Japanese Driving Licence - Got It!!!

After FOUR attempts, I finally got my driving licence. What an ordeal!

Our International Driving Licences were due to expire one year after we arrived in Japan and just a few weeks before the dreaded expiry date, on Mon, Oct. 24th, we finally managed to get ourselves to a local driving school with a translator. We sat down in a classroom where we went through the set driving course via picture slides that the teacher had very kindly prepared for us in English. He said it was his first time doing so! We then went outside to actually practice driving around the course. The driving test course is the same throughout Japan. At the practice schools, they have miniature versions. Our super nice, very smiley teacher gave us a lot of helpful tips like checking the back and front of the car before going in, opening the door in two steps and closing it in two steps, even if you don't have to adjust the back mirror you still have to at least touch it, make sure you speed up whenever you're going straight (even if only a short distance), slow down before a turn and release brake going into it, stay within 1m of the curb on left or drive on line depending on distance between line and curb, drive at 10km/h or less when turning, etc. One thing that he told us which surprised me was that the "feeling/impression" that the examiner receives is very important. The test is not so much about skill as it is about the examiner feeling like you know the rules of the road and are a safe driver. I had no clue how significant this bit of advice was...

That following Thursday, on Oct. 27th, we went to the driving test center with another friend. There is only ONE center that serves for all of Hiroshima prefecture. Our practice cars at the driving school were BMWs. The cars used for testing foreigners were old Japanese taxis! The Japanese testers had fairly new cars. Foreigners, or more specifically, those with a foreign driving licence, are also tested after the Japanese but we all have to arrive at the same time as the registration counter is only open for 30 minutes in the afternoon. Peter and I both passed the paper test but failed the driving test. A very nervous Peter didn't speed up enough and my left turns were too wide. The examiner was kinda scary. :P

The next Monday, Oct 31st, Peter passed! Yay!!! The new examiner said that he was very good, asked if he'd gone to driving school, and was surprised that he'd only been once. I failed. The examiner said my driving was overall very good but my left turns were wide in the areas where a left turn was made right after a right turn. He was super nice. I appreciated his feedback. :)

(Every time I went, I had to fill in paperwork in Korean (Peter's were in English) and go to a counter to receive actual stamps that I had to wet and stick on to the paper as proof of payment. Surprisingly very old school, right? This pic is actually from the day that I passed. :) Fingerprint is only needed on the day that you pass.)

The following Wednesday, on Nov 2nd, our friend who had gone with us the previous two times, came to pick me up and drive me there, waited, and then drove me back. This time, for the first time, I was actually nervous 'cause I really wanted it now. The previous times, I only half-heartedly wanted to pass 'cause the dates were right before my birthday, which would have meant that because of a few days, I'd be losing a year in terms of my first renewal period. But this time, my birthday had passed, I was feeling much more confident, I'd already lost so much time and money on the testing, and it was starting to get embarrassing, so I really really wanted it! That made me nervous too. I got an elderly examiner this time and he said that my driving was very good, just a little bit fast when making right turns. Because he said I was very good and because I knew that my driving had been pretty good, I got my hopes up - only to have them dashed when told "no pass" (in English) at the counter... :( I was crushed. So super disappointed. I'd really wanted it that day. I also couldn't help feeling like the system was unfair. It's definitely not opaque like the driving tests I'd experienced in the UK and the US. You don't get any paperwork back telling you exactly what you did wrong, how many times, if it was major/minor, etc. There are guidelines like a major mistake is worth 10 points and you're allowed to get 30 points off, but no one shows you anything after the test.

The following Monday, Nov 7th (NB: 3 days after my Int'l had expired!!!), our friend and I went again. My driving was OK, as it had been the previous 3 times. The examiner was in a bad mood (or so it seemed) and actually fell asleep while the person being tested before me was driving (the next person rides in the back seat while the previous person drives). He gave me a ton of feedback, most of which I didn't really pay attention to/couldn't understand. With a sinking heart, our friend and I sat down. Soon after, we discussed when would be a good time for us to come back for test #5... When we were called to the counter, I expected the examiner to say "no pass" but he said a full sentence in Japanese and our friend started bowing saying "Ah! Arigato gozaimashita!" so then in disbelief, I started doing the same! I'd passed? I'd passed!!! Hurrah!!! :) I had to fill in paperwork, give them a pin number for my driving licence, do a few exercises (no joke, I had to like lift my arms up, turn them around, do squats, etc), get my eyes checked, get my picture taken, wait for my licence, and then we were off! I went to the counter to ask if I could take a picture with the person who processed my paperwork most of the time, was our 2nd examiner, and always told us so gently "no pass" but he declined. I took the opportunity to thank him though for always being so nice, even when telling us "no pass". :)

Don't have to go back there again for THREE YEARS! Yay!!! :)