So, I want to drive in Japan. I’ve been living here for 6 years (by the time of writing) and I haven’t touched a steering wheel ever since. I haven’t renewed my Indonesian driver’s license. Trapped in Japan due to covid for so long that it got expired. Hence the police people here won’t accept my expired license for exchanging.
Let’s see the options I have. Go back to Indonesia. Jump over all the hoops of covid protocols. Get a new license. Wait for 3 months before going back to Japan. Wait what!?
Yes, regulations between Japan & Indonesia stated that rule. Guess people in Japan have the same idea of going to any south-east asian country to get a license and exchange it back in Japan. Way easier than getting one in Japan.
Option 2, enroll to a driving school here. There are schools that open on weekends or outside working hours on weekdays. Problem is, now (January) all of them are fully booked. Not even most of them, all of them! (after calling 10 schools nearby my place). Winter holidays are creeping in. Students who are old enough to get a license will book classes and spend their holidays there. It is frikkin expensive anyway, so forget it.
Finally, let’s do it the hard way, option 3. Go to the driver’s license center and take the tests the hard way.
Day 1
Mister Danny Choo. One of the people who I look up to once told me, “Do as many research as possible before setting any expectations.” he said. I was in a clean slate. I know nothing about the procedures of getting a license here. It’s a different planet with their own rules compared to Indonesia.
I’ve looked up online to go as far as preparing the documents I need for one. I was thinking after that I’ll go to the driver license center straight away and see what happens. The goal going there is for research anyway. I didn’t expect taking any test, let alone passing. The worst is I would go back with more info at least.
And so I went. Asked around a few questions. They handed me this form to take a written test for a “Learner’s permit”. I followed the guided walkway. It lead me to the vision test room. They told me to go to the 3rd floor, continue the documents. Registered for the written exam. Last thing I knew they handed me a pencil and an eraser. “You need to go to the exam room 2, here is your seat number.” the person said. Went there and sat. Took the test, failed.
I would appraise my reconnaissance mission a success. My expectations was low to begin with, it was an easy win for me. I’m happy that way.
They provide the test in english and mandarin. I’m slow at reading kanji. I will never pass the test due to time limit if I would take it in Japanese. But the reason I failed is because of all those weird word plays and trap questions.
Which explains why I saw so many people reading all those exam practice handbooks. It was neither a test of logic nor reasoning. You learn them regardless. But it was a test of memory precision to absurd levels. You need to practice those questions and learn their trap patterns. It doesn’t matter if it’s in any language.
I think I need one of those practice handbooks. But today’s work is done for today.
