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You must have a driving license to drive a car or a motorcycle in Japan.
Foreign nationals with an international driving permit issued by countries that are signatories to the Geneva Treaty can drive in Japan for up to one year after their arrival or until the expiry of their permit if that is earlier. However, this excludes foreign residents of Japan who re-enter Japan less than three months after acquiring an international driving permit.
See the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department site below for information on valid international driving permits in Japanese, Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Korean, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog and Thai. (Scroll down the page until you find your language.)
Valid International Driving Permit in Japan
Foreign nationals who have a driving license from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan, can drive in Japan if they have a Japanese translation of the license issued by the embassy or consulate of that country or by the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF). The license can be used for its period of validity but for no more than just under one year after the day of arrival in Japan. However, this excludes foreign residents of Japan who enter or re-enter Japan less than three months after acquiring the foreign license.
However, this excludes foreign residents of Japan who enter or re-enter Japan less than three months after acquiring the foreign license.
See the website of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department for information on driving with foreign driving licenses in Japanese, English, French, German and Chinese (traditional). (Scroll down the page until you find your language.)
Valid Foreign Driving License in Japan
You can request a translation of your driver's license using JAF's Foreign Driver's License Translation Application Site. If you have difficulty applying online, you can also apply by mail to the JAF Kagawa Branch.
Certain Other Country's Driver License + Japanese Translation
Online Application for Japanese Translation form
Foreign Driver’s License Translation Application Site
INFO
🏢JAF Kagawa Branch
If you have a valid driving license issued in a country other than Japan, you can apply to change that license to a Japanese driving license. However, this excludes foreign residents of Japan who enter or re-enter Japan less than three months after acquiring an international driving permit.
To apply, you should submit the necessary documents (Japanese translation, etc.) at the driving license center (You will need to phone to make a reservation.). When you receive confirmation that you have passed the application screening, you can take the written knowledge test, and the road test at the driving license center. If you pass these tests, and the subsequent aptitude test, you will be issued a Japanese driving license. Be sure to take an interpreter with you if you do not speak Japanese. The knowledge and road tests can be taken in English, Korean, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Persian, Russian, Thai, Tagalog, and Vietnamese.
For more details, contact the driving license center in Takamatsu (Tel: 087-881-0645).
You can request a translation of your driver's license using JAF's Foreign Driver's License Translation Application Site. If you have difficulty applying online, you can also apply by mail to the JAF Kagawa Branch.
Japanese Driving License (Transfer your country's license to a Japanese license)
Online Application for Japanese Translation form
Foreign Driver’s License Translation Application Site
INFO
🏢JAF Kagawa Branch
In Japan, people generally take driving lessons at a driving school to prepare for the written and road tests
required to obtain a driving license. To find a school near you, please see the list of driving schools. You
may need to ask someone to help you contact them if you don’t speak Japanese. You must fulfill certain
criteria to apply, including being 18 years or older (16 years or older for a motorcycle driver’s license) and
being a registered resident of Kagawa. Driving school costs about \200,000 to \300,000 (about \120,000 to
\180,000 for a motorcycle license). You must complete a specified number of hours of lessons. Instruction is
in Japanese only but some driving schools lend students textbooks in English or Chinese. If you graduate from
the driving school, you will be exempted from the road test at the driving license center and will only need
to take the written knowledge test and the aptitude test, which can be taken in English, Chinese, Vietnamese, as well as
Japanese. Once you pass these tests, you will receive a driving license.
For more information, contact the driving license center (TEL: 087-881-0645).
For detailed information on Driving License and Transportation, see Chapter 9 Traffic of the Guidebook on Living and Working on the website of the Immigration Services Agency.