Originally Posted by
ArthurSFO11
Not to get off topic, but is it that hard or that much of a hassle to get a driver's license in Japan? I couldn't imagine having to fly somewhere once a year (even if a short flight) just to avoid getting a local driver's license.
Originally Posted by
CPH-Flyer
Some countries' driver's licenses converts directly to a Japanese drivers license. You just need your embassy to issue a document in Japanese clarifying what your specific drivers license cover. Some countries will convert in to a learners driver's license, and some require passing a drivers test. Taking a driver's license in Japan is time consuming and expensive.
That's the issue. In particular, US drivers licenses have no reciprocity rights when applying for a DL in Japan, so you have to apply as if you've never had a license. As stated above, it is time consuming and expensive. The driving test is ridiculous, and there's no way you can pass no matter how good of a driver you are, unless you study specifically for the way they score the test, even though nobody actually drives that way in Japan.
But I doubt many people will exit and enter to be able to use an international license. As that would mean a 90 day tourist visa, banning you from having a bank account, credit card etc., and being in the country more than 180 days a year.
I think you're missing a subtlety. I was referring to someone that was living in Japan with a residence permit of some kind, perhaps even as a Permanent Resident. There's an implication earlier in this thread that no matter how long you've been living in Japan, if you have a foreign license, an International License to go along with it, and have an entry stamp in your passport that's less than a year old, many car rental agencies will allow you rent on that basis. If you left Japan and re-entered at least once a year (using the same residency visa with a re-entry permit or whatever the procedure is these days), you'd meet those requirements no matter how long you've actually lived there. This has nothing to do with being a Temporary Visitor. And Yes, I realize that once you've lived in Japan for a year, a foreign license with an IDP is no longer valid as a legal entitlement to drive, but that's a separate issue from getting a rental agency to rent you a car.