Your Guide to Driving in Japan: Rules, Etiquette, and Tips for Residents

Learn essential rules, etiquette, and tips for driving in Japan. This guide covers licensing, left-hand traffic, road signs, and more for a safe and smooth experience.

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■ About driving in Japan

・Age required to get a driver's license is 18 years old.

Minimum age to drive a car in Japan is 18 years old. Even if you have a foreign license, you are not allowed to drive if you are under 17 years old.
※Minimum age to drive scooter bike is 16 years old.

・Attach a beginner's sticker

For one year after getting your driver's license in Japan, you must attach the "beginner's sticker" below.
It must be attached in a visible location both at the front and back of the vehicle.

・Narrow road

It's not a rule, but the roads in Japan are often narrow, so be careful. Even if you follow the navigation, you may not be able to pass depending on the size of the car.

・Flash on hazard light to say thank you

When other driver let your car go first, flash the hazard light 2-3 times to thank them. This is called a "Thank you Hazard".
This is not a rule, but it is a driving etiquette in Japan.

■ Traffic Rules

・Drive on the left side of the road.

Car passes on the left side. Because they drive on the left side of the road, Japanese cars have a steering wheel on the right. Even people who don't drive need to know the traffic rules in order to live safely. For people who drive, please enjoy driving while obeying the traffic rules in Japan!

・Stop a while when crossing a railroad

Make sure to stop temporarily in front of the railroad crossing. If you don't stop, you have to pay a fine.

・Road signs 

There are many type of road signs, but we will explain some signs that you often see.

《一時停止（いちじ ていし）》ー《Stop Temporarily》
You must stop in front of this sign. If there is a white line, stop in front of it.

《進入禁止（しんにゅう きんし）》ー《No Entry》
Cars cannot pass past this sign.

《一方通行（いっぽう つうこう）》ー《One Way Traffic》
You can move only in the direction of the arrow. You can not go to other directions.

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We also issued other columns about Japanese driver's license, so please take a look.
Column：Converting Driver's License
Column：How to get a driver's license

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