Getting a Japanese Driver's License - part 3 of 3!

Before I tell you all about my trip with Mikey I thought I should finish my saga about obtaining a Japanese driver's license.  Actually the two stories are kind of connected since, as I mentioned previously, I planned to take my second attempt at a license right before picking my brother up from Sendai Airport.  I printed out directions to go from my place to the Sendai Driving Center (which has parking spaces) to the airport and had even selected a fast food restaurant at which to eat once I had collected my notoriously hungry brother from the airport.

Of course, things didn't go as planned.  I woke up on August 2nd to find an email from my father saying that Mikey's second flight from Atlanta to Narita Airport in Tokyo had been delayed by four hours, so he wouldn't be able to catch the flight from Narita to Sendai.  At the time we thought that Mikey would be able to catch the flight to Sendai the following morning.  As it turned out that flight was already full so the airlines had him spend the night in Tokyo and take the shinkansen up to Sendai the following morning with the promise to reimburse him.

Due to the plane difficulties, I decided to take the bus to Sendai since I wouldn't be picking up my brother from the airport that day after all.  I arrived at the Driving Center with little difficulty since it was my third time there.  I had to retake the eye test but didn't have to retake the multiple choice quiz.  I paid the exact same fees as before.  I was informed that the practical test would follow
 the same route as before too.  I wonder if the test is always the same for foreigners or if I happened to get the same one since I came on a Thursday both times.  Anyway, I was still pretty nervous before the test but luckily I got the chance to observe someone else drive before me (a guy from Brazil).  He... didn't do so well.  Even when he first started the course he tried to turn on his blinker but turned on the windshield wipers by mistake (which is a common mistake since the blinkers are on the right-hand side in Japan).  So, the guy ahead of me didn't pass but I had a chance to calm down a bit before my turn and so I was feeling pretty good.

So, when my turn came I made extra-sure to remember all of my mistakes from before and to avoid them.  During "the crank" I made a wide turn into it so that I could avoid the dips on the side of the road.  When stopping at the stop sign I probably sat there for a good five seconds before turning.  I made sure to check my mirrors constantly.  One thing I noticed was that I had misremembered the part of the course where I was to turn right at the traffic light (where I had entered the wrong lane during my first test).  I thought that the lane-dividing lines there were all white but in fact the line separating the right-turning lane from the left/straight lane was yellow.  And the line separating the two directions of traffic was white...  No wonder I got into the wrong lane before!  Anyway, at the end of the test the instructor told me that I probably should have stayed a little closer to the left side of the road but other than that I had done well.  Then I got the blue paper of acceptance, since I passed! 

After that all was well.  I took the test around 2:30 and after I passed I went up to pay the license fee.

- the total for the day was ¥7160 (as before) + ¥2050 (license fee) = ¥9210 (about $115)

One kinda nice/kinda annoying thing about getting a Japanese license is that they give the real license to you on the day you pass.  In the US they give you a temporary paper license to take with you and they send you the real one when it's ready (I believe it took about a week for me).  While it's certainly nice to have the real thing right away it takes time to prepare the license and take your picture and process everything so I ended up waiting a couple of hours before I had my physical license in hand.  During that time I waited with the other foreigners who had passed (there were three of us all together, we must have broken some kind of record!).  The other two ladies who had passed were from Brazil (one was the wife of the man who had done the practical test before me).  The other girl was about my age and she told me that it was her ninth time taking the driving test.  She said the first seven times she had tried to take the manual transmission test.  She was pleased that she had passed the automatic transmission test on only her second try.  I was duly impressed (and slightly horrified at the amount of time and money she must have wasted during her endeavor).  

At 4:15 we all had our photos taken and within the next fifteen minutes we had our licenses in hand.  Since my US license proved that I had been driving in America for over a year I didn't have to take the green and yellow "new driver" bumper sticker, for which I was grateful.

Next time I'll tell you about my brother's arrival, Himeji, and possibly even Hiroshima.
Look forward to it!

