If your license is from one of the countries that require tests in order to get a Japanese driver’s license, you will need to submit your documents, take a short written test, and pass a driving test on an enclosed course at a testing center before you can get your license.
The written test tests your knowledge of the basic safe driving and Japanese rules. It is available in English, as well as several other languages (varies by license center). The test consists of ten, True-False questions. You will have 10 minutes to complete it and seven correct answers are needed to pass. The method of testing differs by location, some use touch-screen computers, while others use pencil and paper, but on all “O” means true, “X” means false.
When you pass you will be scheduled for your driving test (sometimes on the same day – varies by license center). If you fail you will need to return, on another day, to re-take the test.
To help prepare you for the written test and to familiarize you with the types of questions asked, we have compiled questions from previous exams, into three practice tests (see below). We also list some of the more common road signs. The best preparation is the book “Rules of the Road”. The Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) publishes and sells foreign-language versions of the Rules of the Road to help foreign motorists understand Japanese traffic rules.
