I think the whole driving experience in Japan is overpriced period.
Shaken is a total ripoff and the costs for driving schools and
gasoline are insane. (Yes, I understand why gasoline costs are high.)

Furthermore I say anyone who can successfully learn to drive in the UK
with those drivers and on those turnabout things in London SHOULD
automatically qualify for driving in Japan.

On Fri, 5 Dec 2003 15:48:07 +0900, dame_zumari@yahoo.com ( Louise
Bremner) wrote:

>Raj Feridun <rferid@NOSPAMyahoo.co.jp> wrote:
>
>> 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.
>
>Back when I was first learning Japanese in London, one of the other
>students in the class was a driving instructor. He was seeing a steady
>stream of Japanese learners in London on a package "holiday"--a full
>month of lessons at his school, with a couple of tests booked at the
>end. Even after paying for airfares, hotel costs, and minders, it was
>still cheaper than learning to drive in Japan, and at that time the
>successful passers of the British test could simply return to Japan and
>use the UK licence to get a Japanese one. (But that loophole has now
>been closed).)
>
>The instructor was worried about the interpreter sitting in the back--he
>wanted to be able to communicate with his students directly.
>
>________________________________________________________________________
>                   Louise Bremner (log at gol dot com)
>   If you want a reply by e-mail, don't write to my Yahoo address!