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Sangetsu (Offline)
Busier Than Shinjuku Station
 
Posts: 1,346
Join Date: May 2008
Location: 東京都
02-17-2009, 10:18 AM

Quote:
Originally Posted by jasonbvr View Post
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.
I have a class A (commercial) license in America, and class A licenses are nationally standardized. The only benefit I get from having a class A license is that I don't have to take the 10 question written test. Unfortunately, I still have to take the driving test.

One complaint that I have heard frequently from foreigners in Japan is that the drivers license center doesn't like to pass people who haven't attended the expensive Japanese driving schools. Some people seem to think that the license examiners are getting kickbacks from the driving schools, failing a large percentage of testers in order to make it appear that spending $3000 or so to take a driving class is not such a bad idea.

Some of these driving school graduates get away with making mistakes on the driving test which would result in instant failure for those who haven't attended driving school.

Anyway, my forms are in the mail, hopefully immigration doesn't take too long responding.
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