Japan Closes Tourist Driver’s License Exchange Loophole

Tourists to Japan used to be able to get a powerful souvenir: a Japanese driver’s license. But that’s all changed.

By Saki Toi

Traffic accidents involving foreigners who obtained Japanese driver’s licenses through the conversion system without fully understanding local traffic rules have raised concerns. Critics also pointed out that, unlike many countries that require a period of residence to obtain a license, Japan’s requirements were too lax.

The old system had a loophole that even allowed short-term visitors, such as tourists, to get a Japanese license. That’s now closed, thanks to a new set of rules.

Loopholes in the old system

Applicants for a Japanese driver’s license were required to submit a copy of their residence certificate (住民票; juuminhyou) as proof of address. However, under the old system, some foreign tourists found a loophole.

By asking their hotels to issue a Temporary Leave Permit (一時帰国証明書; ichiji kikoku shōmeisho), which certifies that the bearer resides at a given address in Japan, they were able to bypass the…