How Are Foreign Tourists Getting Japanese Driver’s Licenses?
Think you need a residence card to get a Japanese driver’s license? Turns out you don’t.
By Jay Andrew Allen
A spike in road accidents involving tourists is creating another flash point for overtourism in Japan. To add fuel to the fire, local media is now reporting on a phenomenon that most people didn’t know existed. It seems there’s a way for some tourists to get Japanese driver’s licenses. Here’s why Chinese and other foreign tourists are lining up outside of local licensing offices to snag one.
Driving in Japan
Most people who move to Japan have to obtain a Japanese driver’s license if they want to drive here. There are two ways to do this.
The first is to do what everyone else in Japan does — take the knowledge and driving tests and qualify for a license. (The driving test itself is notoriously difficult. I’ve heard from multiple fellow immigrants who say they’ve had to take it multiple times before passing.) First-time drivers will generally need to display a “beginner mark” on any car they drive.
