In Japan, trains remain the primary mode of daily transportation for residents in major cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, thanks to their dense network, convenience, and ability to reach nearly every destination. However, in smaller cities, trains mainly serve large, densely populated urban areas, making cars the most common mode of transport. For those passionate about traveling in Japan, alongside a camera, a driver’s license is definitely a must-have to fully explore the country.
"If you don’t travel by car, fully and comfortably exploring Ine Fishing Village & Amanohashidate becomes nearly impossible. Similarly, visiting all the Mount Fuji viewing spots in Yamanashi in a single day is highly impractical. Moreover, venturing to the southern region of Japan—Kyushu—without a car becomes even more difficult."

"In today’s article, I’ll share a comprehensive guide on how to obtain a driver’s license in Japan within just 15 days and how to convert your Japanese driver’s license into an international driving permit, allowing you to drive in over 100 countries worldwide."
- Find driving schools near you.
In Japan, there is a website that provides a comprehensive list of driving schools nationwide, complete with information such as tuition fees, facilities, nearby amenities, and more. You can use it to find the school that best suits your needs. Check out the website here: https://www.menkyo-school.jp/

2. Contact us to register for admission.
After finding a school near your residence, simply enter the name of the chosen school into Google, and the search results will typically include the school's contact phone number. Don’t worry too much if your Japanese isn’t fluent. When you contact the school to register, they usually only ask for basic information such as your address, the type of driver’s license you wish to study for (AT or MT), and your preferred enrollment date. They will then inform you of the tuition fees (which may vary depending on the time of year). After that, everything is handled through paperwork, which the school will send to your home, without requiring any further communication.

In Japan, these tasks are often handled by an agent (broker) who works with the school on your behalf. However, if you can complete these simple steps on your own (which not everyone knows), you can save around 30,000 JPY in brokerage fees! If you’re not entirely confident in your Japanese, you can also ask friends or colleagues at your workplace to assist you with the contact process.
When registering for lessons, be sure to confirm with the consultant whether Karimen (仮免) and Honmen (本免) exams can be taken directly at the school and if the Karimen theory test is offered in Vietnamese, English, or Chinese—whichever language you feel most comfortable with.
3. Steps to register for driving lessons in Japan
After contacting the driving school, you will receive the relevant documents at the registered address within a few days. These documents typically include items such as a confirmation of your registration details, tuition fees (with bank transfer account information), school regulations, a list of documents you need to prepare and send back to the school, as well as instructions on how to reach the school (especially if it’s located in a hard-to-access area).

The driving school I chose is Hokkuban Driving School, a school located in a peaceful rural area of Hyogo Prefecture. I also recommend this school to anyone living in the Kansai area for the following reasons:
- Affordable tuition fees.
- Enthusiastic Japanese instructors (when I studied there, there were many Vietnamese students, and the instructors even learned some basic Vietnamese words to better communicate with the Vietnamese students).
- Private dormitory, with each person having their own room (at some other schools, you will have to share a room with other students, and if you want a private room, you will have to pay an extra fee).
- The Karimen (仮免) and Honmen (本免) exams are conducted right at the school, eliminating the need to go to the police station for testing like at many other schools.
- Karimen (仮免) exam materials available in both English and Vietnamese.
- The last and most crucial reason I chose this school is its incredibly high graduation rate. It's a huge time saver when it comes to getting your driver's license.

What was included in the documents the school sent me was:
- School regulations: Most of the rules are similar to those of other driving schools, with one critical exception: students with tattoos are not accepted. If a tattoo is discovered, your enrollment will be canceled without any compensation. Therefore, it’s important to confirm whether the school you intend to attend enforces this rule.
- Verify your registered details, including the enrollment date, driver’s license type, tuition fee, and payment method. Tuition must be paid within one week of receiving this application package; otherwise, your application will be canceled without prior notice.
- Guidelines for reaching the school: Since the school is situated in a rural area far from the city and train stations, a vehicle will be arranged to pick you up at a designated train station at a specified time (in this example, 9:45 AM at Tanikawa Station). If you’re traveling from afar and cannot make it by 9:45 AM on the enrollment day, you can choose to arrive the previous afternoon (in this example, at 3:47 PM at Tanikawa Station). Travel expenses from your home to Tanikawa Station and back will be fully reimbursed by the school upon your graduation.
- Free Luggage Voucher: To obtain your driver’s license within 15 days, you’ll need to attend a boarding program (studying from morning to night while eating and sleeping at the school dormitory). Therefore, it’s important to bring sufficient supplies for 15 days. If you prefer not to carry heavy luggage on your enrollment day, you can pack and ship your belongings to the school in advance. The school will cover 100% of the shipping fees.
When transferring the tuition fee, don’t forget to include the transfer details provided in the document file sent by the school. Once the tuition payment is complete, your registration process will be finalized. The last step is simply to arrive at the designated location mentioned in the file, where a school staff member will meet you and take you directly to the school.
4.The Process of Learning to Drive in Japan
From this point forward, I’ll detail the entire journey from enrollment to graduation, aiming to give you a comprehensive understanding of the driving education process in Japan. Let’s dive in!
First, I arrived at Tanikawa Station at the designated time. Upon my arrival, a staff member was already waiting at the station entrance to escort me to the school.

