Car and Driving License

How to obtain a Driving License in Japan   By Entering a Driving school   Converting your non-japanese license to Japanese license   Types of driver's license in Japan   What's different ?   By taking an exam   Address for test site(Guide on Shikenjo)

1.By Entering a Driving school

Obtain a license by entering a designated driving school and taking the lessons needed to acquire driving skills and accumulate driving knowledge. Most driving schools offer driving lessons and classes only in Japanese.

Enter a designated driving school

Please bring

(1) Your Alien Registration Card (copy of your resident card showing your permanent domicile, if you are a Japanese national) and your Japanese driver's license(if obtained).

(2) Your personal seal (signatures are also accepted).

(3) Necessary fee for registration.

IDs Required for Telephone connection: You can never have enough ID when you apply for something here in Japan so take EVERYTHING!! Your passport, your Alien Registration Card, your proof of residence, your signature, your hanko (stamp), your bank book, your driver's license, your birth mark, your Japanese friend! Many places even ask for your friend's ID too! You can argue with them about it or you can save yourself some time and just show it!

To obtain a regular motor vehicle license

Entry conditions

• Minimum age your age must be at least 17 years and 10 months (2 months before your 18th birthday).
• Must have passed the school's aptitude test (eyesight, hearing and color recognition). You can choose between the limited automatic-only license or the manual license. If you obtain the limited automatic-only license, you cannot drive manual-transmission vehicles.

To obtain a motorcycle license

Determine which type of motorcycle license to obtain.
The following types of motorcycle licenses are available in Japan.

Entry conditions

• Minimum age
  Middle-sized/small-sized motorcycle must be at least 15 years and 10 months old (2 months before your 16th birthday). Large-sized motorcycle must by at least 17 years and 10 months old (2 months before your 18th birthday).
• Must have passed the school’s aptitude test (eyesight, hearing and color recognition) and the preliminary test (pull a motorcycle up and others).
  You can choose between the limited automatic-only license or the manual license. If you obtain the limited automatic-only license, you cannot drive manual-transmission vehicles.

2.Receive a Diploma

Once you pass the graduation test, a diploma will be issued. The diploma is valid for one year from the date of issue.

3.Take your diploma and go to the test site

Take your diploma and go to the test site in the prefecture in which your certificate of alien registration is currently registered.

(1) Take the aptitude text Take the eyesight, color recognition and hearing tests. (2) Take the written driving knowledge examination Answer at least 90 out of 100 questions correctly (at least 90%) on the written driving knowledge examination (true-false test).

(This is not required if you already have another type of driver's license.)

You can take the written driving knowledge examination in English in the following 25 prefectures only.

1.Tokyo 2.Kanagawa 3.Saitama 4.Chiba 5.Hokkaido 6.Miyagi 7.Akita 8.Yamagata 9.Niigata 10.Aichi 11.Gifu 12.Shizuoka 13.Osaka 14.Hyogo 15.Kyoto 16.Shiga 17.Hiroshima 18.Tokushima 19.Fukuoka 20.Nagasaki 21.Kumamoto 22.Oita 23.Miyazaki 24.Kagoshima 25.Okinawa

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Converting your License

To change your valid foreign license to a Japanese license, you must go through the following formalities and tests.

Requirements

1. Your foreign license must be valid.
2. The duration of your stay in the foreign country where your license was issued must have been three months or longer.

Items you need to take with you

1. Certificate of alien registration (which you always carry with you)
2. Foreign license (official)
3. Certification of the date of acquisition of your foreign license and the term of validity (your foreign license will suffice if these are printed on it).
4. Your photograph taken within the past three months (W25 mm X H30 mm).
5. Passport
6. Certified translation of your foreign license (issued by an embassy or by the Japan Automobile Federation).

For inquires, contact the JAF (Tel: 03-6833-9100)
http://www.jaf.or.jp/e/image/english.pdf (information)
http://www.jaf.or.jp/e/list/kanto.htm (Address)

2-2-17, Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0014
(Translation fee ¥3,000)
7. Application fee ¥4,250

Confirmation Tests
The Public Safety Commission in the prefecture where you reside makes it a rule to confirm that there will be no problems if you drive in Japan. The following is the confirmation procedure:

1. Physical test: Eyesight (color recognition included) and hearing, etc.

2. Confirmation of knowledge:
a) Questions are asked regarding your driving record outside Japan.
b) Ten driving related questions are given (available in eight different languages). (You pass the test if seven out of the ten questions are answered correctly.)

