Howie Hayman - Resources - Japan

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Hey Everyone,

Yup I know this page is a total mess. The following are links collected over many years with a lot more to come. This page is a work in progress and will be a lot prettier soon. Really quite a few very useful links if you can spend awhile looking through them. Thanks.

Howie

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Japan - Drivers License

Directions to driving place

Turn on 109 from the house – go to the double road 108
Turn RT on 108 – S4 – go to the end which is 36
Turn LT on 36 – S4
Turn RT on 24 – S4 – should be a 7-11
Turn RT at S16 – past minami elementary and honda cars – should be a post office
Continue until the center – should be a circle K store

Link to important tips and information

Driving Place Map
https://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Nara-ken+Ikoma-gun+Ando-ch%C5%8D%E6%9D%B1%E5%AE%89%E5%A0%B5%EF%BC%93%EF%BC%99%EF%BC%94%E2%88%92%EF%BC%93&daddr=%E6%A9%BF%E5%8E%9F%E5%B8%
https://www.globalcompassion.com/driving.htm
https://www.supermelf.com/japan/ajetdrivingbook/index.htm
https://www.japandriverslicense.com/
https://www.sagajet.com/japanese-driving-test-passing-the-first-time
https://www.japandriverslicense.com/test1.asp
https://tokyo.usembassy.gov/e/acs/tacs-drive.html
https://www.thejapanfaq.com/japanfaq2b.html
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/showthread.php?t=1660389&page=436
https://members.jcom.home.ne.jp/albanese/dtest.html
https://www.michaelpanda.com/blog/2005/06/panda-fails-his-driving-test.html

