The Japanese driver's exam for a foreigner with a valid license from their home country consists of a written examination and a skills test in a car with an evaluator. Plus an eye test. Sounds similar to the US requirements but unfortunately, in the case of the the actual driving test, it's pretty different.
The Japanese driving test is on a closed course and is meticulously choreographed. When you take the actual test the evaluator doesn't say anything so you have to have the exact route memorized. So the first thing we did yesterday was go take a one hour practice run (for a fee, of course) on a practice course identical to the real thing. One good thing is you can find lots of information on the Internet about the course, including maps and detailed instructions of what they are looking for. The bad thing is that it is a lot to remember. And it isn't really what you would call natural driving, which if you've been driving for fifteen years like myself, means you have to unlearn some things. My practice teacher was a very nice man who was kind (even when popping my hand for cupping it palm-up under the steering wheel) and very helpful. He spoke a little bit of English and slow Japanese so we understood one another pretty well. I went through the course three times, including stopping and backtracking a little bit. I did OK on the super tight S-curve and crank curves--I only scrubbed the curb once. And after the first time I did OK on the part where you have to accelerate to exactly 50mph and then pump your brakes exactly three times to slow and turn. Yes, I'm serious. When I said "meticulously choreographed", I wasn't kidding. Oh, and I'm used to it now, but remember that you drive on the left here too.
My main problem during practice was my position in the lane when preparing to turn. You have to keep to the left/right (within a foot of the line specifically) when turning left/right and I was not so much. I cut some turns a little sharp and had that problem with cupping my hand under the steering wheel. Also, learning to smoothly do all the elaborate mirror-looking and signaling exactly like they want is tough.
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| the practice course |
After the practice and lunch, we went to what is basically the DMV for the real thing. We had to present a lot of documents to prove that we lived in the US for more than three months and fill out some forms and wait awhile for them to check everything and make sure we were legitimate and non-criminal people.
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| chillin' at the Japanese DMV |
The written test (we took it in English) was ten questions and was supposedly easy but I had trouble on a couple--fortunately you can get three wrong. We both passed that and then had to wait with about a dozen others to take the driving test. They pulled us out two at a time---I drove first and the other girl was in the back during the test. Sadly, I got an attack of the nerves and fumbled my way through some parts and forgot the correct route once which wasn't very pretty. I also scrubbed the curb when parking at the end. Of course, this is just my interpretation of my mistakes....they do not tell you what you did wrong, you just have to guess and pay attention to when they are scribbling on their pad. For the record, I did not expect to pass this time and was just proud that I was allowed to finish the course. Often if a first-timer is really bad they will stop them mid-way through and send them home. Some people who take it haven't driven much before at all and I think those are the ones who get stopped. I'm pretty sure the evaluators can tell the difference between someone who knows how to drive but just not their little rules and someone who is completely uncomfortable behind the wheel period.
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| the real course |
We both ended up failing (Chad bumped a curb in the crank turn) and we go back again next week to try again. (We have to go by ourselves from now on but we only have to do the actual driving test again.) We know another expat who tried fourteen times before he got it. You hear rumors of people trying up to twenty times. Apparently if you get it in under five tries you're considered one of the lucky ones. The three people out of the original dozen who passed celebrated like they'd won the lottery. The girl who rode in the car with me was on her seventh try (she got it this time) and told me later that they had stopped her on her first try--she was impressed that I made it all the way through on my first. I anticipate multiple tries.....this is by far the suckiest part of this whole living-in-Japan experience.
Also, if you're wondering, when you are getting your very first license in Japan you have to take a 100 question test and do a much harder and stricter course. And you have to take a forty-hour class first. So I guess I should consider myself lucky....;\
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