Interesting randomness I have learned about driving in Japan in the last six months.
Getting anywhere in a car takes just as long, if not LONGER than the ETA. No racing the GPS to see if you can beat the ETA (come on drivers, admit it, you've done it!). Most regular streets have a speed limit of 40 km/hour which converts to about 25 mph. Even smaller streets is 30 kmh (19 mph) and the widest streets or the expressway (toll road) are technically only 50 (31 mph) or 60 kmh (37 mph) (which almost no one goes and I have never seen anyone get a speeding ticket. The fastest speed limit posted I have seen is 80 kmh, which is about 50 mph!
Japanese people are some of the most patient people EVER. In daily life queuing up is something that they do without question and waiting for pedestrians and bikes to cross the street is completely normal and to be expected when driving. If you missed my first driving post talking about the driving test, check it out. There are a million safety and bike checks.
Japanese law favors the smaller vehicle over the larger vehicle. I.e, the pedestrian over a bicycle, or a bicycle over a car. I have a friend who told me she got in a minor accident with a bike when she was driving here and they basically told her, it's not your fault, but it's your fault.
What do you think? Would you give driving a go in Japan? If you are from the the States, it is SUPER EASY to get an international driving permit. All you do is go to AAA, show them your current driver's license, give or take a passport sized photo, pay $20 and BOOM, you're licensed to drive in most other countries (for one calendar year).
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