Reasons for not passing test in Nara, Japan

1. Car does not move
• Engine problem
• Do not go forward when the signal is green
• Takes too long to go forward

2. Hitting something
• Hit another car
• Hit something like a building, ball, basically almost anything

3. Wheel stuck
• If you keep driving even if you hit the curb
• Do not go forward if you hit the curb

4. Backing
• If you back up when you should go forward

5. S curve and half round curve
• If the car really wobbles

6. If you drive over the line

7. If you do not follow the signal

8. If you keep going forward when you are supposed to wait
• If you wait over the line

9. S course
• If you change gears 4 times

10. If you do not follow the rules when the other car has right of way

11. If you use the steering wheel incorrect and almost hit something

12. If the brake, axle does not work correctly but you keep going

13. If teacher does something

Summary of driving test tips obtained from the sites listed above

Before the test
Register for a practice session.
Show up early for your driving test.
During the hour before the test, you should be able to walk the course.
General driving tips
Stay to the left. The left lane is for driving and the right lane is for passing. If you see a wide lane that could fit two cars, then consider it as 2 lanes whether it's marked or not. If you drive down the center of a double wide lane you'll fail the test for sure. Don't drive in the gutter either, but stay within about meter or so of the left gutter. When you need to get in the right lane (for example to make a right turn), then signal in advance, check your mirrors, glance back over your right shoulder and change lanes.
Show the instructor that you are looking everywhere. Move your head all around in an exaggerated way to show you are looking in your mirrors and checking over your shoulder. If turning right or changing lanes to the right, look over your right shoulder. If turning left, look down the left side of your car (to make sure you aren't going to run over a bicycle or pedestrian). When passing cross streets or intersecting streets obviously turn your head just to make sure some crazy, imaginary driver isn't going to suddenly emerge. One person told me his neck was sore from bobbing all around after finally passing his test.
Stop with your bumper behind the line at stop lights and stop signs. Slow down in advance so you don't jerk to a stop at the line. Don't stop too soon. One person in my group failed for stopping too soon at a stop sign. (Stopping wasn't a problem. The problem was that he should have stopped again when he reached the sign. He didn't, so the tester considered that rolling through the stop sign.)
Be cautious and drive slowly. Unless you take this to extremes, they won't fail you for being to careful or driving too slowly. There is only one part of the course where they want you to speed up to 40km/hour. Even there, you don't need to rush into it. They'll tell you if they think you need to speed up.
Make good, clean turns at all times. Don't swerve right before turning left, or vice versa. And be careful not to hit the curb when turning. If you ever run up on a curb that's an instant fail.
More general driving tips
Know the Course. Give yourself time to walk the course.
Exaggerate. Everything you do in this test (from checking over your shoulder to untwisting your seatbelt to hitting the brakes) should be done in a slow, obvious, or exaggerated manner.
Be Polite and Japanese. Try to use as much Japanese as you can to make the instructor feel comfortable. Even simply saying "hai" after a command will help. Saying "arigatou gozaimasu" afterwards is a good idea too.
Verbalize actions. If you do not know a lot of Japanese, saying yoshi ("all right; OK") every time you check your mirrors is one way to be sure the proctor knows that you checked. Saying what you are doing is not always necessary, but it is never a bad idea if you are able to.
Don't be in a hurry. The course is short and will be over in minutes, you do not need to rush. It is easy to slip into natural driving when you know you are on an extremely safe course and do not need to check for people/obstacles/bikes/crazy drivers, but keep alert. Remember that you are demonstrating how to be a paranoid, careful driver even when your instinct tells you that you are on the safest road in Japan.
Note Hand Placement on the Steering Wheel. Keep both hands on the wheel at 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock. Do not let your hand rest long on the gear shift or anywhere else. When you turn, do hand-over-hand. IMPORTANT: Do not turn your hand palm-upwards on the steering wheel. It will count against you.
Before getting in the car, walk around car and do the following
Say "yoroshiku onegai shimasu" to the instructor
Bend down and look under the back of the car
Bend down and look under the front of the car
Before walking out toward the driver's side, look both ways as if you are parked on a very busy street
After getting in the car
Instructor will tell you to make your preparations.
Adjust your seat, even if it doesn't need it.
Put your hand on the rear-view mirror, adjust if needed, and double-check the side mirrors.
Look around and become familiar with where everything is.
Make sure the emergency brake is on, and be obvious about all these things.
Put on your seat belt; make sure there are no twists.
Lock the door
When the instructor seems ready, put your foot on the brake and start the car.
Holding the brake down with your right foot release the emergency brake.
Put your turn signal on.
Then put the car in drive.
Use your turn signal to signal away from the curb where you are parked.
Before you move the car, do the "full head spin"
Look over your left shoulder
Look in your passenger side mirror
Look in your rear-view mirror
Look in your driver side mirror
Look over your right shoulder
Slowly pull forward.
On The Road
STAY LEFT - Most people know to drive on the left side in Japan, but it is not always obvious which lanes constitute the "left side" on the course. Study the course beforehand to determine which lanes are legal. The lines - sometimes solid, sometimes dashed, sometimes white, sometimes yellow - rarely help clarify except that you should never cross a solid yellow line. The course looks nothing like typical Japanese streets. In general, there will be multiple lanes along the outside loop and just a singular lane on the inside loop. The road through the middle may be a double-lane.