3. Confirmation of skills: Driving skills are tested using an automatic or a manual transmission car.
(1) Passing the Skill Test for an automatic transmission car does not enable you to drive a manual car. To be able to drive both manual and automatic cars, you must pass the Manual Skill Test.
(2) The Skill Test costs ¥3,100 each time.
(3) The Skill Tests are given on a reservation basis. Therefore, you cannot take it on the day of application. The test will be given about two weeks after application.

Persons holding driver's licenses from the following countries are not required to take the confirmation test for driving skills.
1.Australia 2.Austria 3.Belgium 4.Canada 5.Finland 6.France 7.Germany 8.Greece 9.Iceland 10.Ireland 11.Italy 12.Luxembourg 13.Netherlands 14.New Zealand 15.Norway 16.Portugal 17.Spain 18.Sweden 19.Switzerland 20.Singapore 21.U.K. 22.Korea

Guide to Driver's License Offices (UNTEN MENKYO SHIKEN-JO)
You are advised to visit any of the following Driver's License Offices prior to application to check on the language in which you will take the test, the items you must bring with you for the test and at what time you will be accepted for the test.

Practice for taking the confirmation tests for changing a foreign driver's license to a Japanese one.

You can practice for the confirmation tests at Koyama Driving School.

Fee
Entrance fee ... ¥22,050
Driving skills practice ... (¥5,250 x 4 hours) ¥21,000
Total ... ¥43,050 (including tax)
In addition you will be required to have an ID card which costs ... ¥1,050.
At the time of application you must pay for 4 hours of practice time. Additional hours are ¥5,250 each. You can practice, but a diploma will not be issued.
You are required to take the confirmation tests.

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Types of driver's license in Japan

There are three types of driver's licenses in Japan, as follows

1.Class one driver's license

Class one driver's license is a license to drive motor vehicles or mopeds. The different types of class one drive's licenses are as follow.

A training vehicle : BMW used on highways.

A training vehicle : The Impreza wagon

2.Class two driver's license

Class two driver’s license is required to drive motor vehicles to transport passengers or to operate a duly designated driver service. The different types of class two driver’ licenses are as follow.

Middle motor vehicle

Class two middle motor vehicle

Special heavy equipment

3.Learner driver's permit

A learner driver’s permit is required for people practicing in order to practice to acquire a class one driver’s license for a middle motor vehicle or a regular motor vehicle, as well as for people need to drive a middle or regular motor vehicle while taking a driver’s license examination for a middle or regular motor vehicle.

When people who have been issued a learner driver’s permit intend to practice driving a middle or regular motor vehicle, they must be accompanied by a person who has held a class one driver’s license for more than three years, a person who has a class two driver’s license or an instructor at a designated driving school. The person must sit on the front passenger seat next to the driver.

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What's different?

One of the differences between obtaining a license by taking the examinations at a driver's license test site and obtaining a license by entering a designated driving school is that you are exempt from taking the driving skills examination if you have a diploma issued by a designated driving school.

The driving skills examination given at the driver's license test site is very difficult to pass, and the success rate is very low. More than 90% of Japanese driver's license holders are graduates of designated driving schools.

Each person must take the written driving knowledge examination regardless of whether or not that individual graduated from a designated driving school.

The most important difference is that if you enter a designated driving school, you have an opportunity to acquire the skills and accumulate the knowledge necessary to drive a car safely in Japan.

Although a fee is required to attend a designated driving school, the fee is not high if you consider the value of learning to drive safely in Japan.

By taking an exam

Obtain a license by passing a written driving knowledge test and a driving skills test at a test site.

You can take the examination at a test site in the prefecture in which your certificate of alien registration is currently registered. However, you can take the written driving knowledge examination in English in the following prefectures only.

1.Tokyo 2.Kanagawa 3.Saitama 4.Chiba 5.Hokkaido 6.Miyagi 7.Akita 8.Yamagata 9.Niigata 10.Aichi 11.Gifu 12.Shizuoka 13.Osaka 14.Hyogo 15.Kyoto 16. Shiga 17.Hiroshima 18.Tokushima 19.Fukuoka 20.Nagasaki 21.Kumamoto 22.Oita 23.Miyazaki 24.Kagoshima 25.Okinawa

In prefectures other than those above, examinations are given in Japanese only.

