【Living in Japan】運転（うんてん）についてーAbout Driving

Have you ever driven a car in Japan? This time, will share about driving in Japan. 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! 

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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 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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★YOLO QUIZ★

Q：How do you thank other driver when they let your car go first ?
① Flash the hazard light
② Open the window and say "Thank you"
③ Honk the horn

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　　The answer is？★
 
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① Flash the hazard light

You can say thank you by flashing the hazard light 2-3 times. This is called a "Thank you Hazard".

For non-Japanese living in Japan, let's get a driver's license!
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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