Back in March, I was planning on teaching for another year in Koga. I hadn't set up anything anywhere else yet and I had a relatively new Japanese girlfriend that I'd put a lot of time and effort into and wanted to maximize my return on the investment. I liked her too. Things were starting to take shape for my next year of teaching and that included the miles of red tape and hours of paperwork that went into it.
My next school was going to be located about 20 minutes away by car from my apartment - with no train or bus access. Therefore I would need to drive to work. Therefore I would need to get a Japanese drivers license. Even though I'd been driving on an International Drivers License since August of last year with no problems, the system wouldn't accept a renewal of that one, and required that I get a new official Japanese Drivers License. The driving center is located in Mito, the capital of Ibaraki. Living in Koga - I was literally as far away from Mito as one could be while remaining a registered Ibaraki resident. Figures. Koga is much closer to the driving center in the neighboring prefecture of Saitama, but rules are rules and all residents of Ibaraki must go to the Mito driving center. The gaping holes in the systems over here swallowed me up. Everything was taking forever, nobody was giving me straight answers, the processes were completely inefficient and horrible.
My 7 days of pain went like this:
Friday - Got out of school early to go to the immigration office in Mito to extend my Visa. Two-hour train ride one-way. The Visa I was issued by Interac expired two weeks before my working contract did, so there was a gap that needed to be filled. The only way to fill that gap was by purchasing a year-long visa extension. After waiting 3 hours and barely getting in before the office closed (at 5pm) I submitted all the necessary paperwork only to be told that I needed to come back next week to pick up and pay for my new visa when I receive a postcard from them telling me it's ready. Back to Koga.
Monday - Got out of school early to drive the boring 2 hour drive to the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) office in Mito. JAF is where I had to go to get the Japanese translation of my Arizona Driver License. I got lost - had a horrible map - couldn't find the place until 6:30 - they closed at 5:30. Turned around and drove the 2 hours back to Koga.
Tuesday - Got the afternoon off to drive back to JAF in Mito. Paid 3,000 yen, slept 30 minutes in their lobby and received my official Japanese translation. Drove back to Koga - another 2 hours in the car.
Wednesday - Got the whole day off for my big trip to the driving center in Mito. Woke up at 5am. Got there at 8 - with all my paperwork - rules of the road memorized - wearing a suit - ready to kiss some ass. I was one of the first in line - submitted my documents - paid my fees (4,500yen) - bowed to the guys - smiled at the girls. The processing windows are only open from 9 - 10 am and at 10 they shut those babies down and process all the paperwork they just received in that hectic hour of exposure to the masses. At 10:45 they called me back up and asked me a bunch of questions about my driving history, any classes I'd taken, occupation, background. It's best to paint as pretty and clean a picture for them as possible (i.e. lie your ass off). After another half hour of waiting, they called me back again asking for a certificate that shows the original date that my Arizona drivers license was issued. I didn't know such a document existed - either way they needed it and I didn't have it. Apparently I had to prove that I was a licensed driver in America for at least three months. In my case, my current license was issued in 2006. I've traveled quite a bit and have stamps from all over Europe in my passport. When they looked at those stamps and my license from 2006, they had no way to prove that I had been legally driving in America for a full three months. I laughed at them when they requested this - they didn't smile when they handed me back all of my paperwork (and none of my money) and told me they couldn't accept my application that day. Right then I decided I was done with Japan. Drove back to Koga - empty as ever.
Thursday - My postcard from the immigration office in Mito arrived Wednesday - so it was back to Mito on Thursday to pick up my new visa. Took the train this time - didn't hurt as much knowing it would be my last. I was able to jump ahead in line - my visa was ready - and I was officially cleared to work another year in Japan. Train back to Koga spent chewing on the annoying irony of it all.
Even if I had submitted all the required documents at the driving center - the odds are I would have failed my practical driving test. Many times the administrator fails you just based on appearance or personal grudges. I understand Americans have the most difficult time with this test. Sometimes they'll fail you just to make sure you're taking it/them seriously. After the test they'll tell you you did great, but then when you recieve your grades, you failed. The course looks nothing like roads in Japan. The rules they watch for are rarely used in everyday driving and far from a practical assessment of the driver's ability. It's there just to make you work for it. Just to inflict pain upon you so you will appreciate your license once you get it and so they can say they've thoroughly tested you. Most people I talked to had to take the test at least twice. When I went to the driving center on Wednesday, there was a Russian girl there who failed for the 5th time. You also have to pay your application fee every time you go. Absolutely ridiculous.
Here's my advice if you have the unfortunate task of applying for a Japanese Driver's License. Keep in mind that my only experience with this process is the driving center in Mito, Ibaraki.
- Wear a suit when you go to the driving center.
- Arrive early - at 8am - since they are only open from 9 - 10am.
- Be as polite as possible - speak as much Japanese as you can - "yoroshiku onegaishimasu" goes a long way
- Bring a lot of cash - at least 10,000 yen to be safe - actual application costs around 4,500
- Bring these documents:
- Current foreign driver license
- Japanese translation of foreign driver license
- Certificate of Alien Registration
- Passport
- Photos (3x2.4cm - if your photos are the wrong size or if you forget them - they have a photo shop right next door that can take your picture right there - the one convenient thing about this place)
- International driving permit
- Copy or certificate of your original driver license from your home country that shows the original date of issuance.
- If you are going to JAF to get the Japanese translation of your current foreign license - be careful - the map I got showed its location (in Mito) on the intersection of the 50 and the 50 - so confusing - make sure you know exactly where it is before you drive out there - you won't be able to just look around and find it
- Be flexible and plan in advance enough so that you can weather a few failed attempts.
- Click here for a site with some great info and advice
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