To obtain a regular motor vehicle license

1. Take the aptitude test

(a) Eyesight ... 0.3 or better in each eye, and 0.7 or better for both eyes

(b) Color recognition ... Able to recognize red, green and yellow

(c) Hearing ability ... Able to hear ordinary conversation

2. Obtain a learner driver's permit

(a) Answer at least 45 out of 50 questions correctly (at least 90%) on the written driving knowledge examination (true-false test). (This is not required if you already have another type of driver's license.)

(b) Take the driving skills test at a course set up at the test site.

3. Practice using a learner driver's permit

(a) Practice driving for 10 hours in at least five days within a three-month period

(b) During your practice sessions, you must be accompanied by a person who held a class one driver's license for more than three years, a person who has a class two driver's license or an instructor at a designated driving school. This person must be present in the front passenger seat next to you.

4. Take the licensing examination

(a) Answer at least 90 out of 100 questions correctly (at least 90%) on the written driving knowledge examination (true-false test). (this is not required if you already have another type of driver's license.)

(b) Take the driving skills test out on an ordinary street.

To obtain a motorcycle license

1. Take the aptitude test

(a) Eyesight ... 0.3 or better in each eye, and 0.7 or better for both eyes

(b) Color recognition ... Able to recognize red, green and yellow

(c) Hearing ability ... Able to hear ordinary conversation

2. Take the license examination

(a) Answer at least 90 out of 100 questions correctly (at least 90%) on the written driving knowledge examination (true-false test). (This is not required if you already have another type of driver's license.)

(b) Take the driving skills test.

Designated driving schools will not allow you to practice driving regular motor vehicles or motorcycles for the purpose of obtaining a license the above method.

However, you can practice at unauthorized driving schools.

Designated driving schools

Driving schools that have been authorized by the Public Safety Commission in each prefecture. If your have a diploma issued by a designated driving school, your are exempt from taking the driving skills examination at the test site in Japan. * A diploma will not be issued in "Paper Driver's Course" given for people interding to convert their foreign license to a Japanese one.

Unauthorized driving schools

Driving schools designed as places where you can practice driving ordinary vehicles or two-wheel vehicles. They do not issue diplomas.

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Guide on Shikenjo (test site)

Tokyo

• Fuchuu Unten Menkyo Shiken-jo
  3-1-1, Tamacho Fuchu-shi, Tokyo.
  TEL 042-362-3591
  (Take a bus boud for Shiken-jo Seimon from Musashikoganei Station (north exit) on the JR Chuo Line, or take a bus from Tamareien Station on the Keio Line.)
  
  
• Samezu Unten Menkyo Shiken-jo
  1-12-15, Higashi-Ohi, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo.
  TEL 03-3474-1374
  (7 minutes walk from Keihin Kyuko Line Samezu Station Take the metropolitan bus bound for "Ohi Keibajo" from JR Shinagawa Station (in front of Wing East) and get off at "Shikenjo Mae".)
  
  
• Koto Unten Menkyo Shiken-jo
  1-7-24, Shinsuna, Koto-ku, Tokyo.
  TEL 03-3699-1511
  (5 minutes walk from Tozai Line (subway) Toyocho Station. 30 minutes by the metropolitan bus bound for "Monzennakacho Station" from JR Kinshicho Station and get off at "Shikenjo Mae".

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Kanagawa

• Futamatagawa Unten Menkyo Shiken-jo
  2-3-1, Nakao, Asahi-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa.
  TEL 045-365-3111
  (15 minutes walk from Sagami Railway Futamatagawa Station or take Sotetsu bus and get off at "Shikenjo Mae".)
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Chiba

• Chiba Menkyo Center
  2-1, Hamada, Mihama-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba.
  TEL 043-274-2000 Telephone guide 043-274-0111
  (5 minutes by Keisei bus bound for "Makuhari Hongo Station" from JR Keiyo Line Keihin Makuhari Station. 10 minutes by Keisei bus from JR Sobu Line or Keisei Line Makuhari Hongo Station. Get off at "Menkyo Center Mae".)
• Nagareyama Menkyo Center
  217, Maegasaki, Nagareyama-shi, Chiba.
  TEL 047-147-2000 Telephone guide 047-144-0111
  (25minutes by bus bound for "Menkyo Center" from JR Joban Line or Tobu Noda Line Kashiwa Station, west exit.)

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Saitama

• Saitama Menkyo Center
  405-4, Oaza Kounosu, Kounosu-shi, Saitama.
  TEL 048-543-2001
  (25 minutes walk from JR Takasaki Line Konosu Station. 10 minutes by Tobu bus bound for "Menkyo center" from the east exit and get off at "Menkyo Center Mae".)

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