Long lines in Tokyo with “all-nighters”… Why are foreigners rushing to “Driver’s License Examination Offices around Japan”?

I’ve been waiting in line since 10 pm last night. My friends advised me to come early. Thanks to that, I was the first in line.

At 5:00 in the morning in late October, a long line of foreigners was waiting in front of the entrance of the Fuchu Driver’s License Examination Center in Tokyo. There were probably 30 people in the line, including Chinese, Indonesians, and others, led by the Sri Lankan man who gave the interview as described at the beginning of this article. Some of them even brought camping chairs and took a nap. On another day, I visited the Samezu Driver’s Examination Center (Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo), where 60 to 70 people were lined up before the gates opened.

What was the reason for the large number of foreigners who stayed up all night to get a Japanese driver’s license?

Their purpose is to “switch” from their home country’s license to a Japanese license. Foreigners are rushing to license examination centers all over Japan in search of licenses through the “Foreign Driver’s License Exchanger” system. For example, at the Kanagawa Prefectural Police Driver’s License Center and the Kadoma Driver’s License Examination Center in Osaka Prefecture, there is a four-month waiting list for an appointment,” said Kumiko Kato, an automotive journalist.

Too easy academic test and other issues are piling up

The process of switching to a foreign driver’s license consists of two parts: a written test and a skills test. Since last year, the requirements for obtaining a foreign driver’s license have been gradually eased, and from June of this year, the number of languages supported has increased from less than 5 to a maximum of 24, depending on the testing center. This is aimed at securing foreign workers and promoting tourism, but at the same time, problems are becoming more noticeable.

First of all, the written exam is too easy: There are 10 two-choice questions, and if you answer 7 of them correctly, you pass. In addition to the laws, there is a wide range of knowledge required, including driving etiquette. Perhaps because of the ease of the test, last summer a challenge video went viral among young Chinese people showing how quickly they could obtain a Japanese driver’s license.

Other people who have been deported from Japan and are on provisional release can also switch to Japan. Even if they are not registered in Japan, they can apply using their address if they are issued a temporary residence certificate at a hotel. In response to the rush of applicants, the Fuchu Examination Center introduced an appointment system on November 1, but I think there are other improvements that can be made,” said Kato.

In fact, the number of traffic accidents caused by foreigners is on the increase. Traffic accidents involving Chinese nationals are particularly noteworthy, with 1,571 accidents occurring last year, the highest number since Corona. In September of this year, a horrific accident occurred in Saitama Prefecture when an 18-year-old Chinese youth drove drunk on the wrong side of the road at over 100 km/h, killing a Japanese man in his 50s.

Furthermore, an increasing number of foreigners are using Japanese driver’s licenses as a stepping stone.

For example, China is not a signatory to international traffic treaties, so there are only a few countries where you can drive with a Japanese driver’s license. However, if you obtain an international driver’s license instead of a Japanese license, you can drive in about 100 countries,” said Kato.

This “deregulation” may be aimed at increasing the number of foreigners in the workforce, but at the same time, it is putting the lives of Japanese citizens at risk.