Back in my hometown in the Philippines, there was no reason for me to drive a car. Obviously, I can’t afford to have and maintain a car (with the meager salary of a public school teacher). My place of work was just a walking distance from my house anyway. About 5-6-minute walk. Who needs a car for that? The public transportation is easily accessible. There are taxis, jeepneys, tricycle, trisikad that will take you anytime, anywhere in the city, door to door if you like.
Why did I need to drive in Japan
In Japan, although public transportation is great, with their on-time scheduled trains and buses, I found myself needing to drive a car to my place of work.
In my second year of being an ALT, I was assigned to teach in a far-flung, very small city, where there were no train stations. Where buses were only available once or twice in an hour. Later on, I had to move to the bigger city with my husband, but my company could not find any placement for me in schools located nearby train stations and they had to keep me teaching in that small city (more of a town). That’s when I decided to get a car, thus, needing to get a license.
Enrollment at a driving school
With the help and recommendation of my co-teacher, I enrolled myself in a driving school. Her son just graduated in that driving school and her referral earned her some referral cash. As for me, I got a small discount for the total amount. It costed me about ¥300,000 for the entire driving course. Yes! Driving schools in Japan are really expensive so better be ready if you are planning to enroll.
The registration took hours. I had to fill up some papers (in Japanese, of course) and the receptionist had to explain (also in Japanese) many many things. From schedules, extra payments, rules, etc. etc.
Driving lessons
There were two types of driving lessons in my school: 1.) Classroom lessons, where we study using books, and 2.) the actual driving lessons. These lessons were taken simultaneously.
I remember the very first time I visited the school, we had the orientation and diagnostic test – to evaluate our personality – what kind of driver we were. Well, that diagnostic test was unreliable in my case because the test was in Japanese and I was not that good in reading test-level Japanese.
The next visit, I requested for an English book, which luckily the school had.
The lessons were all conducted in Japanese by Japanese teachers. (Atarimae! That means ‘obvious’). In the beginning, I used both Japanese and English books. Japanese, so I can learn the kanji, and English, for comprehension. But, as the lessons moved further, I dropped the Japanese book and concentrated on the English one. It was not time to study Japanese or kanji but I had to focus on the driving lessons. Although I had to admit, I learned a lot of Japanese words. While the teacher was teaching in Japanese, I was reading the book in English. It was like I was watching a Japanese drama with English subtitles.
The practical driving lessons were fun, exciting and challenging. My assigned teacher always made sure I understood her explanation and she even wrote some difficult instructions in English.
I was very excited for the very first actual driving but got disappointed because the class was conducted in a room with a steering wheel in front of a monitor to represent a car. We were taught the very basics of driving. The first half of the driving lessons were done inside the school premises, and after taking a test (if you pass and get a learner’s permit), the rest of the actual driving lessons were conducted outside – in the streets, the real world of driving. The last actual driving lesson (before the final driving test) was to drive in the highway. It was really exciting and a bit scary at the same time. We were three students inside the car who drove alternately with our driving instructor.
Taking the driver’s license paper test
As many people in Japan says, taking the driver’s license paper test is hard, even for Japanese. The questions are tricky and the choices (it’s a multiple choice test) are almost the same. Out of a hundred items, you need to get 95 correct answers. Luckily, I could take the test in English. If not, there was no doubt I would fail. Reading Japanese itself is a test, how much more comprehending the difficult test questions.
I took the test in a driver’s license testing center (unten menkyojo) located in Kitakyushu, a big city, north of Kyushu. The process was long but very organized. It started by filling up of forms, lining up to submit them on a window for evaluation, another line for payment (around ¥5,000), and then the test proper which was time-limited. After the test, you will know if you pass or fail by checking your assigned number on the TV monitor which flashes the numbers of test-takers who passed. Those who passed (and I am one of them fortunately), will have to line up again for eye test, picture-taking, and releasing of the driver’s license. Those who did not can leave the place and have better luck next time.
Since I went to a driving school, there was no need for me to take the actual driving test in the testing center.
It was a long but very fulfilling experience. I took and pass the test only once! Few people I know took it more or less ten times.
I started schooling in the end of January and got my license in the end of March, 2016.
Beginner driver
Beginner drivers (shoshinsha) in Japan has to put the beginner driver’s sticker 🔰 – a yellow and green as you can see in the image. It should be posted in the car where it is visible outside. Veteran drivers should give leeway to beginner drivers.
My very first time driving in the streets holding the real driver’s license was not a very nice experience. I drove in a very narrow two-way road (I don’t know why we got there) and another vehicle was oncoming. I had to stop and let the oncoming vehicle pass. Roads in Japan are pretty narrow but that road I went was really extra narrow. I only drive within our small city. From house to school and to some few places. My husband drives when it is a long-distance drive.
License Renewal
The first issued driver’s license last for three years. It is a blue license. If you drive without violations (caught violating) for five years, you will get the gold license.
You will get a notification a month before your birthday, to renew your license. The renewal is good for about two months – one month before and one month after your birthday. Blue license renewal should be renewed in testing centers or renewal centers.
I will write another article about license renewal.