Hi everyone! I'm an incoming Australian JET for the July 2024 batch, and I have a fairly unique situation regarding driving in Japan:
So basically, I'll be doing my driving test in a week to get my full license (had many delays on being able to do this test due to issues regarding the car I practise driving in), and I'm aware that when I'm in Japan I will not be able to convert my license to a Japanese one as I won't be residing in Australia for 3 months after getting the license (if I pass of course).
If I pass my test and am able to, I'm planning to get my IDP right before going to Japan so I'll at least have the option to drive if need be. However, my placement is very rural and far from main areas, and it seems like owning a car would be much more convenient for me to get around. I was originally planning on maybe renting a car on weekends if I wanted to get around a bit (I did confirm that I don't have my license on the application form, so I would assume getting to my placement would be okay using PT, cycling or walking during the week), but cost-wise I don't think this would be sustainable to continue doing over the course of a year.
Another point to consider is that my fiancé's family is Japanese (my fiancé is not moving with me though), and reside in a different part of Japan – so potentially I could also purchase and register a car under them, and get general insurance for the car itself which would allow me to drive under it with an IDP (not sure how this works with mainly driving in a different prefecture though).
I was just wondering if anyone had any tips, advice, thoughts or recommendations for my situation?? 🙂
I'd also be very interested to know if someone was in a similar position to me as well!
Things I'd appreciate thoughts on:
– getting and registering a car under my Japanese family
– alternative and accessible forms of transport to get around easier w/ IDP or w/o license
– taking the test directly in Japan to obtain a Japanese license (is there way to take the test without attending driving school/meeting required hours pre-test?)
– renting a car frequently w/ IDP (or if there's any way to own a car with IDP???)
tl;dr – can't convert my potential Australian license to Japanese one during JET placement, so wanting recommendations for ways to cost-effectively rent/drive, thoughts about purchasing a car under my Japanese family's name, or other advice on how to get around in a more rural placement 🙂
by KinokoMochi13