My sympathy is with a reader who used a previous column as a guide when he had his U.S. driver's license translated and took it to his Japanese licensing bureau for the easy exchange I had promised. He had studied the "Rules of the Road" handbook and didn't expect any problems with the required written test. However, he learned that the law had been changed and that now it is also necessary to take a driving proficiency test.
The person he spoke with was not encouraging. Even though the driving exam has been simplified for most foreigners with valid foreign licenses, he was told that only one in five passes the test the first time and that most will take it five to six times before passing. (Cost: First try, 3,900 yen; subsequent attempts, 2,200 yen.) Most Japanese learn to drive at an authorized driving school at an average cost of 240,000 yen. For many, it is worth it; they do need to take the driving test.
The best way for foreign drivers to learn the proper way of driving in Japan is to observe Japanese drivers, but please, not taxi and truck drivers. There is a way of driving in Japan and most drivers follow it. This is what is taught in school. I once let my driver's license expire. After years of safe driving, I twice failed the test I was subsequently required to take. I was advised to have a few hours of instruction at a driving school. In addition to always stopping at the proper place (before crosswalks, train crossings), I learned a number of other techniques, such as what to do before turning on the ignition, that let me pass easily the next time.