Driving in Japan
June 20, 2017
When we first moved here we
quickly realized that we needed a car. Although we live one minute away from a train station, the train only comes a few times throughout the day. Not only is the train infrequent but once we would take the train there was usually more transportation needed. We would often have to take a bus or a
taxi after the train to reach our final destination. In our past visits to
Japan we were in more populated areas and didn’t need a car at all to get
around. It didn’t take long for us to realize the difficultly of life without a car in
the countryside of Japan. I remember walking a mile, both
ways, to the grocery store and back, eight months pregnant with sweat pouring off of me (do not feel
bad for me, I needed the exercise). Not only did we need groceries but we also wanted
to explore and be able to do things like go to dinner or the beach on our
weekends off. Also, there were all of my prenatal appointments and needing a safe way to
get to the hospital in case of an emergency. Needless to say, taking the leap
and leasing a car during our time here was one of our best decisions.
Getting the car was not
easy. There was a ton of paper work that needed to be filed. I honestly know
very little about this because Sean is awesome and does all of the important
stuff like that. After getting the process started we initially waited about a month for
our car. When things are difficult and take a lot of time I am never really
sure exactly why. The instant gratification American in me throws a little fit and stomps her feet
like a two year old. I wonder if it’s because we are foreigners or many
because not many people rent vehicles in this area. Or it’s possibly just because
of the language barrier (my guess is all of the above). We have learned that
being patient is the best way to deal with these kinds of things.
Let me tell you, having a car
gave me such freedom! I was able to drive all over hunting through thrift
stores and baby stores getting the apartment set up. I was definitely nesting and
went a little crazy feeling like I was running out of time. Little did I know
that I would have two extra weeks to wait for her…
Car pick up day!
That brings me to the topic
of this blog. An International Driver’s License can be obtained in the U.S. from a few
different places. We got ours from AAA. It was a simple form with a
picture and a small fee (I think it was $35.00). Honestly it was one of the easier steps in the
process of driving in Japan. Having that was awesome and worked great for
our first year. However, once we decided to stay a second year we were faced with the Japanese Drivers Test DUN DUN DUN! On average, foreigners take the test seven times! We
were both terrified and not looking forward to it at all.
Before you can even take the
test you need to set up an interview. The process was a little challenging. The interview cannot be completed on the
same day as the test. The center is about an hour and twenty minutes away. Also, Sean and I could not do the interview on the same day. The actually interview was just a
bunch of questions that felt kind of random. Asking things like if I got an eye exam
before my test in NY, who dropped me off at the test, what my first vehicle
was, the color and so on. After we finished the interview we went home and
waited to hear if we “passed” and could schedule the test.
There are three parts to
the actual exam. An eye test, a paper test and a road test. You also watch a short
video during the process. The eye test was nothing really. There was a large 'C' and you had to tell the examiner what way the opening was facing as he moved it
around. We got a good laugh trying to communicate during the eye test. I ended
up using my hand and telling him the direction of the 'C' by changing the
direction of my hand.
The written test was very
easy, like extremely simple. That’s coming from someone with major test anxiety. If you have driven in the United States you would pass the test no problem. It is a randomized 10 question true or false exam asking things about basic road rules. For example, “What
you do when you see an ambulance coming from behind?” Or “When people are
walking in front of you should you stop?”
Then comes the road test. This
is NOT easy and is the reason why you may have to take the exam so many times. The
test is conducted on a driving course. The reason why it is so extremely hard
to pass is not for reasons you would assume. You can easy fail this test even
if you are a good driver. Every single little thing that you miss will require
the instructor to deduct points. For example, if you look both ways before
making a turn but fail to do so BEFORE coming to a complete stop you will have points taken away.
That is the reason why I failed the first time. I needed to check for traffic both
ways before the stop sign/ red light. Another example happened to Sean. He lost
points on his test for turning his blinker on too late before making the turn.
It’s pretty stressful
because the instructor just sits quietly and gives commands. The only movements
he makes is to write things down on his clip board in red pen throughout the
exam. Oh and the instructor is a police officer and may or may not know English.
Thankfully my instructor did know some English and I was able to understand his
directions. Over all it was quite the experience. I am thankful that we had
friends to go with us that helped with paper work and communication
throughout the process. The testing center is about an hour and twenty minutes
away. It’s a huge relief to have the testing process behind us. I can now say I
am a proud owner of a Japanese driver’s license!
Thankful that these two woman held Lucy during the times I needed to be interviewed and tested! Also thank you for a celebratory lunch after my pass!
She is holding my licence!
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