Japan's driving schools, squeezed by demographic change, target foreign residents to stay afloat

Drivers-to-be practice at Yokohama Driving School in Totsuka Ward in the city on June 22. The school is one of the remaining 1,300 authorized driving schools nationwide as the sector faces the effects of demographic change in the nation. | MAGDALENA OSUMI

By Magdalena Osumi
Staff Writer

Jul 2, 2018

According to the National Police Agency's latest statistics, as many as 82.26 million people held driver's licenses in Japan in 2017. Of those drivers, 18.18 million — or 22.1 percent — were 65 or older.

With well-developed public transport networks in urban areas and a shrinking youth population, can Japan's driving schools survive? What changes will operators see? What measures might they take to draw in new clientele? And what learning options are available for non-Japanese citizens?

Here are some more details about Japan's driver education system and its current situation:

Driving Schools

Japan's driving schools, squeezed by demographic change, target foreign residents to stay afloat

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