STAY REALLY LEFT - Not only stay in the left lane but stay on the left side of the left lane, even if there is no center line. The rule, especially when making a turn, is 70 cm from the left - about the distance from your knees to your toes - but I've never heard of anyone failing for driving too far left unless they slid against the curb. It may feel like you are driving in the gutter; your right wheel will practically be in the center of the lane. The only time you don't stay to the left side is when you are making a right turn. In that case, go to on the right side of the lane within 50cm (but be careful of the line!) Do not drive in the obvious, safe place: the center of the lane.
PUMP THOSE BRAKES - When you slow down or stop, always pump your brakes instead of pressing down on them once. This is especially important right before you enter a curve. The proctor will think you are going too fast in the curve, no matter what your speed, if you don't pump your brakes several times beforehand. Don't worry about a smooth ride, instead be dramatic and obvious. Speeding up and braking hard is preferable to easing off the gas and gently braking.
SIGNAL EARLY AND OFTEN - The rule is to signal 30 meters before the turn. I say, signal as soon as you come out of the previous turn. For the majority of the course, your turn signal should be on. Even if there are other turns ahead of your target, still put your signal on. (The logic is that a person behind you will know it is not the earlier turns because you would have had your signal on even earlier for those.) Your turn signal might pop off a lot, especially in the S-curve. Put it immediately back on. When you are coming out of the Crank or the S-curve (see more below) remember to signal. The instructor will probably tell you to turn, but sometimes, when you are concentrating hard on getting through the narrow section, you forget to signal.
LOOK OVER YOUR SHOULDER
LEFT TURN - This is one of the most unintuitive, but important rules you must follow in order to pass the test. Every time you make a left turn:
Look over your right shoulder
Look in your driver side mirror
Look in your rear-view mirror
Look in your passenger side mirror
Look over your left shoulder (IMPORTANT!) - Looking over your shoulder and taking your eyes off the front will feel strange and often unsafe, but you must do it. The theory is that a bicycle or scooter could have caught up with you while you were slowing down to make the turn and be riding along invisibly on your left. Before turning the wheel, you must look entirely over your left shoulder, not just check your mirror, swiveling your head at least 90 degrees.
RIGHT TURN - When you make a right turn, the procedure is the same, but not quite as vital:
Look over your left shoulder
Look in your passenger side mirror
Look in your rear-view mirror
Look in your driver side mirror
Look over your right shoulder
CHANGING LANES - When you change lanes, ALWAYS signal and look over your shoulder before turning the wheel. Also, if you are changing lanes twice in a row, doing each one distinctly is wise.
STOP FOR THREE SECONDS - This is a fairly common rule in many countries, but just to reiterate: At every stop sign or blinking red light (the equivalent of a stop sign), you must be fully stopped behind the line for a solid three seconds before proceeding. Count to three slowly in your head before moving forward.
THE S-CURVE AND THE CRANK
What's the S-curve? The S-curve is exactly that, a narrow curve shaped like an "S." Start slow and drive careful and intuitive, staying as close as you comfortably can to the right side (the side you can see better). Do not forget to signal when you are most of the way through (your signal will probably pop out about three times, keep re-signaling.) It's not as hard as the crank.
What's the crank? The crank is a very narrow section of road. (The proctor may sound like he is calling it the "clank") This crank is a road with two sharp right-angle turns, shaped like a square 'S' or '5'. It is wide enough for the car, but you must get through without driving over the curb or hitting the vertical poles. You may, however, reverse up to three times and you may run up against the curb as long as you don't drive over it. The objective is to try not to have your back rear tire clip the curb. Crank Technique:
Take it very, very slow [1st gear with clutch in most of the time] and enter it from a stop.
Stay as far right as possible and turn left at the last moment
Move left and try to stay left as far as possible before turning the wheel right.
Take it on instinct. Try to sense where the edges of the car are and be prepared to hit a curb at any moment. If you have to reverse, don't try to turn the wheel too much, go straight back to where you came. If you do have to reverse, be very sure to turn and look behind you before you do. The crank takes a lot of concentration and it is easy to forget the simple things like checking behind. In both the S-curve and the crank, be especially careful if you have to make a left turn out - it is easy to clip your rear tire.
OBSTACLES IN THE ROAD
Something Blocking Your Path - During the course, you will probably come across a parked car or construction cones in the road blocking your way. This is actually a realistic obstacle you will face in Japan. There is a specific procedure for passing it, but it is logical and easy to remember:
Right turn signal
Look in side mirror and look over right shoulder
Move car into right lane to go around obstacle.
Left turn signal
Look in passenger side mirror and look over left shoulder
Return to left lane. Your signal is on the whole time. Don't forget that, if there is a left turn right after this obstacle, check over your left shoulder again, no matter how redundant it might seem.
Red Lights - Stop with your bumper well behind the line at a red light and do not rev in anticipation of green. If there is a car in front of you, make sure you can see its rear tires when you stop. Look both ways before proceeding, despite that it is green and your right-of-way. [Manual drivers: do not shift into neutral before the car is stopped. Keep the clutch in until you stop.]
Other Cars - There will be very few other cars on the course at the same time as you, but when you do come across them, give them wide berth. It is better to wait a long time for a car in the distance then to turn in front of them. Note: Be aware that you may share the course with freight trucks and motorcycle drivers taking their tests. Do not be alarmed.
