Japan has largely been spared the kind of strict 新型コロナウイルス (shingata koronauirusu, novel coronavirus) quarantines that have been mandated around the world, but that hasn’t made people here any less wary about going out.
In fact, a general cautiousness when it comes to taking Tokyo’s crowded buses and trains has led some to consider getting their 運転免許証 (unten menkyoshō, driver’s license). For non-Japanese who are not ready to hop on a plane for their travel fix, a license will come in handy for a good old-fashioned road trip.
A lack of Japanese-language proficiency isn’t such a big deal if you already had your license in your home country. You can either obtain a 国際免許 (kokusai menkyo, International Driving Permit) while in your home country if you’re only planning to stay in Japan for a short period, or you can go through the process of 外国免許切替 (gaikoku menkyo kirikae, the transfer of foreign license to a Japanese license) if you are planning to stay longer and have a residential permit. You will need to take a test on 交通規則の知識 (kōtsū kisoku no chishiki, knowledge of traffic rules) at an 運転免許センター (unten menkyo sentā, driver’s license center) depending on your home country, but that test is offered in English.