Anyone get a driver's license in Japan?

[gmat]

Wonder about the veracity of this article:

 

Round the bend: How NOT to get a Japanese driver's license in Tokyo

My head-on collision with the capital's most hellish, anti-American driving school

 

http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo/life/round-bend-how-not-get-drivers-license-tokyo-124062

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[marknewton]

He does seem to have a bit of a chip on his shoulder, doesn't he?

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[keitaro]

Garbage imo. While back my wife's brother did His test. He told me they get marked down for not staying close to the edges on tights turns. I.e. The cartoon turn this clown reffets to.

 

Although I question the name of this might ask my wife sounds bit stupid.

 

Makes sense since japan is littered with streets narrower than my hallway.

 

Sounds like a typical over steerer. The kind that turns at an interaction and crosses the line for the opposite direction lane.

 

Also love how he suggests that they don't want to agree what part of driving on the right in us and left does he not get. They test this as it's surprisingly hard for some people to grasp the change.

[bikkuri bahn]

For what it's worth, it seems it's always Americans who have troubles with the driving test.  The Australians I've spoken to have easily gotten their licences.  Says more about the state of driver education in the U.S. than anything else.  Anyway, why even drive if you live in Tokyo?  You can spend that money (auto=huge sunk costs) on more worthwhile things.

[westfalen]

It can be fun watching people find out that other parts of the world do things differently. Duh.

 

I have to admit though that I had no trouble adapting to driving in the US but the first day back home I pulled out of my driveway onto the right hand side of the street.

[ToniBabelony]

Sounds interesting. I don't have a drivers licence, as I never had the need for one. But then again, I'm a huge car buff. Especially youngtimer classics. With the perspective of moving to Japan in the future, I might consider a drivers licence, as I will probably live in the countryside of Kanagawa (gf got a job at Nissan's Technical branch). I think I'll get one before I move to Japan and then buy an international drivers licence instead of getting one in Japan. Then, of course a Nissan or Renault will be bought and driven.