Getting a Japanese Driver's License - part 2 of (?)

Left at 8:45 and drove to Tome. Caught the 9:30 bus to Sendai. Dozed during the 1.5 hour ride. Arrived at Sendai station around 11. Got a quick snack then got the 15 min. subway to Izumi-chuo station. Randomly saw a teacher from my school, what are the chances? Around 11:30 got the number 5-2 bus to the Driving Center. Arrived with plenty of time to spare as the registration process goes from 1:00 to 1:30 so I sat in the foreigner waiting-area along with two guys.

I reviewed what Anne had told me about her test while eating another snack. To pass the time I looked at my JET diary (day planner) that also has random useful information like "How to read a nutrition label in Japan," "How to write an address on an envelope," and "Meanings of the most common Japanese road signs." Of course that last one turned out to be useful for the multiple-choice quiz. Between 1 o'clock and 1:30 I successfully handed in my proof of residence paper (which is a new requirement as of this month since they changed the foreigner registration system), I also passed my eye test and the multiple-choice quiz in that time period. The two other guys didn't pass (but as neither Japanese nor English were their native languages I guess it wasn't that surprising)- the test is offered only in Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and English I believe. One other foreigner showed up after that and he managed to pass (he had very good English). After taking the quiz I was given a map of the day's course and a booklet that contained tips about the practical (all in Japanese so it was mostly useless to me except for some sections that had pictures).

Here's a slightly skewed photo of the course map they gave me. The Driving center (starting point) is on the right. In the center of the course is a working traffic light. On the right-hand side in the middle of the page you can also see "the crank"- a series of 90 degree turns on a narrow road with small indents along the edges so you can tell very easily when you go off the road. Below the crank is the S-curve, which is pretty self-explanatory I guess (it also has the indented edges).

After waiting around with no indication of when the test would take place, around 3 PM I was suddenly called up along with the other guy who had passed the written quiz. That man was taking the standard-transmission test but since we were the only foreigners there and the cars were going to do the same course we both got into the manual car to observe one of the testers drive the course. I was planning to pay attention to when the instructor put on his blinkers before each turn but he had his hazard lights on so that was no help. He also went straight through the red-light in the center of the course even though it hadn't turned green yet, which seemed odd to me...

Once the tester finished showing us the course he told me to wait for the automatic-transmission car to come. It arrived almost immediately and then it was my turn to brave the course... sigh. I wish that more foreigners had been there that day since I would have requested to go a bit later so that I could observe them driving the course. If multiple people are there then you also have the chance to sit in the back seat while the person ahead of you in line goes (but of course, speaking during the test is prohibited). Before starting the test I asked if I could wear my sunglasses since it was a bit bright out but the tester told me that I couldn't since he needed to be able to see where I was looking... jerk. Also, before getting into the car you're expected to check the tires and all around and under the car (just in case any little kids or animals have scrambled under there in the last five seconds).

The first minute of the test was fine. I successfully got up to 50 km/hr (a whopping 31 mph) when instructed during the first straightaway and I made sure to stay closer-than-seemed-appropriate to the left curb. The car was large compared to the k-car I'm used to driving but it wasn't too bad. I made the first right turn and then a left at the traffic-light before turning into the crank. Almost immediately my back left tire went over the indent since my turn wasn't wide enough. Technically you're allowed to fall into the indent up to three times as long as you back up out of it and then continue but I wasn't quite sure what to do since my tire had gone into (and out of) the indent already. I figured that I had already failed since backing up would mean falling into the indent again. So, I just kept going and successfully managed to stay out of the indent after that (even though I knew it didn't matter at that point since I had already failed). Next I went left and through the intersection headed towards the S-curve. Unfortunately I didn't come to a complete... stop... at a stop-sign. That was just careless of me since even in Japan you're still supposed to wait three seconds... during the driving test. So the tester pointed out my mistake and then I managed to get through the S-curve. When making my final approach to the traffic-light intersection I was definitely feeling depressed since I knew that I had failed. I was supposed to turn right but I didn't get into the right-hand turn lane like I was supposed to since I completely didn't notice it. This may seem strange to you since in the US turning lanes are usually very clearly indicated with arrows and lines (white lines indicate the edge of the road and differentiate between turning lanes while yellow lines show you where the opposing lane begins). But in Japan all the lines are white so at a quick glance it's sometimes hard for me to tell whether a particular lane is on my side or in the opposing lane (especially if a turning lane is on a straightaway or if I'm out of it since I know that I just failed a test).

