Want to sell my MTB for a glock. JOKING (japan dmv)

[midnightcharger2 0]

Some things get to you like no other.

Learning now that procrastination is a killer in this country, I am learning the hard way. And I have been around the culture for 5 years now.

 

I knew from prior knowledge that the Kotsu Anzen Center (Japan Motor vehicle and licensing center) can be a real bitch but never knew it was worse then I expected.

 

Passed the paper test which was a joke no problems. Driving course is a whole different ball of wax. I failed the first time, I knew that it would happen since its a formality. took a few classes to learn the course in the midst of my 2month waiting period.

 

I could have literally been pushing the car around the course faster then I was driving and failed again. There were 7 other people from different countries that failed too. 8 PEOPLE and NO ONE passes. I took a glance at all the peoples paperwork and on average they have been there over 5 times. This is troubling due to having to wait 2 months every time you fail the test. I am worried I will have to wait over a year to obtain a d/l. The question I have is, I live in Nagano which shinoni is the closest center. Can I go to other centers to apply within nagano-ken to better my odds in passing?

 

The system is more screwed up then I imagined. You can drive on a IDL for a year no checks needed, but as soon as it expires your an idiot that has no clue on the driving rules in Japan. Makes absolutely no sense at all. As with any system its usually about money which I understand but the 2mo waiting after each test is a real killer. I heard shirojiri may be an option but unsure. I want to work on both a car and motorcycle license in hopes of having some type of vehicle to move around on.

 

Any help on alternatives would be of great help.

 

FRANK RYAN

[bushpig 0]

I'm assuming you are from the States?

 

Anyway, I have heard from people who work in those centers, that if you have spent the money and done the whole course to "learn to drive" at a driving school, then they are MUCH more likely to pass you because you have the little certificate. It's all about paying the money and doing the time. If you want to just get it over with then it might be worth just biting the bullet and doing a driving course. Of course you only have the individual states in the US to blame. Wanting to hold onto their autonomy and refusing to have a standardized system for learning to drive means that Japan refuses to do a mutual driver's license recognition deal with the US because the standards vary too wildly from state to state...

 

Being form Aus, I just walked in, did the paperwork and walked out again with my shiny new Japanese licence

[gerard 6]

I've heard that some kens are easier than others. tough call though. Either way, you'll probably fail it many more times. friend of mine got it recently after failing it --like-- seven or eight times. I didn't think he had to wait two months between tests though. he got to know the testers and often ended up councilled other people who were talking the test in the waiting area (usually SE asians). He was pretty frustrated but his stories were funny. good luck.

[indosnm 0]

 Originally Posted By: Bushpig

Being form Aus, I just walked in, did the paperwork and walked out again with my shiny new Japanese licence

same for me but was still a hassle, especially proving that you erw in a country that doesn't stamp your passport (australia).

[SirJibAlot 0]

Just slide the oyaji 2man yen at the beginning of the test and consider the license yours!

[big-will 7]

Either that or expect to be in jail by the end of the day!

 

Sounds total hassle and totally illogical of course. But Japan never was for the logical think through on things like this.

 

Good luck.

[AK 77 0]

This is a bitch....

 

I didn't know the rules had changed in 2003, regarding IDPs, etc, so I just happily made sure I passed my driving test before I came to Japan again this time (I had never needed to drive in the UK up to the age of 28, I know this might sound strange to N. Americans, but it's true, plus I never priorised the money for it - it costs about 700 quid - 175,000yenall in to learn in the UK - and the test is a lot tougher than in the States!)... all the while ignorant of the fact that you have to have had your licence in your home country for 3 months or more in order to convert it.

With the waiting times for tests at about 3 months, I ended up passing about a week before I came!

 

So I have a UK licence, drove here for most of a year, and now can't drive here without taking the WHOLE japanese driving test!

The test you refer to above, the conversion test for Americans, etc, is the same as the first 'learners licence test' for a Japanese person, then you have to do a longer written test (in Japanese - no English offered in Nagano-ken), and a longer test out on the roads!

It's as if I never had a licence!

