fukdane 2 Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 OK well recently I went to get my drivers licence renewed so I was able to experience the experience, so to speak. And what an experience it was. Wow what a busy busy well oiled machine that process is. Turn up, give you a folder, photocopy your details, go to stand 1, go to stand 2, go to stand 3, get your eyes tested, go to get your pic taken. Then..... the 2 hour lecture. Even though I knew it was coming it was still incredible to me that I had to sit through 2 hours of this very keen ojisan talking about driving techniques. There were 12 in my room and I think 6 were asleep from the beginning. They didn't get shouted at though, ojisan just kept on. The guy was ABSOLUTELY DETERMINED to keep us in the room for the full 2 hours. He seemed to finish about 15 minutes early, and asked if there were 'any questions?' (yeah, right!) - and when no-one spoke he filled up that time with blabbering on about the same things. The best thing I learnt was "to wear light coloured clothes at night time - that way cars can see you. So please try to avoid wearing black clothes at night, even though that might be difficult especially in winter". Glad that performance is over. Link to post Share on other sites
kintaro 0 Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Renewing..I'm having a hellava time trying to get my first! The red tape is immense! I'm not sure it's worth the effort. In my case I renewed my Hawaii drivers license two years ago. The rule in Japan is that you have to have a valid foreign license more than 3 years old (I've driven for more than 16 years). They want me to get a letter from the state of Hawaii expressing my prior driving record, and then have the letter translated and hanko'd by a professional translating company. Such nonsense!!! I just decided to renew my international license (I know some of you dissagree), to avoid the hassle. Link to post Share on other sites
rach 1 Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 It's not a case of people just disagreeing Kintaro, I think its the fact that your int'l licence is just not legal and if you have an accident you will probably not be covered etc (right?) Link to post Share on other sites
kintaro 0 Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Good point. I will most likely keep trying to get my J-license. Link to post Share on other sites
Ocean11 0 Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 > They want me to get a letter from the state of Hawaii expressing my prior driving record, and then have the letter translated and hanko'd by a professional translating company. Such nonsense!!! I went through hell trying to get that bit done. Japanese people just don't realize that people in other countries don't necessarily have written records of all their doings, and comings and goings. What, you don't have a stamp in your passport showing when you left the UK? No, your graduation certificate proving that you were at a UK university for 3 years does not constitute proof that you were in the UK consecutively for 3 months - you could have left the country at 2 month intervals in that time (in order to learn to drive in lax Nigeria). Madness. At my renewal peroration, I was warned about the dangers of foreigners - how one must be on one's guard when they are around. I found that very useful advice. Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Quote: Originally posted by Ocean11: At my renewal peroration, I was warned about the dangers of foreigners - how one must be on one's guard when they are around. I found that very useful advice. Unbelievable! But not surprising Link to post Share on other sites
sakebomb 0 Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Damn Fukdane, I have to go through the same experiance this coming Sunday...any tips. Should I take a book? Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Kintaro that international licence is not valid for you unless you are in and out of the country. ie 180 days or less. Sorry had to answer the phone. Its crazy that you have to get stuff translated cause in kyoto they took my english papers as is. Link to post Share on other sites
kintaro 0 Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Well, the police accepted it as valid 6 months ago while stopping me for speeding. But it's not the police that I worry about, it's the insurance co's...but thank's for the concern. Anyway, I am in and out of the country. And,I maintain two residences. One in Sendai and one in Honolulu Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 technically if you have a residence in Japan you can't use that Kintaro. Your insurance would be the big problem. Link to post Share on other sites
kintaro 0 Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Thank you, Fattwins and Bushpig but I don't have to worry. Co. pays all. Honto ni thank you Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 what? They pay your insurance? LEgal fees when you aren't covered by the insurance? Sweeeet! Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Quote: Originally posted by Kintaro: Renewing..I'm having a hellava time trying to get my first! The red tape is immense! I'm not sure it's worth the effort. In my case I renewed my Hawaii drivers license two years ago. The rule in Japan is that you have to have a valid foreign license more than 3 years old (I've driven for more than 16 years). They want me to get a letter from the state of Hawaii expressing my prior driving record, and then have the letter translated and hanko'd by a professional translating company. Such nonsense!!! I just decided to renew my international license (I know some of you dissagree), to avoid the hassle. Aussie lic's don't show the original date that you got the lic, just the expiry date. That's why I had to get a letter from my lic place at home. Gueesing US/Haw lic's are the same then. with all the hassle that our american friends have to do through, for once, it's great to be an Aussie in Japan! Link to post Share on other sites
Goemon 0 Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 What auto insurance are you all using? Shopping around now. Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted February 3, 2006 Share Posted February 3, 2006 Mitsui direct sonpo auto insurance Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 There is something on yahoo.co.jp that lets you find the best deals. Really depends on what car you are driving. We tried 15 companies for my latest car and they wouldn't even touch it... only the last one. I'll have to ask what that co. is called. Link to post Share on other sites
misorano 1 Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 I think I'm up for a gold lisence next time. I think it's only a 30min process to renew. Fingers crossed. One bit of advice is to take a kid and get them screaming. I always seem to get my own counter when it looks like I'm having a tough time with the kid (god bless their little tantrums) Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 haha! You, my friend, have found that perfect loop-hole in the Japanese system! I'll have to try that next time. Does anyone know of a rent-a-screaming-kid service in Japan?? Link to post Share on other sites
misorano 1 Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 Aha! a new business Idea!! I have everything from stubborn 9 year old, 5 year old with cold and runny nose, and "I gotta pee daddy" 3 year old, thru to a scream on demand 1 year old. Rates coming soon at rent-a-screaming-kid-in-japan.com/dealing_with_officaldom.htm Link to post Share on other sites
cal 6 Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 I honestly think I would rather go through what I have to than have a screaming kid near me. Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 I wouldn't. The three different occasions I have had to sit at that damn driver's licence center, have been worse than getting a tooth pulled! Misorano, I guarantee you plenty of business in the next few years! Link to post Share on other sites
cal 6 Posted February 4, 2006 Share Posted February 4, 2006 I suppose I just dislike kids.... can't think of many things more annoying. Link to post Share on other sites
Kumapix 0 Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 Quote: Originally posted by Bushpig: Quote: Originally posted by Ocean11: At my renewal peroration, I was warned about the dangers of foreigners - how one must be on one's guard when they are around. I found that very useful advice. Unbelievable! But not surprising Look at it from the Japanese perspective...imagine if you had lots of foreigners driving around your country with only an international licence which you can pick up for $10 and no test.Canadians, Americans, etc are used to driving on the other side of the road and yet for $10 they can drive around for a year. Plus they can't read the road signs (it took me 4 years to read the slow down construction in progress sign!). So I would rather hear watch out for people with internation licences Link to post Share on other sites
bushpig 0 Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 Um, hang on. Many people use international drivers licences in many countries. And many of them probably can't understand the signs in the foreign country they happen to be visiting. That is what it is for. I know that some foreigners abuse the system (me included when I first came here), but I don't think this is what that comment was getting at.The comment that "one must be on one's guard when they are around" can't possibly be referring to bad driving. You usually aren't "on guard" for other(bad) drivers, but more for dangerous types of people, right? I don't think that comment was necessarily linked to the int. licence thing. More likely to be ignorant scare-mongering along the lines of the "beware of shady types hanging around ATMs" posters which had pictures of dodgy looking foreigners on them. Link to post Share on other sites
Curt 1 Posted February 6, 2006 Share Posted February 6, 2006 Ocean11 - didn't you take him up on that comment? It sure is a curious one... Link to post Share on other sites
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