Anyway, the tester told me that I hadn't passed after giving me another recap of all of the parts I had messed up. He then gave me the pink paper of death (since I had failed) which said something like "go back to staff room." ...

Final recap of my wasted day:

two-way bus ticket from Tome: ¥2300
subway to Izumi-chuo: ¥390
bus from subway to Driving center: ¥170
bus back to Sendai station: ¥550

test "handling fee" (whatever that is): ¥2200
practical test fee: ¥1550

total: ¥7160 (approximately $90)

Getting this whole ordeal out of the way: priceless... I bet you saw that coming, haha.

I signed up to take the test again on Thursday since I'll be in Sendai anyway... picking up my brother from the airport! Next time I hope to tell you more about my planned trip with my brother (whom I will call Mike since I like that name). I can tell you that it will be truly epic since we will stay at five different hostels and travel at least 2,740km (~1,700 miles).

Getting a Japanese Driver's License - part 1 of (?)

Obtaining a driver's license in Japan is neither easy nor convenient.  In my prefecture there is only one place to go to apply for a license, the city of Sendai (2 hours away by car or 2.5 hours away by bus).  I remember complaining that the DMV was too far away in Massachusetts, and it was only 30 minutes away...  Of course, the Sendai equivalent of the DMV (the Miyagi Prefecture Driver's License Test Center) is only open on weekdays during working hours so I'll have to take at least two days off to go there if I'm extremely lucky.

Why two days?  Well:

1.  The first day you go you aren't allowed to take any sort of assessment, you are there to fill out the paperwork and sign up for your practical test.  If you ask me, having this as an online form (or even as a form that could be sent in by mail) would make more sense.

2.  The second time you go you take a 10 question, multiple-choice "rules of the road" quiz (luckily offered in English), have an eye exam, and have a go at the driving test.

3.  Once you fail the practical test, you re-signup to take it again.

4.  Repeat steps 2-3 as necessary until you pass (the only difference is that you don't have to take the multiple-choice quiz again).

Now you know why this post is "part 1 of (?)."  Of all the JETs I know, I have heard of only two who passed on their first try (one of whom was my roommate who passed last week).  Most JETs take the test three or four times before passing.

It's times like these that I wish I were Canadian.  Natalie (one of the JETs from Kesennuma) didn't have to take the practical exam at all since Japan and Canada have an agreement where it's much easier for Japanese people to get Canadian licenses and vice versa.  So, Natalie still had to go to Sendai to fill out the paperwork (about 3 hours away from Kesennuma), and she had to take the eye exam,  but after that she was done.  Please, America, arrange a similar agreement with Japan!  Or even just Massachusetts and Japan!

Anyway, the only license requirement I've fulfilled so far is that I got an official translation of my US license from the JAF (Japan Automobile Federation - they are similar to America's AAA).  I decided to spend the additional 380 yen and send it in the mail instead of going to them in person (spending 3,380 yen in total ~$42).  I probably saved a lot of time doing it that way since their Sendai office is a long walk away from the nearest bus stop.  What I received in return was a sheet of paper translating the key components of my license like name, state, date of birth, and the type of vehicles I'm allowed to drive.  Aren't most of those pretty obvious just from looking at the license though?  They basically just "translated" words from English to katakana; Massachusetts became マサチューセッツ (Masachuusettsu), and America became アメリカ (Amerika).

