30 essential Japanese driving license terms with English translations, romaji, and original Japanese. Organized in 8 categories — covers provisional license (karimen), full license (honmen), foreign license conversion (gaimen kirikae), and key rules. Each term has a brief explanation focused on what matters for the written test.
Categories
License Types
provisional license
仮免許 · karimen
License obtained after Stage 1 of driving school. Lets you drive on public roads with an instructor. Required step before the full license.
regular license / full license
本免許 · honmen
The standard driving license issued after passing the final written test at the prefectural licensing center. Valid 3 years for first-time licensees.
foreign-to-Japanese license conversion
外免切替 · gaimen kirikae
Procedure to exchange a valid foreign driving license for a Japanese one. Since October 2025, the knowledge test was overhauled to 50 questions with a 90% pass mark.
International Driving Permit (IDP)
国際運転免許証
Permit valid for 1 year in Japan, issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention. Not a substitute for a Japanese license if you stay in Japan long-term.
novice driver
初心運転者 · shoshin untensha
A driver in their first year after obtaining a license. Required to display the shoshin-mark (yellow-and-green chevron) and subject to harsher penalty rules.
Vehicles
moped
原動機付自転車 / 原付 · gentsuki / gen-tsuki
Two-wheeled vehicle with engine displacement ≤ 50cc, max speed 30 km/h on most roads. Cannot use expressways.
special small motorized bicycle (e-scooter category)
特定小型原動機付自転車 · tokutei kogata gentsuki
Electric scooter class introduced 2023. Max speed 20 km/h (6 km/h on sidewalk-mode). Riders aged 16+; helmet recommended (not required).
motorcycle
二輪車 · nirinsha
Two-wheeled motor vehicle category covering all sizes from small (51–125cc) up to large (>400cc). Different license classes apply by displacement.
Driving Movements
slow down to a stop-ready speed
徐行 · jokō
A speed slow enough that the driver can stop instantly. Required at crosswalks with pedestrians, around schools, narrow streets, etc. Roughly 10 km/h or less.
overtaking
追越し · oikoshi
Passing another vehicle by changing lanes (or crossing the center line). Prohibited on hills, curves, crosswalk approaches, and near intersections.
passing (without lane change)
追抜き · oinuki
Passing another vehicle without changing lanes. Distinct from 'overtaking' (oikoshi) — typical example is passing a slower car in the right lane of a multi-lane road.
lane change
進路変更 · shinro henkou
Signal at least 3 seconds before changing lanes; signal at least 30 m before turning, transferring, or making a U-turn.
Stopping & Parking
stopping
停車 · teisha
Stopping the vehicle for up to 5 minutes for loading/unloading goods, or any short stop to drop off / pick up passengers. Distinct from 'parking'.
parking
駐車 · chuusha
Stopping for longer than 5 minutes (excluding loading/unloading), or any stop where the driver leaves the vehicle and cannot return immediately.
stopping and parking prohibited
駐停車禁止 · chuuteisha kinshi
Areas where you may neither stop nor park — within 5 m of an intersection, crosswalk, or railroad crossing; on a sharp curve; on a steep slope; inside a tunnel; near a fire hydrant; etc.
Roads & Infrastructure
crosswalk
横断歩道 · oudan hodou
Designated pedestrian crossing marked by white parallel lines on the road. Vehicles must slow down to stop-ready speed; must stop if a pedestrian is crossing or about to.
railroad crossing
踏切 · fumikiri
Road crossing of a railway line. Drivers must stop directly before the crossing, then proceed only after confirming safety with eyes and ears. (Exception: if a signal exists and is green.)
streetcar
路面電車 · romen densha
Tram running on rails embedded in the road. Drivers must yield, follow safety-zone (yellow-line) rules, and never pass a stopped streetcar with passengers boarding.
safety zone
安全地帯 · anzen chitai
Yellow-marked area on the road, typically next to streetcar stops, where pedestrians may safely wait. Vehicles must not enter.
traffic signal / traffic light
信号機 · shingouki
Standard 3-aspect signal: green = proceed, yellow = stop (unless unable to stop safely), red = stop. Police hand signals override.
expressway
高速道路 · kousoku douro
High-speed motorway. Passenger cars: 100 km/h (now up to 120 km/h on some sections). Mopeds, light trucks under 660cc, and tokutei kogata gentsuki may not enter.
Rules & Priority
Rules of the Road
交通の方法に関する教則 · koutsuu no houhou ni kansuru kyousoku
Official National Police Agency publication that serves as the authoritative source for all written-test content. Updated periodically; covers all 11 chapters of road rules.
yield
進路を譲る · shinro wo yuzuru
Giving way to another vehicle or pedestrian who has priority — e.g. emergency vehicles, vehicles on the main road, pedestrians at crosswalks.
right-of-way / priority
優先通行 · yuusen tsuukou
Priority over other vehicles at intersections — e.g. wider road has priority over narrower road; vehicles already in an intersection have priority over entering vehicles.
horn / signal device
警音器 / 警笛 · keihou-ki / keiteki
Use restricted to (1) marked 'horn required' zones, and (2) unavoidable safety situations. Using the horn for greeting, urging, or thanking is a violation.
Tests & Exams
written test
学科試験 · gakka shiken
Knowledge test administered by prefectural police licensing centers. Three versions: provisional (50 questions), full (95 questions), and the post-Oct-2025 knowledge confirmation test for foreign-license conversion (50 questions).
knowledge confirmation test (foreign license conversion)
知識確認テスト · chishiki kakunin shiken
Test for gaimen kirikae applicants. Since October 2025: 50 true/false questions, 90% pass mark (45/50). Pass rates dropped from ~90% to ~33% after the reform.
aptitude test
適性検査 · tekisei shiken
Physical check at exam day: vision (0.7+ both eyes / 0.3+ each eye), color recognition (red / yellow / blue), hearing.
Police & Authorities
National Police Agency (NPA)
警察庁 · keisatsu-chou
Top national police authority. Publishes the Rules of the Road and sets nationwide traffic policy. Prefectural police forces handle actual licensing.
licensing center / driving license test center
運転免許試験場 / 運転免許センター · unten menkyo shikenjou
Prefectural facility where you take the final written test, vision check, and receive your license. Each prefecture has 1–3 centers.
Next steps
See each term in real test questions by picking a chapter on the home page. For the full license journey, see the 8-step guide. Site policy is on the About page. Foreign license holders: foreign license conversion (gaimen kirikae) guide.