Summer Time, General Update

Well, it's looking like the weather in NH and Japan are eerily similar right now. Hot, humid, bad thunderstorms (no tornadoes, but there has been some bad flooding in Kanazawa). Right now is pretty quiet in Japan. The JET's who are leaving are gone, and the new ones haven't arrived yet. The people who are staying usually travel during this time. Originally, I wanted to go somewhere, like to Hiroshima or Himeji. However, that changed a few weeks ago.

Let's backtrack a little here first. I want to talk about getting my Japanese Driver's License. The DMV in America tend to be areas of massive bureaucracy, frustration, and expense. This is also true in Japan. The process seems simple enough, but it's far from cut and dry. First, you have to get your license translated into Japanese. Basically, you fill out a form with a copy of your license, pay 3,290 yen (about $30) and mail the form to JAF, Japan's version of AAA. About a week later, you'll get the translation back. Next, you have to collect documents to bring to the Driver's License Center so they can check your suitability to drive.

The documents were pretty straightforward: A copy of your passport, your original driver's license, the translation, and your Alien Registration Card (the same as a green card). The documents aren't enough, however. You also have to bring in a passport photo of yourself that was taken in the last 6 months. I don't know why they ask this, as they just put it in your file, and don't use it for the license. There are automatic photo booths all over Japan, and I stopped in there to get one. Cost: 600 yen, about $5.00. They also grill you about your driving history, driver's ed, requirements in your home state, etc.

I want you all to think about your driver's ed. courses. Who was the teacher? What was the name of the company that did it? How many hours a week did you practice? Did you practice on a closed course? What did the driving test consist of? How much did the class cost? How much did the initial license cost?

If you're struggling answering these off the bat, imagine what it's like when a bureaucrat is grilling you in Japanese (I obviously had one of the English teachers at my school there to translate for me). I knew the name of the company (Souer's Driving School), but everything else was, well, a guesstimate at best. I know there are stories where the driver's license bureaucrat doesn't like the answers, and they will request a document from the DMV in people's home state proving the requirements of driver's ed., and the length of time they have been driving. If you haven't already guessed, this form will be written in English, and that will also have to be translated. I got lucky, the lady was satisfied with my answers. So, next is an appointment to take the written test.

I came one week later to take the written test. This cost 2,400 yen (a little more than $20). The written test is a 10 question true or false test based on Japanese motor laws. It was in English, but the translations of the questions were, well, not so good. Basically, the criteria I used to answer was "Does this look/sound like safe driving in Japan?".

A little tangent: Driving in Japan is a little different than the states. Besides the obvious, driving on the left side instead of the right, there are some little (and big) things. No left turns on red (like right on red in the states). Speed limits are REALLY low (50 KM, or about 30 MPH on most roads, even country roads with nothing on it, and roads that would be considered highways in America). The speed limits are rarely followed, however. I've been driving at the speed limit in a two way tunnel, and had a guy cross the yellow line to pass me. The legal Blood Alcohol Limit in Japan is 0.00. If you are caught with a trace of alcohol in you when you are driving, you are SCREWED. You must stop at all railroad crossings. If you get caught driving while talking on a cell phone, you will pay a hefty fine (not a bad rule, I think). Safety is (officially, at least) crammed down the driver's throat from day one, more so than back home, in my humble opinion.

I passed the test. I made an appointment for the dreaded driving test. The driving test is 2,400 yen also. It is not like your test back home. Parallel parking, getting on and off the highway, and 10 & 2 have nothing to do with the Japanese driving test. First of all, it's on a closed course. The course is about the size of a football field, with a big oval outside track. On the inside are various small roads with s-curves, intersections, and the 'crank'. The crank basically looks like a Tetris piece, it is two 90 degree turns a short distance from one another. Second, the mentality behind the test is different than what you would normally think. The test is not to show your driving skills. They know you can drive. You've been driving in Japan for almost a year now. The point of the test is to show you can be a conscientious driver, driving in the Japanese style. Let's do a run through of the test.

