Ohara & Furukawa

An International Driving Permit will allow a driver licensed in another country to drive legally in Japan. However, the permit is only good for one year, at which point any foreign resident who wishes to drive in Japan should apply for and take the Japanese driving test.

The laws on drinking and driving in Japan were recently strengthened, increasing the punishment depending on the amount of alcohol the driver has consumed. If the driver has consumed enough alcohol to impair normal driving ability, he or she may be punished with confiscation of the driver’s license and imprisonment of up to 5 years or a fine of up to 1,000,000 yen.  Breath alcohol content of a lower level will also result in revoking the driver’s license and imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to 500,000 yen. Japanese law also has a lower standard […]

Passing the Japanese driving test can be difficult, especially for foreign nationals not confident in their Japanese ability. However, some lucky foreign nationals will never have to take the Japanese driving test as long as they have a driver’s license from their home country.