On October 1, 2025, the system for converting foreign driver’s licenses to Japanese licenses underwent significant changes. Many of you have likely seen news reports stating that the system has become stricter, but what exactly has changed, and to what extent? A look at the latest data released by the National Police Agency in March […]
In order for a foreigner to drive a car in Japan, the driver’s license obtained in his/her home country must be converted to a Japanese driver’s license. To do so, they must take the Foreign License Conversion Test. Compared to taking trainings and lessons in Japan and getting a new Japanese driver’s license, conversion […]
If you’d like to use your driver’s license issued in foreign country, you must convert it to a Japanese driver’s license before you drive a vehicle. The procedures for converting a driver’s license is called “Gaimen-Kirikae, (がいめんきりかえ)” in Japanese. However, the procedures must be carried out in accordance with strict criteria. With this article, we […]
Countries you can drive with a Japanese driver’s license. In general, you need a driver’s license when you drive a vehicle not only in Japan, but also in foreign countries. However, there are a few countries where you can drive without an International Driving Permit. In this article, we would like to share the information […]
As of the end of 2021, the number of people living in Chiba-prefecture is about 160,000 and that is the 2.6% of the population in Chiba. Chinese people occupy most of the number and Vietnamese and Filipino follows. Even though the public transportation is developed in Chiba, it is still useful to drive a car […]
As of January 2023, the number of people from overseas living in Tokyo is about 580,000 and that’s 20% of the total people from abroad living in Japan. Those who are living in Tokyo are mainly age of 20s-30s and very young. In addition to this, the most of them are living in the 23 […]
A lot of people from aboard might think driving a car when it comes to stay or live for a while in Japan. At that moment, people start to think, “Does my driver’s license issued in my own country valid?” or “Do I must acquire a driver’s license in Japan?”. In fact, some of them […]
Among people from the other countries living in Japan, some might think about driving a car as their transportation. However, driver’s license issued in foreign countries are not valid itself in Japan. If you would like to drive a car in Japan, you must obtain a Japanese driver’s license. So here I would like […]
