Japanese Driver License Part 1

Tomorrow, I go to the DMV, or whatever they call it, to complete part 1 of my drivers' license fiasco. If you Google "Japanese driver license", you will begin to understand why I use the term "fiasco".

I had to take a train 40 minutes downtown Friday to get my California license translated. Luckily, I had saved my old license that was issued in 2004. I got a fresh one in August 2008 before I moved because my old one was expiring in late 2009. I figured I would save myself the hassle of jumping through my butt to get a new one on any potential vacation/visit to the U.S. in '09 by getting a new license that would last 5 years. It turns out you have to show that you have to have stayed in the issuing country for at least 90 days after you get the license, which I did not. Not sure why that would matter since I've been driving since I was 16, but I suppose they have no way of knowing that. On the other hand, if I had stayed there 90 days afterward, there's no guarantee that I had ever driven other than to pass the test, nor any guarantee that I'd driven at all during the 90 day period. Still not sure what's up with that, but this is Japan and there are many rules everyone must follow to promote mutual harmony, yadda, yadda.

The process is basically easy and all evidence indicates that it is unnecessarily cumbersome in order to extract a certain amount of monetary compensation for giving you a Japanese license. Japanese citizens pay thousands of dollars to private driving schools because they are forced to by the system. Then, the Japanese government treats them as "professional" drivers. This results in such things as both parties being at least partially at fault, regardless of the circumstances of a given accident. If one is considered a "professional" driver, then surely one could have done something to avoid the accident. You know, like not emigrating here in the first place. Whatever. Bottom line is that most gaikokujin don't pass at the first go. You pay fees for application, photos, test car rental, etc. It all adds up to 5,000 Yen or so, I guess. We'll see. Then, after they fail you the first time, I hear you are "invited" to attend their Saturday one hour class/practice session taught by the same guys who do the testing for about 8,000 Yen or so. Are you starting to understand the system yet? My buddy did pretty well on his first test, but before the tester told him whether he passed or failed, he asked him whether or not he had attended their Saturday class. So, being the honest guy he is he says "No, I didn't". Then, the guy tells him, "Oh, well you didn't pass today, so I'd recommend going to that class". Hmmmm. Interesting sequence of events. In any case, we all pass in the end, although my buddy met a guy from Brazil there who'd taken at least 6 tests and gave him all kinds of great tips on the course. Another odd thing is that they pair you up like in high school driver's education during the test. So, one joker is sitting in the back seat watching the first guy fail. Seems like an advantage, but maybe they're harder on the second bubba. Who knows.

Tomorrow is only step 1, in any case. All you can do the first day is fill out the paper application, take the eye exam and the paper test. For foreigners translating their home country's driver license, the paper exam is a joke. It's 10 true or false questions. You need 7 correct to pass. You will probably miss one or two due to vagaries of the question or the Japanese system, but the test is given in English, and common sense helps you pass no problem, from what I understand. Assuming the best, you get an appointment for your practical exam. Gotta miss work for that I suppose. They aren't open weekends. Also, they only take applications from 0830 - 0900. At 0901, you are screwed. Come back again later. Sorry it took you an hour to get here, blah, blah, blah. Tough love.

The great irony of my particular situation is that I will drive myself and my lovely wife/translator (From the prefectural web site: * We do not have translators in house, so please furnish one yourself.) to the DMV tomorrow morning. I have a SOFA license, so I can legally drive here anyway. Maybe I'm just being masochistic, but I feel the need to have an actual license for the long run.

Wish me luck!