Usually, obtaining a driver’s license in Japan requires…well, living in Japan. However, tourists have been exploiting a loophole that allows them to “exchange” their existing license for a Japanese one even if they don’t have a residence here.
New reports indicate that the country’s police force may soon nip this in the bud. However, it’s unclear whether this change will only affect foreign tourists or whether it could impact residents as well. Currently, the discussion feels more like it’s being fueled by racist outrage than informed by facts.
A powerful driver’s license
I’ve been reporting on this situation since it hit mainstream Japanese media. Japan, like many countries, allows residents who hold a driver’s license from another country to obtain a Japanese driver’s license by presenting their valid foreign license, filling out paperwork, and, in some cases, taking a driving knowledge test. The procedure is meant to spare people who already know how to drive from taking a driving test again.
However, tourists from some Asian countries – predominantly China – have discovered they can get a certificate from a hotel that acts as a substitute for a residence certificate (住民票; jūminhyō). They can then get a Japanese driver’s license by taking a simple knowledge test.
The exchange is especially luring for Chinese citizens. China is not a party to the 1949 Geneva Convention on international driving regulations. Japan, however, is. That means a Japanese license can be used as a valid driver’s license in 101 countries.
Is a crackdown coming?
As a result, driver’s license exchanges in Japan have increased twofold in the past 10 years. That’s raised concerns around increased accidents caused by people unfamiliar with the country’s driving regulations and the structure of Japanese roads.
One expert interviewed by NHK, Itō Yasumi of Yamanashi University, argues that “Japan’s roads are hard to drive, as some roads lack guardrails. On the other hand, there are countries in Asia with a worse driving environment and manners than in Japan. Some people bring that view on driving from their own countries here.”
Initially, the Japanese government indicated it didn’t see a problem with driver’s license exchange. However, the country’s National Police Agency now says it’s “considering” revisions to existing procedures. This would involve making changes to the knowledge exam, as well as strengthening residence checks to require that one actually lives in Japan to perform a driver’s license exchange.
Will residents who’ve done an exchange be targeted?
The question is: Will these changes impact only foreign tourists? Or will residents who’ve already done an exchange be subjected to additional scrutiny?
While most of the controversy is around tourists obtaining licenses, some maintain it’s too easy even for foreign residents to perform an exchange.
Currently, conservative news outlets such as Sankei Shimbun are fear-mongering over a case involving a Chinese resident in Misato, Saitama Prefecture. Police arrested demolition worker Tō Kōho, who obtained his license via exchange, in a hit-and-run case that injured four elementary school kids. The resident has been charged with driving while intoxicated.
As a result, some politicians, such as Onodera Itsunori of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), argue that foreigners’ use of the program is contrary to its original purpose.
“Originally, I’ve been told [by motor vehicle office workers], the system was targeted primarily at Japanese citizens who’d come home after living abroad. We’re seeing various issues caused by not foreseeing the many foreigners who’d do license exchange. I want to verify if this is leading to accidents and request that the government fix the process.”
Where’s the data?
What seems lacking in this debate is any evidence that, on average, foreign resident drivers who did a license exchange are causing more accidents than drivers who passed the exam.
I’ve seen old data from 2018 showing that foreign residents are responsible for more rental car accidents than Japanese citizens. However, tourists with international licenses cause even more accidents. I’ve seen zero data digging deeper – e.g., examining factors such as license exchange drivers vs. non-exchange drivers, accidents involving foreign residents who owned their own car vs. rented, driving history of those involved in accidents, etc.
Unfortunately, such public debates tend to center less on statistics and more on tragedies. That goes double when the discussion involves foreigners. Japan’s right wing is currently leveraging the case of a Chinese resident running down Japanese schoolchildren as a racist rallying cry, a way to encode discrimination against non-Japanese foreign residents under the guise of “won’t someone think about the children.”
Tō Kōho’s case isn’t a case where an inexperienced driver performed a driver’s license exchange and got into an accident. It’s a case where an asshole got behind the wheel after drinking. According to the General Insurance Association of Japan, there were 2,346 alcohol-related car accidents in 2023. I promise you that’s not all foreigners behind the wheel.
I’m all for closing the tourist loophole, which seems like a silly oversight. However, I’m wary that foreign residents will find themselves stripped of privileges based solely on fear. Japan’s Diet should do due diligence here, collecting hard data and identifying whether there’s an actual problem to solve before implementing a “solution” driven mostly by rage.
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Sources
＜独自＞外免切替ベトナム1万5千人で最多 中国は1万1千人 日本人の免許証と全く同じ. Sankei Shimbun
三郷ひき逃げ、逮捕の中国人男は「外免切替」 中国で免許取得、数年前に日本で切り替え. Sankei Shimbun
日本で車を運転するための「外免切替」制度改正を検討 警察庁. NHK News
訪日外国人によるレンタカー事故. Itarda
