TL;DR Japan tightened rules for converting foreign driver’s licenses, requiring a residence certificate and increasing the difficulty of the knowledge and driving skills tests. The changes were made in response to a rise in traffic accidents involving foreign drivers.
by SkyInJapan
15 comments
I was able to renew my license last time I came back (I earned my license from scratch in Japan) after COVID restrictions loosened. I’m due to renew again in 2027…I’m wondering if they’re going to let me without a jūmimhyō.
The article says “recent recepients” won’t be able to renew and I’ve had mine for 10 years now…hmm…
Fuck! When does it go into effect?
>The changes were made in response to a rise in traffic accidents involving foreign drivers.
Curious if there will be any changes in response to traffic accidents involving elderly drivers…
Good. But they really should be doing this for anyone over the age of 75. Old guy in my hood mistook the break pedal for the gas. Killed 2 primary kids.
Lmao, I am from a god country, I just filled some papers gave them some documents and got my Japanese license, no knowledge test, no road test 🥴
This is kind of a trivial revision to the conversion process.
But when they say there is record high in traffic accidents by foreign drivers, do they take into account that there is also a record number of foreigners in Japan?
And do they consider that most foreigners go through this conversion because they want to actually drive? While so many Japanese people get their license and become “paper drivers” who never actually get behind the wheel. Further skewing the statistics.
It’s absolutely terrifying driving on the roads here with so many old people behind the wheel. And there are so many avoidable deaths caused by old people becoming confused while driving. I wish they would crack down on that a little more.
Well I guess screw me then. Was about to apply
Although I might complain about a lot of things, this is not one of them.
Allowing tourists to come to Japan and get a Japanese license after a simple conversion not requiring residency is pretty weird to me
For what its worth the previous conversion mutiple choice test was a literal joke, 10 true/false questions of the calibur of you should stop at a stop sign, and you should listen to police officers true or false. I’ve actually never even heard of anyone failing it. Looks like they are changing it to 50 questions now.
The practical test was probably already good enough but looks like they are adding two more things to the test, railroad crossing and pedestrian crossing.
So…………are they gonna change the driving rules for Japanese drivers to tell them about child safety and about how the kids should be in seat belts? I saw a mother pick her child up from a daycare with a baby strapped to her chest, got her kid in the car, she got in the driver’s seat with the baby on her chest, no seat belt on and drove off! Crossed 3 lanes with no winker and made a speedy U-turn at the light!
Does that apply for the 29 countries that don’t have to take tests to convert their licence?
I’m from France and I have a reservation for the 29th to convert my licence, should I expect a test ?
Has anyone taken the new test already? I know its only been a day. The reservations in Tokyo are always booked, you only have about 10-20 seconds to book a reservation everyday before they fill when they open up new ones for 2 months out but that means my reservation isn’t until the end of November. I’m just nervous now because I assume if I failed I would need to make another new reservation which would take 2+ more months? I mean its not that critical that I get one but I would like to rent a car and drive in countryside areas like Hokkaido sometime in the next few years. (I am a resident)
Is UK>JP still just a paperwork conversation?
Won’t stop the idiots on international driver’s licenses who just rent a car and don’t know how to drive on Melissa road
Glad I converted my license last month. The written test was a joke. I passed the practical test first try but it was much more nerve-wracking. The over-emphasis on constant mirror checking seems counter-productive to safe driving. You’re also driving at 5-10 km/hr which makes the whole test feel pointless.
The other head-scratcher came when they asked me to bring in emails confirming the flight dates associated with my passport stamps. It’s like, if you’re faking passport stamps, faking emails with a flight date/your name seems trivial. What are we doing here Mr. Driving Center Man?
There was one girl there who had failed *ten times* and finally passed on the eleventh.
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