On Fri, 05 Dec 2003 16:44:45 +0900, Scott Reynolds <sar@gol.com>
wrote:

>On 12/5/2003 3:29 PM, Raj Feridun wrote:
>
>> You should be. What a pain in the ASS! They have you drive down these
>> narrow winding lanes in their government issue, boat-sized sedans and
>> if you should so much as SLIGHTLY rub a curb you're done. I was more
>> lucky than anything else when I made it through on my second try.
>
>A lot seems to depend on where you take the test and the attitude of the 
>examiner. You seem to have been unlucky. My experience was much more 
>favorable than yours (which was a good thing, because I waited until my 
>Illinois license was just about to expire before doing the switchover).

I've heard the same thing from a friend who lives in Yokohama. I think
in the case of license centers the large urban areas that are much
busier end up benefitting the applicants. Down here they may see a
dozen foreign applicants in a week and they are strict as hell.

>> I guess the whole reasoning behind the UK drivers not needing to take
>> a road test is the driving on the left deal. I've driven in the UK and
>> I can tell you aside from that fact driving in Japan bears NO
>> resemblance. 

>That has nothing to do with it, as a matter of fact. People with 
>licenses from just about any EU country can switch to a J license 
>without having to take the road test. I think it has more to do with 
>whether or not the country has a reciprocal setup with Japan (whereby 
>they let people with a Japanese license obtain a local one without 
>having the take a road test).

OK, thanks for filling me in.