Before moving to Tokyo, Scott and I went to AAA and bought ourselves each an International Driver's license. This license is good for 1 year, and allows you to drive in Japan just like you would in the States (no training required!). After 1 year, you need to get a Japanese driver's license, or you may no longer drive in Japan. Most other countries (or so it seems) have an agreement with Japan to just go to the Driving Center, fill out some paperwork, pay a fee and there you go- you have your Japanese driver's license. However, because the license process is the States is State mandated, and not U.S. Government mandated, Japan has not signed such an agreement with the U.S.
This summer, we found out that the license center in Samezu, which is where the majority, if not all, Gaijen take their tests, is being torn down. Originally, it was supposed to be in July, then got pushed to end of October, and now, it is in December...so we had to get on it PRONTO (even though our International license's were good until January). The largest reason being that there is a TON of documentation on the actual course, how to drive it, when to put your blinker on, how fast to go, etc...you see, the entire test is in Japanese, so if you don't understand Japanese, you will not know where the instructor is telling you to go! We did not want to end up at a license center outside the city, where less English is spoken, and there is no help on the course.
Step 1- Foreign License Translation
Obtaining a license here in Japan is NO easy feat. There are three steps- getting your foreign license translated into Japanese, taking a written test/eye test (thankfully in English), and then taking the actual driving test on a test course (In Japanese). Our relocation company took our licenses and got them translated for us. Luckily, we had them to help us with this- most people have NO ONE, and therefore, spend hours running around Tokyo getting this done. The other thing is that you must have proof that you drove in your previous country for 3 months in a row (you didn't just get a license, and never use it). So, even if your license was obtained in 1995, you have to have proof that you actually lived in the country and used it....we had to get the Michigan Department of Motor Vehicles to send a letter to the Japanese government giving a history of our driving record. We also had to have transcripts from Michigan Tech University stating the years we attended (so that they coincided with a 3 month period of having a valid license). We finally had to show a few utility bills during this time period as well. Our relocation coordinator, Miki, was SO VERY worried that this would not be enough proof, but it turned out to be enough to please the Japanese License official just fine, and we were cleared to be able to APPLY for a Japanese license. Crazy, no?
Step 2- The Written Test/Eye Test
We made an appointment with the Driving center to come down and take the written test, and then the eye test. We arrived at 8:30am. Even though you make your appointment for a particular time, that doesn't mean you actually go in, take your test/exam and then leave. You have to stand in one line to put the application in, they you sit down and wait...then they call you back up and they talk (in Japanese to Miki) for a bit, then you sit back down again. Then they call you up to go into the room to take your test. Luckily, we also had a TON of example tests from others who had completed the process and created sites on how to successfully take your driver's test. Scott and I passed without any issues, as most of the questions were ones we had seen in the examples. We then had to go back out to the waiting area and sit...then they called us back up, gave us whatever info we needed to go get the eye test done. We proceeded to have to go downstairs and stand in line for the eye test. This portion was unbelievably easy- what color is the ball- yellow, blue or red, etc. Not tough at all. From there we had to go back upstairs to sit and wait until they called us to come up and get the paperwork needed to go back downstairs and schedule the driving test....aaahhhh...so very Japanese!! (By that, I mean, very slow and methodical- not good or bad, just not like it is at home!) It took us until after lunch to get done doing the (literally) 10 minute written test and 2 minute vision test!!
Step 3- Driving test
This is the toughest part of the entire Japanese Driver's License process. The course is not super difficult- if you have driven in and around Tokyo at all prior to taking the test, you have encountered all the situations that appear within the course. There are cones (obstructions) that force you to change lanes (ooohhh...I know, sounds tough), stop lights, green arrows, really tight S curves, L curve with hanging bars (that you can't touch- automatic fail if you do), etc. However, the test is COMPLETELY in Japanese and they are SUPER picky about safety and doing things exactly how you should be doing it- checking all of your mirrors in an exaggerated fashion anytime you turn or change lanes, stopping behind the white line and not touching it, putting your blinkers on for the exact amount of time they feel is necessary, pumping your brakes and being done braking before entering any turns, not touching the diamonds or triangles painted in the middle of the road when you turn...a lot of things to think about. Not to mention, the entire time, the instructor is giving you instructions in Japanese on what you need to do next! If you do any of these things incorrectly, they deduct points- you have to have 70/100 points to pass. Things like grazing a curb, not putting on your seat belt, not coming to a full stop at a light or stop sign- all automatic failures...they don't even let you finish the course- they make you drive right back to the start. Keep in mind that here, we drive on the opposite side of the car, opposite side of the road, turn signal handle and windshield wiper are on opposite sides (so yes, when I first started driving, I would turn on my windshield wipers instead of my blinker!! Funny, eh!??). Everything is from a completely different angle and perspective. I would NEVER recommend anyone taking this test without driving around Tokyo first (I have seen some people do it- it is UGLY).
