Can I drive in Japan with my own country’s license?
Q. Can I drive in Japan with my own countries license?
A. No. If you are stopped by the police for even the smallest thing they will always ask to see your driving license (please don’t pretend you can’t speak Japanese, that will only get you either detained or arrested until an interpreter can be found and also these days a lot of police can speak basic ‘traffic English’)
If you can’t produce a Japanese license the police will hold you and probably prosecute you. Not having a driving license can be a serious matter if you have been involved in an accident, even if it wasn’t your fault!
You can drive in Japan on an international driver’s license (for up to one year only) but it is better to get a Japanese license. This can be done quite easily by taking your current license and your passport to the local motor vehicle office. If you have a clean license and your visa is not a tourist type visa then you should be able to simply convert to a Japanese license
Important - If you have lived in Japan for more than one year then have no choice you must convert your current driver’s license into a Japanese license.
In Japan, cars drive on the left side of the road and have their steering wheels on the right side. The legal minimum age for driving is 18 years.
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