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A previous Staff Blog article (linked below) briefly described Japan's roads and highways, including some history about how driving on the lefthand side came to be.  In order to get an automobile driver's license, Japanese people generally have to attend a specialized driving school for several months.  The education and training are comprehensive and include classroom lectures and tests as well as actual on-road driving tests with an instructor sitting in the passenger seat of the training vehicle.  Driving schools are also expensive, costing the equivalent of several thousand U.S. dollars.  So, once a Japanese person has successfully passed the tests and graduated from the school, he/she is well-qualified to safely drive on public roads and highways.  Having said this, it is good to be aware of some of the challenges involved with driving in Japan.  There are many streets which are very narrow, and it is wise to drive slowly.  Often there are large circular mirrors mounted above blind intersections, so oncoming traffic can be noted.  Also, pedestrians and cyclists will sometimes walk/ride in the middle of the street.  Another thing to be careful about is scooters and motorcycles, which will occasionally weave in between traffic lanes or speed-by in the space between your car and the curb.  Many Japanese tend to drive with a heavy foot, especially during the rush hours when they are in a hurry trying get to work or make business deliveries.  If someone enters the lane in front of you, they will usually turn on their hazard lights/blinkers, which means "Excuse me & thank you".  When stopped at an intersection, waiting to turn, a vehicle in the opposite/facing lane may blink high beams a couple of times, which means "It's OK to proceed/turn in front of me".  Be mindful of buses and taxis, which will suddenly stop to load/unload passengers.  Finally, Japanese drivers will often go through an intersection where the traffic light is yellow and just-turned-red (scary!).  There are loads of "How to Drive in Japan" articles on the internet -- an example of one of them is linked below.  We hope you will enjoy travelling safely on the roads and highways in Japan!

Written by Goodfield

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LINK:

Japanese Highway System and Driving

https://us.iino.cc/blog/blog.html?eid=00121

Driving in Japan 

https://www.kyushujourneys.com/japan/driving-in-japan/