Motorists driven round the bend by Japanese license laws

Motorists driven round the bend by license laws
Regular license renewal is a real trial

By RICH FREEMAN
Staff writer

In May 2002 the Tokyo District Court rejected a suit by freelance journalist Yu Terasawa in which he claimed 1.2 million yen in compensation for driving license renewal fees.
Terasawa had filed the suit two years previously against the state, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and police-related organizations, claiming Japan's 74 million drivers are basically getting ripped off due to the extortionate fees for renewing a license.

What Terasawa failed to mention in his suit was that the situation is even worse for foreigners who have taken the time and money to transfer their home license to a Japanese one.

Drivers who have remained accident-free and who have not committed any traffic violations are required to renew their Japanese license every five years (providing they are, it would seem, Japanese). Those that have committed an offense or others (which includes foreigners) are required to renew every three years.

Maybe I am spoiled in that my British license is valid until the day before my 70th birthday, but having to go through what I did the other day every three years to renew my Japanese license is a frightening thought.

At least it gave me an insight into where all the money (thought to be around 45 billion yen a year) goes.

For drivers from the U.K., Australia, Italy, Sweden, Spain, France and Germany, getting a license basically involves transferring your home license to a Japanese one. A translation is needed of your home license (provided by the Japan Automobile Federation for 3,000 yen) and, providing you pass the eye test, the license is yours (for 4,150 yen).

For those from other countries, however, things are more complicated as a driving test is also required (should you fail, subsequent tests cost around 3,000 yen and should you fail more than three times you are required to go to a driving school often found conveniently close to the driving centers!!).

We have all come across Mr., Mrs., or Ms. Jobsworths -- as in "I can't do that. It's more than my jobs worth" -- but those at driving license centers take the biscuit.

It seems anything out of the ordinary is a reason for failure or a hold up in the procedure and at times it even seems as if excuses are made up on the spot -- "You didn't check for children, homeless people or stray tanuki under the car before you started," or "I'm sorry Mr. Quasimodo, we can't give you a license you were not sitting up straight in the driver's seat."

Not only that but the driving test is undertaken on an enclosed road and bears no relationship to what one can expect on the open roads and, you are prevented from taking the written test and driving skill test on the same day -- meaning two days off work.

Some drivers are failed because they are simply awful drivers but for those lucky enough to get their license, the fun is just beginning.

Now I know that bureaucrats like their paperwork, but surely renewing a license can be done by one or two people. Well not at my local driving center, it seems.

On arriving at the center by bicycle I was told where to park by two parking attendants; directed to the correct payment desk by a lady at information; paid my 3,900 yen renewal fee to yet another lady, before a fifth person gave me an eye-test.

Having gone through the paperwork with yet another person (No. 6) I was suddenly asked, "When did you change your name?"

"I'm sorry," I replied. "What are you talking about."

"You have different names on your gaijin card and your driving license."

"No. They are the same. The driving license people in Osaka realized my two middle names wouldn't fit in the space provided so they left them out. The two names there are my family name and given name."

"But it is not your name."

And so it went on until I agreed to have my middle names included. I was then directed to the next stage -- to have my photo taken.

However, before that, I was intercepted by another lady (No. 7) who told me there was a problem. Ten minutes later she returned to say that my name was too long for the space provided -- and that the last two letters of my middle name would have to be written on the back of my license.

Having had my photo taken by person No. 8 I was sent upstairs to a classroom with pens and paper on the desks. My first thought was that I was going to have some type of test but after speaking to the man (No. 9) on the door I was told I had to listen to a two-hour safety lecture.

I explained in very broken Japanese that I would not be able to understand what was being said so why did I have to go -- not to mention the fact that of my 3,900 yen renewal fee, 1,700 yen was for this lecture, even though my license is unblemished.

This proved too difficult a question so I was first directed to another man (No. 10) who listened intently before sending me to another desk.

"You must have the lecture," a dour-looking woman (No. 11) told me. I demurred. I was told: "No lecture, no license."

