[jasonbvr]

Oh yeah, I forgot to say this. If you are from a certain number of countries, you don't have to take the test.

The reason Americans must is because the driving exam is not nationalized. The requirements are different state by state. Therefore Japan would not fund a review of all fifty states to determine if it held up to their standards. With others like say Canada, they simply sent a team to review the one standardized test, found it sufficient, and Canadians just have to get their license translated to be issued a Japanese one.