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Japan Says Tourists Getting Japanese Driver’s Licenses is Fine, Actually
The government’s official response to a request to close a license exchange loophole used by Chinese tourists is, “don’t worry about it.”
By Jay Allen
Japanese media has been reporting lately on a rash of foreign visitors to Japan — mainly Chinese drivers — getting driver’s licenses despite having no permanent residential address. This week, Japan’s government responded to the outcry, saying that, frankly, it doesn’t see the problem.
Most travelers to Japan can get an international driver’s license in their home country before arriving here. However, travelers from countries that aren’t party to the 1949 Geneva Convention pertaining to international driving — like China — don’t have that option.
As we reported last year, Chinese and other travelers have been working around this by asking the hotels where they’re staying to fill out a Temporary Leave Permit on their behalf. They then specify the hotel as their “address” for licensing purposes. From there, getting a license is a matter of showing their home license and passing a simple 10-question test, which is available in 23 different languages.
The Japanese driver’s license gives Chinese drivers more than access to Japan’s roads. Since Japan is a signatory to the 1949…