So I eventually sat through the lecture along with a number of other renewers and miscreants, some of whom snored loudly over the ramblings of the lecturer (No. 12).

Finally I was sent to another building where person (No. 13) gave me my new license.

On my way home I passed a car with a young mother, holding her baby as she drove, talking into her mobile phone while the TV on the navigation system was showing her favorite soap opera. Chances are -- even though she is an accident just waiting to happen -- she has a gold license and only needs to go to the police station every five years to renew it. It seemed to sum everything up.

The Japan Times: Oct. 11, 2002
(C) All rights reserved

[Kimpatsu]

Originally posted by Robert Rousselot
Having gone through the paperwork with yet another person (No. 6) I was suddenly asked, "When did you change your name?"
"I'm sorry," I replied. "What are you talking about."
"You have different names on your gaijin card and your driving license."
"No. They are the same. The driving license people in Osaka realized my two middle names wouldn't fit in the space provided so they left them out. The two names there are my family name and given name."
"But it is not your name."
This is a major problem among bureaucrats. The yreally don't understand the purpose or meaning of middle names. I've had no end of $*** off them for the same reasons. They need to develop a more flexible mindset.
(Ha! Fat chance!)

[Jeff Hamacher]

thanks, Robert, for more timely information on the topic of the day. all told, my choice to avoid the whole friggin' process and live as a non-motorist seems easier than licensing hell.

the system of license renewal for japanese seems to be in line with what my home province of Ontario does. you go to a licensing centre with your current permit, take a number, wait for 2-3 hours, then spend about 5 minutes with a dour public servant who snaps a digital face shot, gets your signature, and issues a temporary permit document. your official permit arrives about a month later by mail. the renewal generally has to be done every 5 years, with the expiry set on your own birthday (nice present, huh!?!) to avoid a seasonal rush on applications. the cost is about 4,500 yen at current exchange rates.

because i stay in touch with the Nagano JET community through a mailing list, i've been able to follow most of the discussion on the recent changes in licensing laws as well as the trial-by-fire road test system. not surprisingly, some JETs have managed to secure a license on their second try ... thanks to some polite pressure from the prefectural government's International Relations Division which is the local headquarters for the JET Programme. most friends of JETs who haven't benefitted from that support talk about failing 5 or 6 times, usually for offenses as grave as failing to keep their back firmly against the seat during the entire test. the newspaper article's comments about overemployment are no big shock, either; that's just another "welcome to japan" moment.

i don't have any complaint with strict testing standards, but i think it's glaringly obvious that foreigners (once again) get the long end of the stick straight up the cornhole. and to repeat earlier comments from me, the bulk of japanese motorists fail to impress; how i could possibly fail a road test when all these idiots are out there tailgating merrily towards their destination is completely beyond me.

I just use an International Permit........if they stop me and say I have been in Japan too long to use it I will play the "stupid gaijin"........they can't really do much..........torture maybe

[Jeff Hamacher]

if you get into an accident you might be screwed, but yeah, for general traffic stops you can probably get away with it. hell, i've been stopped once in my entire 5 years of actual driving in japan, so the chances are low that you'd even be detected as an "officially unlicensed" motorist. it's just that one little chance ya gotta worry about ...

Some opinions:


Test doesn't produce better drivers

I refer to the Sept. 25 letter "Poor drivers deserve to fail," by J. Jones. While it may be going too far to imply that "the police are using driving tests of foreigners as a moneymaking practice," it is undeniable that the driving test that foreign qualified drivers face is a complete farce. Speaking as a driver who has passed driving tests first time in both Singapore and Ontario, Canada, I have to state the following.

First, the Japanese driving test borders on an insult to the testing authorities of other countries -- not to mention my driving skills. Second, driving in a closed circuit with no "real" traffic conditions is nothing but a farce. Third, many local drivers are awful (just look at taxi drivers, for example, who are probably the single biggest cause of traffic accidents with their sudden swerving and stopping to pick up and drop passengers). Fourth, the actual causes of failure in the Japanese driving test bear no relation to real-life situations -- you can fail for rounding corners too quickly (more than 10 kph), for not putting on your seat belt before starting the car and for other ludicrous points that are not disclosed prior to taking the test.

