[Tsuwabuki]

I will back up Nyororin. I failed three times because what I was taught to do in America is not always what you do in Japan.

I failed the first and second time because of my near instinctual refusal to cut off bikes and scooters when making a turn. In Japan, this is expected, and the scooters know it. In America, of course, doing it would be terribly dangerous, because the scooters won't stop. So my gut reaction was "avoid collision, avoid collision" and I just would not get close enough. On the third time I got close enough, but I turned into the wrong lane and failed. In America, you turn into the closest lane, in Japan, you turn into furthest lane. Again, for someone has ben driving for ten years in America, this just bothered me.

On the fourth time I told myself, accurately, that A) it was only a test and B) no one else was on the road. This allowed me to pass the test without being a nervous wreck. It didn't matter if I did things against my instincts because I would not hit anyone! And so, I passed.

In Kyoto, you can drive the test track on weekends for ¥5,000, which is something I wish I had known about when I did it. Also, in Kyoto, the driving school costs ¥200,000, but if you already have a license, this is not worth the money. I believe it cost me about ¥70,000 to take the test as many times as I did, with all of the stamps and taxes, the busfare, the trainfare, the hotel I stayed at (I live in Fukuchiyama, not Kyoto proper), and it takes all day to do the test. Still cheaper than the ¥200,000, but not cheap. If I had lived near the testing center and had had more information, I might have passed on my second attempt. *shrug*