"Since I opted for the boarding school format—studying full-time from morning to evening for 14 consecutive days while staying in the school dormitory—the distance of the school from the city center wasn't a major concern for me. Transportation to and from the school is entirely free, as are accommodation costs. My top priorities were the availability of support for Karimen exams in English or Vietnamese and a high on-time graduation rate. Whether the school was centrally located or not was ultimately irrelevant."

Upon arriving at the school, I completed a few enrollment procedures and double-checked my registration details. Remember to bring your residence card and personal seal for the necessary paperwork. Once the procedures were completed, a staff member guided me through an eye exam and ID photo session (for the Karimen license).
You will receive a free textbook in Japanese. If Japanese is not your primary language, you can purchase a translated version (available in Vietnamese and English) for 7,000 JPY per book. If you’re not fully confident in your Japanese skills, it’s highly recommended to buy this textbook as it will significantly aid your understanding of the theory lessons at school.

After completing the admission procedures, I was escorted to check in at the dormitory. The room was fully equipped with essential amenities, including a bed, mattress, desk, air conditioner, TV, and more. Additionally, the dormitory offers a laundry room and an onsen bath for everyone to use.

The view from my room is quite charming—one side overlooks the mountains behind the school, while the other faces the rice fields in front. The scenery feels reminiscent of those in Japanese movies.

The only downside to this school is the food, which is quite disappointing and doesn’t match the tuition fee I paid (230,000 JPY). Additionally, the school is quite far from a convenient supermarket, so if you choose to study here, it’s a good idea to bring some of your favorite snacks or foods.

After checking in and having lunch, I received the timetable for the first week of classes. The first class started at 1:35 p.m. that day (see photo below). In this session, I began with theory, followed by driving operations on the simulator, and the final class was practical driving on a real car.

Over the next three days, I alternated between theory and practice, with an average of three theory sessions and two practice sessions per day. Additionally, there were two free driving periods at the school, following a pre-arranged schedule (無線).

By the 5th day, I had completed all the theory lessons in Stage 1 (there are two stages in total) and was ready to take the theory test for the Karimen (仮免) license. The theory test consists of 50 YES/NO questions, and you need to answer at least 45 correctly to pass.

If you fail the theory test, you will be given two more chances to retake the test at the school. If you still cannot pass, you will be required to go to the police station in your area of residence to take the test until you pass. Please note that the school will not cover any travel expenses for this process.

After completing the theory test, I proceeded to take the practical test the following day. Before the test, the instructor allowed me to drive a few laps to get accustomed to the feel of driving. The Karimen (仮免) practical test includes various parts, such as climbing steep slopes, observing when crossing train tracks, navigating S- and Z-shaped curves, and reversing into parallel and perpendicular parking spaces. You need to score at least 70 points to pass the practical test. If you let the wheel fall into the hole during the S or Z test, you will immediately fail.

After completing the two theory and practical tests, you will be issued a Karimen (仮免) license, which allows you to drive on the streets with an instructor by your side. Phase 2 of the course begins immediately after you receive your Karimen (仮免) license.

Starting Phase 2 of the course, the number of lessons significantly increases, and all practice sessions are held on actual roads. This offers a completely different experience compared to driving at the school. During these practice lessons, you’ll encounter real-world driving situations, such as adjusting the headlights when entering a tunnel, managing the accelerator when going uphill or downhill, avoiding road obstacles, and handling sharp turns, among other scenarios.

During the practice lessons, you'll participate in group driving sessions with 3 people per car, taking turns driving on various roads. Immediately after each session, there will be a review where the mistakes encountered on the road are analyzed by two observers and the instructor—providing a very realistic learning experience. At the end of the practical lessons at school, there will be 3 driving lessons on the highway, offering a very exciting experience.

The study time in Phase 2 is quite intense, usually lasting from 9 AM to 5 PM. However, you should also make use of your free time in the evenings to review theoretical multiple-choice questions, ensuring you successfully pass the test before graduation.