I think most would agree with me in concluding that the standard of drivers in Japan on average is certainly not better than those of Canada or most other countries. There are good and poor drivers in all countries. Making foreigners sit for this farcical driving test will not result in "magically" producing better drivers -- it's simply an exercise in idiosyncratic idiocy. The use of international driving licenses to drive in Japan is not frightening. What's really frightening is watching taxi drivers in this country -- remember, these guys passed their driving tests here in Japan.



MARK HO
Tokyo


Driving test is legitimate



I once was of the opinion that the Japanese driving-test centers are only interested in squeezing money out of foreigners. But on Sept. 26, I passed my driving test on my second try. Now I have to agree with J. Jones's opinion that foreigners failed because they can't meet Japanese standards ("Poor drivers deserve to fail," Sept. 25). I changed my mind after the tester kindly explained to me why I had failed my first test. My second attempt wasn't perfect but I managed to score above the 70-point passing grade. A poor attitude accounts for why some foreigners fail the test. They refuse to follow the stringent "rituals" required because they think they are dumb.

Nevertheless, there are flaws in the Japanese driving system. Not all foreigners are required to take the road test. British nationals and EU citizens are exempted. I am told these nationalities are better drivers and know the roads in Japan better than other foreigners. This is absurd. All foreigners should be tested. Furthermore, the rules also state that if a driver does not commit any offenses for five years, he or she is given a "gold license." This is supposed to serve as an incentive. But there are many Japanese who hold a driving license and never drive at all. Giving such people a gold license is totally absurd.



BENNY TEH
Kanazawa


Honor driving agreement



I agree with Jeffrey Parent's Sept. 25 letter, "Obstacles litter road to license." Japanese who visit Ontario, British Colombia, Alberta or Quebec in Canada can change their driver's license to a Canadian one with no testing. An Internet search reveals many Web sites confirming this reciprocal agreement. Yet, Japanese authorities refuse to acknowledge the agreement. Indeed, the Japan Automobile Federation rather rudely informed me that the reason for testing was Canadian drivers' lack of skills. How can a reciprocal agreement exist if one party (in this case, Japan) refuses to honor its commitments?

The Japanese Embassy in Canada told me that the test for foreign drivers in Japan was so simple that it was virtually impossible to fail if you had any driving experience whatsoever. However, experience says otherwise. Each licensing center is like a petty fiefdom, and all who enter are at the mercy of the bureaucrats who run it.

Is it a coincidence that most driving-center employees in Japan are ex-police officers, or that there are driving schools across the street from each testing center? I don't think so. It seems to be another scam where people are expected to grin and bear it. It is unacceptable and unfair for Japan to fail to live up to its obligations.



ANONYMOUS
Kariya, Aichi

[Jeff Hamacher]

thanks for posting those, Robert. for the most part, foreign drivers up here would probably agree with Mr. Ho's take on the situation. i would add a couple of points:

1) closed-course tests are perfectly adequate, depending on their structure. i did a closed-course test in toronto (the Malton Road Test Centre) many moons ago, and when you're rolling around with several other test candidates at the same time, having to pay attention to every detail of your driving, i'd say the examiner will get a pretty good idea of your skills. the most critical skills for a beginning driver to learn are things like pulling out, parking/backing up, slow-speed handling, and sharp perception of the driving environment. all of these can be evaluated on a course without the danger of trying to run the exam on public roads.

2) it's perfectly acceptable for a country to determine its own procedures for driver testing and licensing. if japan wants to be a fussbudget about driver permits, fine. i just wish that the testing standards were public (although i don't have any complaint with a thorough and honest evaluation from the examiner following a first failed test) and those standards should be applied fairly for all candidates. this may require that foreign candidates speak japanese well enough to follow accepted etiquette and social interaction with the examiner; it doesn't take much effort to say a cheery "onegai shimasu" or "arigatou gozaimashita". regardless, the expected behaviour and skills for the exam should be made clear so that all candidates can prepare as well as possible.

