How can an American, living in Japan, get a Japanese driving license?

Question

I have a valid Oregon license, but my international driver's permit expired and cannot be renewed. How do I get a Japanese driver's license?

Answer 1

You need to get your license translated into Japanese at a JAF (Japan Auto Federation) office, and then take the written and road tests at your local testing center, just like a Japanese person.  Fortunately you don't have to go to driving school, which is the expensive part.

Answer 2

As an American, I had to go through the gaimen kiri kae (外面切り替え） process. First I went to JAF and paid them to fillout the drivers license translation application properly. Next, I scheduled a day with the local testing center to go through the different vision, reaction and hearing tests. This took half a day. Next, I scheduled a day to take the 10 or 20 question quiz regading rules of the road. The test was easy. It was administered on a PC with simple animations, English voice narration and English subtitles. You had to try really hard or be asleep to fail this test. The toughest part was the in car driving test. You schedule another day where you are required to demonstrated proficiency in several safety, driving and ruls of the road skill tests. I speak Japanese, but it was not difficult to understand what he was saying. If you cannot understand Japanese at all, you should learn some before taking the driving test. Atleas understand numbers up to 50, left, right, stop, slow down, speed up, you know words and phrases related to drinving. As a side note, I tried to remember everything from the test so I could tell my wife what she was up against. OK, back to the drivign test. You will have to demonstrate the ability to keep the car between the lines. Sounds easy but, the test course has small curbs and if you touch the curb with the tire it is an automatic failure. You are also require to demonstrate the ability to speed up to 40km an hour, and smoothly and safely slow down before the right hand turn ahead. I touched the inside curb on my first attempt, and failed right there. You have to do a lane change, but you have to look over your shoulder, check your mirrors and then change lanes. I used a litle bit of an exagerrated head movement to make it obvious that I was checking my mirrors. Next, I was asked to take a turn in to the tight and small tristy S turns. The requirement is to demonstrate you ability to drive the car in small Japanese roads. Again, touch a curb and its is over. One girl in my group stopped the car before touching the curb and backed up a little to make corrections, she was not penalized or failed for that in the S turn section. The test course is a closed area , they have you drive up to a signal light and a guy in the control tower switches it from green to yellow to red. You must slow the card down and stop before the white line. Go over or breach the white line, and you are instantly failed. Wait for the light to turn green, and proceed. During the test you are required to show use of turn signals, obey posted speed limits and general safety. I passed my second time, my wife passed her first time. There were some people there that were working on their 4th and 5th attempts. When they take you out in the car, the official rides shotgun, someone drives and two others sit in the back seat. It is good to get chosen to ride along before you take the test. This will give you the chance to see and hear what is going on during the test.

After two years, I had to go back and renew my license. I had to sit throgh a two hour boring lecture in Japanese about saftey, drunk driving and accidents.

Answer 3

What part of Japan are you located in? I lived in Okinawa for 3 years and we were fortunately able to get our licenses through the military base. Are you close to a base?