Driving in Japan

If you are just visiting Japan as a short term traveler in big metropolitan cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, there is no need for you to rent a car because of excellent public transportation systems in major cities in Japan. My friends in Tokyo do not own cars and my sister who lives in Osaka relies on public transportation for everything. It is hard for me to imagine because I live in California, and automobile is a must in this state…

One thing you should know if you plan to drive in Japan..cars drive on the left side of the road. If you are used to driving on the right side, it could be quite tricky..In Japan, 18-years-old and over can legally obtain driver’s licenses and drive. This is a common sense but it is illegal to drink alcohol before or while driving. The speed limit is 80 to 100 km on highways and 50-60 km in regular streets. But be careful because there are a lot of old narrow roads in Japan..

Good news is that if you have an international driving permit, you can drive in Japan with this permit for up to one year. After a year, you have to return to your country and stay there for three months and return before you can start driving in Japan again..this is a strange rule but I guess this is to discourage foreigners to start imigrating to Japan..Since International driving permits are not issued in Japan, you have to get it in your country prior to your visit to Japan.

I had no idea but apparently Japan has bilateral agreements with more than twenty countries..so if you are the citizens of these countries and have a valid driver’s license, you can get a Japanese driver’s license without having to take the test (both paper and practical exams). I can’t tell you how I failed at the Japan’s driver’s license test center..it was really difficult and I gave up after one attempt..I think I am an experienced driver in California but couldn’t turn and pass the complicated Japan’s driving test. 🙁