First, the instructor will get the car and drive it around the track to test that it is working. Once he hands me the keys, the test is starting. You get a practice lap around the track to get a feel for the car, then you have to follow the course they give you (you receive a map when you pay the fee). Now, you might think you get in the car and go. WRONG. First, you must check in front of, behind of, and under the car. The point of this is to make sure there are no children/animals in the area. Next, before you open the door, do a quick check to make sure no bicyclists are rocketing towards you while you are opening the door.

Before you start the car, check the mirrors. Put your foot on the brake, pull down the parking brake, put on your signal, and drive your practice lap. Once you finish the practice lap, you can do the test. They will ask you to change lanes. They will make sure you check your mirrors, shoulders, that your turn signal was on for the correct amount of time. As you drive around, you will do the intersections (make sure the bumper does not go over the top edge of the white line when you stop), turns (keep the turns tight, and do mirror and shoulder checks for pedestrians, bicyclists, etc.), and driving (not too fast, not too slow, and checking intersections as you drive by, to make sure no one ran a red light and is barreling at you). The s-curve should be driven slowly, in the middle, and you can't go off the edge. The crank is a killer, as you have to make the turns tight, but try not to go off the edge (you'll lose points, but not fail the test, as I later learned).

The driving test is notorious for failing people seemingly arbitrarily. The JET that passes the driving test the first try is certainly remarkable; indeed, every year there is one or two that pass on their first tries, and everyone usually grills them on what to do. The average, however, is between two to three times, with some rare people taking it 4+ times. If you can't do it in 6 tries, you have to take the Japanese driver's ed. course, which is insanely expensive (around 300,00 yen, or $2,500.00 US). I passed the test on my third try.

There are some theories on why it takes a few tries to pass. One is that the Japanese want you to be humble. Others are that the Japanese have to take the same test, and practice the course for weeks before the test, so they know it inside and out. Why should you get a free pass when they have to grind it out for so long? These may be part of it, but my view is a little more cynical. What is one of the biggest things that explains a lot of rules and human behavior? The answer: money.

Remember the fees I was talking about? 2,400 for each test? Also, when you pass the test, you have to pay 1,750 yen (about $15.00) to get the license. Let's add it up.

3,290 yen to JAF for translation.
600 yen for photos.
2,400 x 4 (1 for written test, 3 for driving test = 9,600
1,750 for license.

Total: 15,240 yen (between $130 and $140).

Remember, this is just to get a license, this is not for driver's ed.

This is a typical scenario. In my area, there were four of us that had to do the full conversion (any foreigner in Japan for more than one year must do this, but some countries, like Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc. don't have to take the driving test).

This is a nice little chunk of change for the license bureau that is in a rural area. Remember, as people get older, many tend to stop driving. As the population shrinks, less people coming in makes it harder to keep the money flowing in. What better way to make some of it back than by failing people to make them take the test? The test is maybe 5 minutes at the most, so it's not a bad haul for the time it takes.

Anyways, this is just me rambling. Now, let's get back to the point: Why I couldn't go to Hiroshima or Himeji.

On the day of the 3rd (and final) test, I drove to the center with one of my English teachers. I've been having trouble starting my car for a while, I would have to step on the gas for it to start. Once it started, however, it ran fine. I wanted to have this looked at, but was going to wait until after I came back from America. I figured it might be a little expensive to fix, so I wanted to save money for America first. Well, he noticed this, and said "I will tell the vice-principal" (the vice-principal's father's car dealership is where I got the car from). When the vice-principal found out, he had me bring it down to the shop to look at. They thought it might be the carburetor (they were right). So, it was at the shop for a week, and fixed. It wasn't too expensive (23,625 yen, about $220.00), but that was going to be traveling money for the week.


So, rather than travel, I've been cleaning my place, reading, and getting ready to meet some of the new JET's this weekend. I wanted to have some exciting photos and new stories for the blog, rather than filler about driver's licenses and carburetors. Oh well, what are you going to do, huh?

This will probably be the last post before I head to the states. I hope to see as many of you as I can in a few weeks.