could do at some point, but I have no business there other than vacation for the foreseeable future.

Clearly, I know how to drive. So fuck no, I'm not paying 40-man to go to doraibingu school. Can you take the written & practical tests without going through the education system? What are the chances of passing? Is it like the Oogata motor bike test where they fail you 10 times?

[Coligny]

Clearly, I know how to drive. So fuck no, I'm not paying 40-man to go to doraibingu school. Can you take the written & practical tests without going through the education system? What are the chances of passing? Is it like the Oogata motor bike test where they fail you 10 times?

Answer for Aichi/Toyokawa:

You can take both tests on your own.

For the written test. The driving school give you a book not to study the rules of the road but to study what answer they want to hear. It's more a linguistic test than anything else... Which make it annoying considering the clusterfuck the j-language is. English version is also quite... traumatised... Expect triple negative sentence with backflip loops... quite close to ice skating.

For the practical test... if you go to a driving school you pass it there... and unless you set the car on fire they are quite in a hurry to get rid of you. (I passed my manual gearbox upgrade like this... And while I can certainly be on the top 3 here to take appart and rebuilt a synchromesh gearbox overnight... Driving in traffic condition might not go all too well).

If you pass it on your own with the PoPo... It might be more difficult. I failed once for a stupid mistake (by japanese standards... Had to park on the side of the road, the railguard was too close to the left side mirror... So for them, risking to scratch the paint on a side mirror was a reason to fail me as it forced the instructor to pull the brakes to stop the car). But got it the next time, my trick is to drive like an english cop on this video (minus th3 g4y accent)

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Enumarating all the procedures... (relatives to road and traffic laws). Still doing it most of the time (in my head)... Helps a lot with me ADD... But aside from insulting the useless bitch from the GPS, don't allow for much conversation...

[gaijinpunch]

A LONG time ago I wanted a motorbike license, and I took the written test. I counted one sentence with a quadruple negative. No joke. I will probably opt for the nihongo version next time.

Anyway, might go give it a shot. I don't want to have to go all the way out to Samezu more than twice though and I probably will.

[Mock Cockpit]

. But got it the next time, my trick is to drive like an english cop on this video (minus th3 g4y accent)

Enumarating all the procedures... (relatives to road and traffic laws). Still doing it most of the time (in my head)... Helps a lot with me ADD... But aside from insulting the useless bitch from the GPS, don't allow for much conversation...

Cool video, made the old sphincter pucker in a few places. First rule of driving in London- get the fuck out of the way of emergency vehicles and the bigger the emergency vehicle the faster you better get the fuck outta their way