Originally posted by Yobina

The Japanese people I know here in Sydney are all fine drivers with far more patience than most Australians, perhaps the situation is different in Japan?



They must be different.........maybe they learn a lot more by driving down under.

As motorcycle rider here I can tell you that Japanese drivers are CRAP!
I have almost been hit numerous times..........too many to count.
People here will just change lanes and not even look let alone signal.........I was actually hit by a Mercedes Benz delivery truck here once on my bike. He T-Boned me when he ran a red light. I got a broken collar bone, 3 broken ribs, and a bruised bone (?) on my right leg plus it totalled my 996, which pissed me off more than anything else. The Police came and filled out a report and when they finished they tried to coerce me into admitting some of the guilt by asking me "how much of this was your fault?".
I said "none! He ran a red light, had no insurance and admitted it!" They said they couldn't write that and said I had to admit some of the fault. I told them to go unfxxx themselves because I wasn't going to admit even 0.01 % of anything.

[Jeff Hamacher]

Andrew,

i realize that your comments about North American drivers were lighthearted, so please don't take away the impression that i was offended when i say that, just for the record, li'l ol' me from canada has never had any particular problem making a mental shift from one system to the other. the only thing that threw me for a loop at first was operating a stick-shift with my left hand! because i've lived for more than 6 years in japan i usually end up hugging the right side of the lane when i try to drive in canada with our left-hand-control cars.

as for japanese driving skilfully in other countries, i think the proverb karite-kita neko may apply. literally translated, "the cat on loan for a visit", the japanese might behave like cats when they're dumped into a totally new environment: they mince around, looking for danger, never taking any risks until they've got the place completely sussed out. on the other hand, the proverb "the traveller bears no shame" might poke a few holes in my theory.

Robert,

i've got an even better story about japanese cops investigating accidents for you: a friend of a friend had his car parked legally in a parallel space at the side of a road when some asshat slammed into it. the police at the scene still insisted that the owner of the parked car accept some proportion of liability for the accident! the cops here are totally obsessed with some twisted "no-fault" policy towards traffic accidents, it seems.

Originally posted by Jeff Hamacher


Robert,

i've got an even better story about japanese cops investigating accidents for you: a friend of a friend had his car parked legally in a parallel space at the side of a road when some asshat slammed into it. the police at the scene still insisted that the owner of the parked car accept some proportion of liability for the accident! the cops here are totally obsessed with some twisted "no-fault" policy towards traffic accidents, it seems.


Jeff,

If I had never lived in Japan I would have thought you were pulling my leg........but I know otherwise.......:rolleyes:

I just got this from the head of the motorcycle "gang" I belong to.

http://www.ajetonline.org/iwate/law.html
The revised Road Traffic Law came into effect on 1st June 2002. There
have been changes to the sections that apply to international drivers
licenses. CLAIR requests that Gifu Prefecture inform all contracting
organizations and JET participants of the following changes:

In order to drive a car in Japan, foreigners must posses one of the
following drivers licenses:

Japanese drivers license
An international drivers license

A drivers license that has been issued in a country that is
recognized as having a drivers licensing system of the same level as
Japan (currently only Switzerland, Germany and France have been
recognized as having such a system). A Japanese translation prepared
by a government approved translation agency must accompany such
licenses.

The period for which foreigners are permitted to drive in Japan:
Japanese drivers licenses:
Only during the period that the license is valid for.

International drivers licenses or licenses issued in a foreign
country:
Foreigners are only permitted to drive in Japan on an international
drivers license for a period of one year from the date they arrived
in Japan, or for the period their license is valid, whichever is the
shorter period of time. If a foreigner leaves Japan and re-enters
after a period of less than three months, the date they re-entered
Japan will NOT be recognized as the date from which their
international drivers license can be renewed [i.e. in order to renew
an international license, foreigners must leave Japan for a period
longer than three months].

