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| Japanese Driving Licenses If you are staying in Japan for more than a year you must get your home license converted into a Japanese one, in order to drive legally. International Driving Permits are valid for only one year and cannot be used after your first year in Japan. Residents from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Ireland are exempt from taking any exams associated with getting the license and need only produce the relevant documentation and pay the fees. Converting your Home Country Drivers License to a Japanese License To convert your home license to a Japanese license (OÆØÖ gaimen-kirikae) you must meet the following two conditions: 1. Your Current home country license must be valid (expired ones wonft be transferred). 2. You must have proof that you were in your home country for at least three months after your license was issued to you (meaning your license must show an issue date at least three months prior to your arrival in Japan). Translating Your License Before applying for a Japanese license, you must first have your home country license translated into Japanese. You do this at the Japan Automobile Federation office, in Wakabayashi-ku (Tel. 022-783-2820), or send your application by registered mail (»à¯ genkin kakitome). For a map of the office location, see: http://www.jaf.or.jp/e/list/tohoku.htm If mailing your application, send it to: JAF Miyagi 3-8-105 Oroshimachi, Wakabayashi-ku, Sendai-shi 984-0015 Take an enlarged colour photocopy of your home country license to the office, and an application form: http://www.jaf.or.jp/inter/image/apli.pdf The translation will cost Y3000. If you are applying by mail, you must also include a Y290 stamp to cover the postage of your translation. You should be able to have your license translated while you wait, if you go to the main office. Otherwise, it takes around 1-2 weeks to receive the translation by mail. Applying for a Japanese License Once you have this translation you must go to the Miygi-ken Driver Licensing Center ({é§^]ÆZ^[ miyagi-ken unten menkyo sentah): 65 Ichinazaka-aza-takakura, Izumi-ku (Tel. 022-373-3601) You will have to complete the procedures in Japanese, so you may want to bring a fluent friend with you. You must bring your home country driving license (plus JAF translation), passport, Alien Registration card, passport, and one photo (3.0cm x 2.4cm). If you have an IDP, you should bring it too. The application fee is Y5,250. You must submit an gApplication for License Substitutionh in person between 1pm and 1:30pm (Mon - Fri). You will be asked several questions about licensing procedures in your home country, such as: Did you have to take a driving test before receiving your license? When did you pass your test? Did you go to driving school/private lessons? How much did your lessons cost? How many hours was the course? Did you drive on a course (like Japan) or on city streets? Did you have to answer questions while you were driving? Was there a written test? What was the percentage you must answer correctly to pass? Donft stress about knowing the exact answers, I made a lot of mine up!! I think theyfre just trying to make sure you werenft handed your licence on a plate without proving your ability to drive. They will also go through your home licence and ask you to explain a lot of the details, for example: Automatic or manual transmission? Date of issue/expiry Name, address, etc. Place of issue What types of vehicle your licence qualifies you to drive, e.g. automobiles, motorcycles, minibuses, driving with a trailer etcc Depending on your home country, you may have to complete a written gRules of the Roadh test (license holders from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, or the UK donft have to take the test). They will announce when it is time for all applicants to do an eye test, then youfll be taken into another room nearby. The eye test is very easy. You look through a hole at a screen where you will see a gCh shape at various angles, e.g. C at 90, 180, 270, etc. You must tell them which direction the gap is in, i.e. up (ue), down (shita), left (hidari), right (migi). I was only asked about 3 times. If you donft know the Japanese, pointing should be just as effective. After your eye test, you must wait until they announce the time for photos to be taken. Join the queue and they will take a picture for your license (the one you had to bring is used for your application, not your license.) Eventually, they will announce that the licenses are all ready. Theyfll direct everyone to a room upstairs, where theyfll have a road safety video playing while you wait. Theyfll then announce the names one by one, you collect your license, and youfre finally finished! In some cases, you may have to complete the procedures on two separate visits; the first visit checks your license, etc. They may then contact after a week or so to say you are eligible for a license, at which point you return to complete the eye test, written test, etc. Renewing your Japanese Drivers License You should renew your driver's license before it expires. Renewal should be completed between one month prior to the expiration date and one month after. The period of validity of your driver's license is written on the driver's license. When you apply for your renewal, you should take your driver's license, renewal notice, and Y2,800 to Y3,800 for the renewal fee. (Sun. to Fri. 8:30- 9:30, 13:00-14:00) Changing Details on your Japanese Drivers License If you change your name or address, which is written on your driver's license, you must apply for alteration at@any police station in Miyagi prefecture or the Driver's Licensing Center. When you apply, you should take your driver's license and Alien Registration card. A photo (3~2.4cm) is also needed if changing your address from one prefecture to another. (Mon. to Fri. 8:30-11:30, 13:00-16:30) |
| US License holders must also take the Practical Driving Skills Test. Even if you are a perfectly good driver, itfs worth taking a couple of lessons before your test ? you will learn the gJapanese wayh of passing the test, such as the correct order to do everything in, etc. ALTs who havenft taken these lessons sometimes fail the test as many as five times before getting their license. A couple of lessons are cheaper in the long run. |