Now that I think of it, I guess I have fulfilled one other requirement- getting a license-sized photograph taken.  This is actually much easier to obtain than a similar photo in the US.  I simply went to an automated photo-booth that can take license or passport-sized photos.  The photo-booth was even located within Minamisanriku, not far away from Hashi middle school.  It was very convenient.  My picture came out pretty well but it doesn't matter because, paradoxically, it won't be used as a license photo.  The photo will simply be used for identification purposes and will be attached to the forms I fill out in Sendai.  When I finally pass the practical exam they will take their own photo of me which will appear on my license.  Well, there goes another 700 yen... I did get nine photos out of it though, maybe I'll get to keep the ones that aren't used...

I'm beginning to seriously worry about the driving test since whether you pass or fail seems so random and it has the potential to waste so much of my time.  Even though it is called a "practical" driving test, I have heard others say that it doesn't measure your practical driving ability, just your ability to follow testing procedures.  The test occurs on a closed course and you must use one of their vehicles (all retired taxis which are much larger than my k-car).  The course contains some difficult situations that hardly ever appear in real life, the most difficult of which is probably the "crank."  The crank consists of two 90 degree turns on a narrow stretch of road and also has high curbs and hanging poles that simulate walls.  Bumping a curve is allowed up to three times, though if you go all the way over one or if you tap one of the poles then you automatically fail. 

Like I said, I still haven't taken the test yet but I am strongly considering taking a couple of hour-long lessons at a nearby driving school just to mentally prepare myself for it.  If you want to know more about the procedures, then have a look at this hilarious forum post from a JET in Tokyo.

More Driving in Japan

I posted about driving in Japan last November but I didn't mention all of the differences that I've noticed so I've decided to update!  The good news is that I now automatically go to the proper (right-handed) side of the car when I'm the one driving, which saves time.  I still hit the windshield wiper lever instead of the blinkers sometimes when I get flustered though.  At least the brake and gas pedals are in the same relative locations as they are in the US or else I probably wouldn't be able to drive at all...

Maybe you've seen this on TV before, but the traffic signals in Japan usually do not dangle vertically as they do in America, they are horizontal and are built right into the metal of the traffic light post over the road (which is probably safer during storms with strong wind).  The red light is on the right, yellow is in the middle, and green/blue is on the left.  I say green/blue since it's definitely not a solid green but most of the time the difference isn't really noticeable to me.  One time when I was driving back home at night I saw some blinking/spinning warning lights ahead indicating a part of the road undergoing construction.  I stopped, wondering when it would be safe to go (there was no construction worker to tell me and I couldn't see where the construction ended due to a bend in the road).  Then I noticed that there was a circular blue light staring me in the face.  It was one of those portable traffic lights, and apparently it was my turn to go...

Speaking of construction workers, I've noticed that there are three different methods that are used for telling you when it's safe to drive around construction sites.  During the day, a construction worker employee (not a police officer with white gloves) will have a red flag and a green flag.  When the worker waves or holds up the red flag it means "stop," once you do come to a complete stop the worker will bow to you (I usually bow my head in return).  When it's time to go, the person will wave the green flag vigorously.  In the evening the colors of the flags change.  Neon orange means "stop" while neon yellow means "go."  Finally, at night the workers use two glowing orange batons to tell you what to do.  Holding them up, or in a crossed "X" means "stop," while moving them in a large circular motion means "go."  It can be a little confusing so I try to be extra cautious in the evening and at night.

One other big difference I've noticed about driving in Japan is that stop-lines are usually much farther away from their corresponding intersections than they are in the US.  In Japan the roads are more narrow so when a truck or bus makes a turn they are often in the opposite lane for several meters before straightening out; so the corresponding stop-lines need to be several meters away from the intersection for safety.

Police officers are very nice in Japan.  When they're cruising around town they are required to have their red lights flashing so you always see them coming (luckily they don't have to have their sirens going).  I have never seen officers lying in wait in speed traps, in fact I have only seen people being pulled over by the police twice (and one time was a mandatory breathalyzer test for everyone going down the road so it doesn't really count).  I haven't been pulled over since I've been here.  Also, if you're walking around a city and get lost you are encouraged to go to a koban (small police station, also called a police box) and ask an officer for directions; it's their job to help!