Obtaining a Japanese drivers license: Foreigners who posses a drivers
license that has been issued overseas can apply for a Japanese
drivers license and be exempt from some sections of the drivers
license examinations. The content of the examinations, the language
that the examination can be taken in, and the documents that are
necessary to make an application all depend on the applicant's
country of origin and the region they reside in Japan. Foreigners who
wish to obtain a Japanese drivers license should inquire at the
drivers license center in their prefecture.



Looking at the homepage of JAF I found the following link explaining
how to switch the license.
http://www.jaf.or.jp/e/switch.htm

[Rennis]

Originally posted by Jeff Hamacher
i've got an even better story about japanese cops investigating accidents for you: a friend of a friend had his car parked legally in a parallel space at the side of a road when some asshat slammed into it. the police at the scene still insisted that the owner of the parked car accept some proportion of liability for the accident! the cops here are totally obsessed with some twisted "no-fault" policy towards traffic accidents, it seems.

Japanese law is similar to the driving laws in Minnesota in that you bear some degree responsiblity simply because your car was on the road (the logic I guess that if your car wasn't there an accident wouldn't have happened). One of my American professors in Akita got in an accident a few years back where some Japanese driver ran a stop sign directly in front of him on a twisty outback road. The driver was so close that his only three options were a-drive off the road and down the cliff next to it and probably die in the process, b- hit the car in the front half where the driver was, or c- hit the car in the rear half where no one was. He obviously choice option c. The whole thing ended up going to court and if I remember correctly he said he got 10% responsiblity just because he was out driving that day, and the other driver got 90%. He said during the whole court process he learned that (at least at that time) that it seems that about the only way you could get 0% responsiblity was if you car was parked in your own garage next to your own home and somebody drove into your garage and hit it.

I think I'll stick to the trains thank you.

[Jeff Hamacher]

Robert,

at long last, somebody has translated the National Police Agency website's information for those who can't read japanese. i kinda wonder how the police were planning on letting foreign nationals know about the change in the law. in some cases, you could hardly blame people for failing to comply.

Rennis,

in a world that made sense, i would insist that only moving vehicles or illegally parked vehicles be considered under the terms of a "joint-fault" investigation policy. why should a driver who complies fully with the law be held responsible for an accident over which they had no influence or control? it's not that i fail to see the point you made above, but the laws we're discussing are frustratingly out of agreement with common sense ... or at least my flavour of it.

[Rennis]

Jeff,

I was in no way saying I agree with the laws as they stand. In fact I think that for the most part they are rather foolish and even more so in Japan where enforcement is pretty much up to the whim of the person you are dealing with. Every year we always had two cops with us at the college in Akita for a year (it is an international school so a huge portion of the student population is Japanese students studying English who will then transfer to the US. Since the school falls under US college regulations rather than Monbusho's, many of the students actually even learned a fair amount, but that is an entirely different thread). Anyways, it was always very eye opening becoming buddies with these guys. They were always the rowdiest people on campus and after a beer or two (and sometimes not even that) they would fill us in on how the laws really work. Quite a few of them had a kind of "I am the law" approach to things.

I personally lost complete faith in the Japanese system of "justice" (cough, cough) when I had found out one woman I know there had been raped on her way back from the bar. She knew who the guy who did it was and had tried to contact the police afterwards. They basically told her they weren't gonna deal with it because she was walking back alone and was somewhat drunk so she was basically just "asking for sex" and according to them the charges would never stick. Basically they said it was all her fault. The fact that the guy knocked her out with a blow to the head and she woke up to find him raping her somehow had no bearing on the issue. He basically kept harassing her for several months and as too many Japanese women do, she never said anything and took it. Fortunately she got an American boyfriend later on who found out and went through the roof. One evening he came across the guy when no one was around and let it be know in no uncertain terms what would happen to him if he even so much as looked at her again. He guy moved the next day and vanished.

On a happier note, some of the cops I met there were actually stand up guys and more than a few of them complained about how bad the system and the people in charge are themselves so maybe there is hope for the future if they guys can manage to make it to old age and positions of power without becoming typical jaded racist cops. Of course 30-40 years is a long time to wait for change in my book.

Rennis Buchner