After completing all the Stage 2 theory lessons at school, there will be an assessment test to evaluate your understanding of the material. The test consists of 45 YES/NO multiple-choice questions and 5 real-life scenario questions. To qualify for the Honmen (本免) practice test, you must score at least 90/100 on this test.

The practical exam at the end of Stage 2 (Honmen – 本免) will be held directly at the school, and evaluated and graded by the school’s instructor (in some schools, you may need to go to the local police station for the exam, where police officers will assess and grade your performance). After completing the practical exam in the morning, a graduation ceremony will take place in the afternoon for those who pass. You will receive a certificate of course completion, along with a new driver sticker (to be placed on the front and rear of your car for one year after obtaining your driver's license).

At this point, you’ve completed 80% of the process to obtain a driver’s license in Japan. The remaining step is to register for the Honmen (本免) theory test at the local police station where you live. You can register online or visit the police station in person. Since I reside in Osaka, I will be registering at the Osaka Police Station. Here is the registration link: https://www.police.pref.osaka.lg.jp/tetsuduki/untenmenkyo/10542.html

I registered for the theory test immediately after graduating from driving school (taking it early ensures you don't forget the theory you've learned 😀). The theory exam consists of 45 multiple-choice questions and 5 situational questions, all to be completed in 50 minutes (exactly like the competency assessment at graduation). By reviewing the questions on the website provided by the school, you can cover about 95% of the material. In my opinion, the exam at the police station is much easier than the competency assessment you take at school.

The results of the test will be available approximately 1 hour after completion. You must remain at the police station to check the results in person. If you pass, you will need to stay for the necessary procedures to receive your license, such as taking a photo for your card and handing in your Karimen license. After about 1-2 hours, you can collect your new license. Japanese driver's license Already.
If you plan to travel abroad, you can also apply for an international driver’s license at the counter (the international license is valid for 1 year from the date of issue). A helpful tip is to bring your own passport-sized photo. In Japan, taking and printing your photo at a convenience store (Combini) is much cheaper and better quality than getting it done at the police station.

Here is the full process of obtaining a Japanese driver's license in 15 days from my experience. At first, I was a bit hesitant because my Japanese wasn't very strong, but once I started learning, everything turned out to be much easier than I had imagined. Most of the vocabulary used at driving school is borrowed from English, making it easy to remember (especially if you know a bit of English). I'll share a list of important vocabulary below for your reference.
Choosing to board at the driving school was also like a short break for me after many years of continuous work (going to a peaceful rural area far from the city center and focusing on studying for 15 days). If I could do it again, I would definitely get my license sooner so I could travel to more places in Japan on my own. I'll attach a list of driving school vocabulary below, along with photos of some of the peaceful scenery around the school. I hope this article has been helpful. Thank you for reading to the end.

Some common vocabulary used in Japanese driving schools:
ライト: Headlight
ハンドル: steering wheel
タイヤ: tire
運転免許証(うんてんめんきょしょう): driver's license
シートベルトをしめる: fasten the seatbelt
エンジンをかける: start the engine
アクセルをふむ: press the accelerator
ブレーキをかける: apply the brakes

急(きゅう) ブレーキ: sudden braking
ハンドブレーキを引(ひ)く: to engage the handbrake
ハンドブレーキを戻(もど)す: To disengage the handbrake
ハンドルを戻(もど)す: to return the steering wheel to the center/straight position
リバース: (Symbol R) Reverse
パーキング: (symbol P) Parking
ドライブ: (symbol D) Driver
ルームミラーをあわせる: adjust the rearview mirror (inside the car)
ドアミラー: Side mirrors
右折(うせつ): turn right
左折(させつ): turn left
直進(ちょくしん): go straight
発進(はっしん): start (the car starts rolling)
後退(こうたい)(バック): Reversing

左カーブ(ひだりカーブ): left curve
右カーブ(みぎカーブ): right curve
止まれ(とまれ): Stop
上り坂(のぼりざか): sloping up
下り坂(くだりざか): sloping down
コース: Driving test manoeuvres
S字(エスじ): S-curve (a maneuver in the driving course)
クランク: L-curve (a maneuver in the driving course)

3点確認(さんてんかくにん): Confirm 3 points, this part the teacher will directly guide you.
5点確認(ごてんかくにん): Confirm 5 points
目視(もくし)/巻き込み(まきこみ): Check blind spots (with your eyes, not through mirrors)
死角(しかく): blind spot (dead spot)
安全を確認する(あんぜんをかくにんする)/安全を確かめる(あんぜんをたしかめる): confirmed safe


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