One last thing I've noticed about Japanese roads is that there is a distinct lack of road-kill.  Maybe I'm just too used to seeing squirrels every five feet in MA but I swear I've only seen a couple of cases of road-kill since I've been here.  I think they do have squirrel-like creatures around but they are quite rare.  There aren't any chipmunk equivalents that I've seen, and tanuki (raccoon-like creatures, also called raccoon-dogs) are pretty rare as well. 

Anyway, the car I share with my roommate has been doing well.  I mentioned before that it's a k-car (small car) but I didn't tell you that it's a Mitsubishi MiniCar; at least, I thought it was but when I looked again recently I realized that it is actually a "MINICA" (see below).

... it's clear from the shape of the sticker that it's not missing a letter either...

Anyway, a couple of weekends ago we finally got around to changing the winter tires back to summer tires and of course the car shop lady convinced us to buy new ones... but who knows when they were last replaced anyway and this way we'll be able to tell them next year that we really don't need new ones.  We also had the oil changed, which the car appreciated I think.  Now we don't have to do anything until August when the inspection is due.  In Japan older cars like ours are checked every two years and during the checkup we will have to leave the car with the inspectors for up to a week (they will give us a rental to drive during that time).  The inspection process is supposedly pretty intense and since our car is older it will probably be expensive to get all of its components up to a passing level.  So, I'll be saving up 100,000 yen ($1,270) for my half of the cost to put aside for the testing and repairs just in case, but hopefully it won't be quite that expensive...

In other news, I've started the process of obtaining a Japanese Driver's License.  I'll give more details next time!

Driving: Left turns are now easy

We got a car (I told you), we got car insurance, and we even got optional car insurance (which wasn't so optional since everyone was insisting that we get it).  After all that we still weren't allowed to drive to school yet (Suzuki-san said something about how we wouldn't know how to drive on icy/hilly roads).  Well, I know the roads in Japan aren't salted in the wintertime (since it would ruin the surrounding rice fields) but the roads are often more textured than in the US (especially for sharp curves) and I figure that as long as you go slow you'll get used to it (right?).  The roads haven't been icy yet, meanwhile in Massachusetts there was a freak October snowstorm and Halloween trick-or-treating was postponed in some towns due to power outages.  I hope that I can drive to school soon since I really feel bad about the other teachers driving me (and poor Katou-san doesn't even live in my neighborhood)!

Here's our car, it's about five feet tall.

  Anyway, what you're probably really wondering is how difficult/different it is to drive on the left side for someone who's driven on the right.  The answer is... it's really not that bad at all.  It helps that the steering wheel is on the right side (thus reminding me to be vigilant).  I was probably driving a bit too far to the left side during my first trip but I've improved since then.  It's only confusing when I pull onto an empty road (since I automatically try to stay on the right if I'm not simply following the car in front of me).  In the US I drove a standard transmission (manual) car but our k-car is an automatic and as I predicted I did attempt to shift the car into neutral a few times when going down a hill.  My right hand automatically went out to my right side (where the shifter would be in my US car) and I hit my hand against the driver's side door... haha.  So I learned pretty quickly that there was no need to shift.

Using kilometers per hour (km/hr) instead of miles per hour (mph) also isn't hard since all the speed limit signs (which are circular with a red border) are in km/hr and the k-car's speedometer only measures in km/hr.  As a side note, going 70 km/hr (on the highway) may sound fast, but it's only about 45 mph.  Most speed limits in my area are 30 to 50 km/hr (20 - 35 mph), which is a good thing since most of the roads are much narrower than in my hometown.  Luckily in my neighborhood there are plenty of strategically placed mirrors at the intersections so that I can see if there's a car coming around a corner.

As a final note about driving in Japan I must warn you that stop signs are NOT octagons, they are triangles with the word tomare (stop) on them, so please be careful if you ever go to Japan!