On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 11:08:10 -0700, "Bryce"
<fukuzzz@takethisout.hotmail.com> belched the alphabet and kept on
going with:

>>
>> What I don't understand is how this gets me out of paying fines or
>> prevents me from losing points off my license.
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
>First of all, you shouldn't have a Japanese license in the first place. 

I find it to be something of a necessity.

>You should just renew your int'l license once a year out of the country. 

I only leave the country once every 5 years or so on average, so there
goes that idea.

>Then you don't have to worry about points in the first place. All this only works
>if you have an int'l license. If you don't have an int'l license, and
>actually got screwed into taking an actual driving class and test 200-300
>thousand yen, well, life sucks. 

When I got my Japanese license, I didn't have to do any of that. I
just gave a translation of my Tennessee license, took an eye exam, and
that was it.

>You've gotta live with what you got yourself
>into. Rules regarding int'l licenses and who may use them have changed this
>year I am reading on a website right now... kanji is a little rusty, but it
>looks like you must prove now that you have left the country more than once
>a year in order to continue using an int'l license.

From the National Police Agency's website:

■ 日本において運転できる期間
1)日本の免許証：有効期間内
2)国際免許証及び外国の免許証：日本に上陸した日から1年間又は当該免許証の有効期間の
いずれか短い期間（ただし、住民基本台帳法に記録されている者が出国の確認を、外国人
登録法を受けている者が再入国の許可等を受けて日本から出国し、３か月未満のうちに帰
国した場合においては、当該帰国（上陸）の日は国際免許証等による運転可能期間の起算
日とはなりません。）

I don't have the means to remain outside Japan for over three months
at a time, especially just so I can try to pull some touristy scam
with an international drivers license.