On our test day, it is in the high 80s, 100% humidity, and they have us in this little, non air conditioned room, as we listen to the instructor (in Japanese) explain the course and how you are supposed to drive it, things that are automatic failures, etc. for about 25 minutes. He also was VERY strict- got into an argument with one of the ladies about her shoes not being appropriate (they are very picky about what you wear and how you present yourself as well- they want to see that you are SERIOUS about getting your license), and told us that we better not hurt his brand new car (no smile came with this- our Relocation helper was like- oh no...). They assign you a number and that is the number in which you are to drive. I was number 14 out of 15- not cool. I had to sit almost the entire morning watching people drive, and getting more and more nervous. Scott was number 10, so he got to go a bit earlier than I. When the number before you is driving, you sit in the back seat while they drive, so you can see the actual course, which is about the only nice thing about the process. We watched as almost everyone failed before us. Scott got in and passed no problem- whizzed right through it. I, however, failed!! UUGGHH. It was not because I wasn't doing a good job overall- I grazed a curb on a left turn, which is an automatic failure (they also deduct if you do not move over to the left before turning, to cut off motorcycles- I moved over too far!). My instructor, who was so strict with everyone else, was SO nice to me. He even spoke to me in English at parts, which according to everyone else, he didn't do with them! When I grazed the curb, both of us went "ooohhh" at the same exact time. I felt so bad- not only did I let myself down, but this cute, young Japanese man was let down too!! He did, however, let me finish the L and S curve portion (which in all actuality, is the most difficult part!) before he made me drive back to the beginning. He then proceeded to tell Miki that if I hadn't grazed the curb, I would have passed- that I was doing great, and he had no doubts that I would pass it the second time! I was SO upset and very disappointed- the turn that I grazed the curb is the exact same type of turn that I make everyday out of our neighborhood to bring Hanna to school! I ended up coming home, and Scott had to stay until 3pm to wait to get his license. Out of 15 people, 6 passed.
I then had to reschedule to take the test again. Originally, I had scheduled to do it October 1. Then Miki informed me that if I do it before my birthday, the license will only be good until my birthday, 2012 (October 9), but if I wait until after my birthday, it will be good until my birthday 2013! When it expires, I will have to go down to the License center and listen to a 3 hour lecture, in Japanese, about the rules of the road, safety, etc...NO THANKS! Not that we plan to be here that long, but if by some chance we stay past June 2012, I will now not have to retake. I retook the test on October 18th, and was quite nervous about it. I had to repeat the same process (taking a cab at 7:30 to get to the license center by 8:15- if you are even a minute past 8:30, they will not allow you to take the test!), but luckily I was assigned to be the #3 driver- so if I failed, I could go home nearly right away, and if I passed, well, who cares- pressure was off and I would have to wait all day anyway! The instructor was a little bit more relaxed in the 30 minute presentation, but spoke no English to me at all. I ended up passing the second time without issue, and got my license at 1:30pm that day. There were only 5 people who passed- all women (that is completely unusual- most males pass on the first try, and most females don't- I chalk it up to nerves! Most of the repeats were on their 3rd and 4th time trying, so I didn't feel too bad!) Overall, they say that 80% of all Foreigners fail on their first attempt...crazy.
So, we now have Japanese Driver's license, and, unless we have some major driving issues, will not have to go to Samezu or any other license center again while we are here in Japan! YAHOOO!
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