Railroad Tracks - Not all prefectures have this as part of the test. Know where the tracks are since from a distance they look like two funny bumps randomly on a road in the middle of the course. The thin pole may not look like the railroad crossings you are used to. You must stop completely, look both ways very obviously and then ROLL DOWN THE WINDOW to listen for a train. Yes. As silly as it may feel on fake railroad bumps, roll down the window and listen for a 'train' before proceeding.
Construction Zones - Two words: GO SLOW. Lean forward and look around every obstructed view. Act extremely alert and cautious.
Crosswalks - You don't have to come to a full stop at a crosswalk, but slow down enough (pumping the brakes a couple times) so that you could stop if a person walked out onto the crosswalk. [Shift down into second gear if not there already]
ADDITIONAL ADVICE
Love Your Mirrors - Always keep an eye on your mirrors, especially before a turn or a lane change. Look in your rear-view mirror before you brake.
Look Both Ways - Look left and right at EVERY INTERSECTION you cross, even if it is a traffic light intersection and the light is green. If coming out of a small side street, make sure to look both ways before entering the bigger street
No Swerving - Make clean turns. Do not swerve left before turning right and vice versa.
Make Wide Right Turns - Although you should take left turns as tight as possible, take right turns rather wide, especially when you are turning onto a double-lane street. Sometimes this means you are driving straight forward a little ways before turning right. That is okay. Make it as near a right angle as possible. Also, it is often preferable, to turn into the FAR LEFT lane when turning right, not the closest lane, the right lane.
Avoid the Triangle - You will often see a small triangle or diamond painted on the ground at turns. They are turning guides. Aim for them but DO NOT drive over them. This holds true for pretty much any solid line. If there is a little arrow next to it, try to put your wheel on that.
Speed - On the course, there is usually a long, straight area where the proctor will want you to go 35, 40, or even 50kph on some courses [up to third, possibly fourth gear]. Usually, the proctor will tell you where, but not always. Generally, if you are along the outside of the course and do not have a turn for awhile, speed up. People have failed for not going fast enough. The proctor wants to know that you can control the car at high speeds. However, once you have reached the speed limit or the speed the proctor has indicated, slow down again immediately. More people have failed for not going slow enough.
Obstructed Views - Sometimes you will pass an intersection with high walls on one or both sides. Two words: GO SLOW. Approach the intersection very carefully, leaning forward toward your windshield as you go to check that the hidden view is clear. In real life, this kind of turn would have a mirror. The test site likely won't.
"Slow" Signs (or marks painted on the road indicating the same) - You do not need to fully stop. Treat these as a rolling stop, like it is a "Give Way" or "Yield" sign. Proceed carefully, looking around, hitting the brakes at least once.
Hills - Not all courses will have this, but if you find yourself on an incline, the proctor will almost certainly have you stop. Come to a stop. Engage your emergency brake. Remain stopped for a moment. Disengage your emergency brake, press the gas, and slowly proceed. The key is not to roll backwards before going forward. There is no trick to make this easier - it is worth practicing if have not driven on hills much before. [Manual drivers: the hill can be tricky because you are in a car with an unfamiliar clutch. Let the clutch out very slowly, feeling it out, do not worry if you rev a little.]
Curves - Take curves very slow, about 15-20kph. Pump your brakes repeatedly before entering a curve [downshift into second], but do not pump your brakes inside the curve. Try not to give it any gas inside the curve unless you have to.
Speed Limits - Unfortunately, the speed limit signs on the course are very small and not typical of signs on real roads. Look for them when you walk the course. In general, along the outer loop will be from 35-45 and the inner loop will be 25-30, sometimes 15 around turns. If in the inner loop or on the inside roads of the course, it is wise to stay under 25 [second gear].
At the End
The instructor will usually say the number of the spot he wants you to pull up at. It should be the same place, or very close to the place, you started.
Pull forward until your front bumper is exactly in line with the striped pole. You can fail for pulling up too far or not far enough. Also, be careful not to hit the curb.
Put on the emergency brake and put the car into Park.
Turn off the car, leaving the key in the ignition.
Wait for the instructor to give you further instructions. He may tell others in the car to leave before he tells you your mistakes. He may ask you to move into the back seat for the next driver. He may tell you to wait outside or in the building. Always be polite and try to say "arigato gozaimasu"
Usually Instant Fails:
Hitting a curb, sliding against a curb, or going over a curb. (The only exception is in the crank. If you run up against the curb, you can back up and try again, but if you go over it, it is a fail.)
Not stopping the full three seconds at stop signs and blinking red lights.
Forgetting to look over your shoulder.
Forgetting your turn signal or signaling too late.
Going too fast around curves (and not pumping your brake beforehand)
Going too fast through a construction zone or obstructed view
Going over a triangle or a line when turning.
Making left turns too wide.
Not lining up with the pole at the end
Not staying left enough
Not going fast enough over the straight sections
Forgetting to put on your seatbelt (yes, you do stupid things when you're nervous)
Driving in the wrong lane (yes, you do stupid things when you're nervous)
If you make a mistake, you usually may still continue unless they tell you otherwise. Oddly, if you miss a turn on the course, it does not necessarily mean you fail. As long as you keep driving correctly and get back on the course to perform all the requirements, you may still pass.