 

Luckily I don't really NEED a car here, but it would be nice, so I'm faced with taking the whole test in stages directly at Shiojiri - something Japanese learners VERY rarely do,

 

...or pay 250,000 for the 'course' which exempts you from the external practical tests

 

...or go back to the UK for nearly 3 months after this year's employment, and then have to find another job starting in July.

 

or just keep on biking!

[soubriquet 0]

 

My UK license runs until 2027. That always freaks the beaurocrats. Getting my Japan license was a formality. It made the jobsworth steam with anger though.

 

[Oyuki kigan 0]

i know, its idiotic. Especially consitering Canadians, who follow practically identical rules, don't have to take it.

 

 

although i did when i lived in Hokkaido 8 years ago. I took the test twice (the first time was my first time ever behind the wheel of a japanese car).

 

Second time passed no prob.

 

When my japanese liscence expired and i had to get a new last year, i just paid the renewal fee, no questions.

[soubriquet 0]

Canadians know the difference between a mile and a kilometre..

[Oyuki kigan 0]

ah-ha!

[Yuki's Passion 1]

not looking foward to dealing with this...I might just hafta see if a few man will cover the BS Any Americans deal with this in Kyoto Pref before?

[soubriquet 0]

Man, you don't have a driving license? What kind of American are you?

[sunrise 0]

I'm going to get my J-license, fortunately I don't have to take the road test, just bring in the Oz license and do the written test (unless that's changed)

[soubriquet 0]

To convert my UK license, the only test I had to take was an eye test. The jobsworth went purple and started steaming when soubriquette walked him through the rules. It was quite a sight

[thursday 1]

Damn and to think I've been paying for International Driving Permit each year.

[soubriquet 0]

Soubriquette is the perfect Japanese lady, petite, cute and modest. She also has a will of iron and no fear. When the officious twerp started to give her the run-around she got stuck into him. For an Asian, she has no problem making herself crystal-clear.

[midnightcharger2 0]

I have had almost all the licenses in the states you can imagine when dealing with vehicles. From the military carrying over 50tons of cargo, Jet fuel JP-8 (highly flammable) to personnel transport. 18 wheeler heavy hauling when I got out of the miltary etc.

 

The bugger of it all is that I drove both a personal vehicle and military equipment in Okinawa for 3 years. We were not required to get a Japanese license since we had a SOFA (status of foreign affairs) agreement with Japan. We got a small written test comparable to the one in Nagano-ken dmv and got a small index card with our information printed on it for our drivers license.

 

very easy and hassle free.

 

The thing that irks me the most is how they down-talk to you like you have absolutely no idea about what goes on in Japan.

 

It was so rediculous that the instructor had some wooden toys depicting people and children and a block of wood painted as a car. He continually was ramming the toy car into the makeshift people to try to explain the importance of driving safety to not hit pedestrians.

 

I felt like i was being treated as a 3 year old. I wanted to show my exsiting scars from my accident with a J-driver (which was clearly his fault stated by the police report) to the instructor to prove that if anyone knows about wanting to be a safe driver, i am that person. I was lucky to walk away with minor injuries, The driver could have killed me.

 

The slipping cash to the instuctor has crossed my mind. My other option was to videotape the instructors in their cars and note all mistakes they make during their daily driving and use it against them to prove its only about the center making money, not actually abot driving safety. If they are instructors, they sould be setting the example during work and after work therefore they should be the perfect driver themselves.

 

I guess i would be less irritated about the situation if I knew that I didnt have to wait 2 months each time before taking the test again. The money is of no issue to me, but the waiting and uncertainty of when I will be deemed safe for Japans roads by one individual is what has made completely peeved lately.

 

EOR for tonight.

 

On a side note, saw my first soccer game today at nagano stadium. Not a fan of soccer but went with my friend and was pretty interesting. Nagano got their a$$ handed to them by Matsumoto 3-0.

 

I was on the Matsumoto side (but had no preference of who won) Visually the Matsu fans put on a bigger show then the Nagano fans. They fully got into supporting their team. Was a good day of videoing the action with my new camera.

 

Thanks for the help guys and girls. If anyone has obtained their motorcycle license here or went to shiojiri instead of their -shi center for testing and has any input, it would be highly appriciated.

 

FRANK RYAN