International Driver's Permit
Will we buy a car while in Japan? No, the public transit system in Japan is quite good and the locals primarily use subways and trains for daily life. We’ll also get some city bikes and anticipate a lot of walking, so cheers to a healthier lifestyle. But we may want to borrow a car on some occasions, like Costco runs or trips to the country. Yes, they have Costco in Japan, and while I’ve only been to one or two, it is as glorious as it sounds. We’ll save this topic for another time.
Getting the International Driver’s Permit
We need to get the permit before we leave our home country, and in the US we get them through AAA. The easiest way to do this is to go to a local AAA office, bring 2 passport photos and just $20. We obviously need a valid local Driver’s license too, which we should also carry when using the IDP. The license expires in a year after issue, Japan would expect us to get a local license if we stayed longer.
Car Rentals
The wife’s family also have cars near where we will be staying, so we may never actually rent a car in Japan from a rental company. However, there are traditional local rental companies where you rent by the day. Having an IDP should be sufficient to rent a car. I have also heard rumors of Zipcar style rentals as well, using phone apps/nfc cards.
Driving in Japan
Just cause I can, should I? I have actually never driven in Japan, and I will admit that the thought makes me a little anxious. The streets are narrow, customs/rules/signs are different, and driving on the left side of road will take some getting used to. I will pick my battles here, I imagine Ikea and shopping for larger items will be a pain without a car. Maybe trips to unfamiliar places are better handled with public transits and taxis?
Japanese Driver’s License
While we never expect to get a driver’s license in Japan, some folks living in more rural towns may find it necessary. Just looking at my relatives, it seems most of them have a license even if they rarely drive. So while it’s not necessary for city dwellers, I would expect it still opens lots of doors if we were living permanently in Japan.