Chapter 2
The Written and Unwritten
Rules of the Road
Contents:
THE BASICS
The Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) provides its Rules of the Road in six languages.
You can send 1000 yen plus return postage to your local JAF office and get a copy mailed to you
(office locations and more information available at
http://www.jaf.or.jp/e/index_e.htm)
The Rules of the Road book itself is not very long. It has a variety of illustrations and is
translated well. However, the great majority of it is common sense and often such irrelevant
common sense (such as 'do not disturb people by revving your engine'), one is discouraged from
taking it seriously. However, there are some useful items within not least of which is a
full color guide to all road signs, center lines and other street markings, as well as
explanations on what a parking ticket looks like and what to do if involved in an accident.
If one has not driven in a long time or is a relatively new driver, it is definitely worth
looking into.
However, although Japanese driving rules are fairly standard, there are a couple things to watch for:
Other things to note:
Lines
You will see white lines, yellow lines, dashed, solid, and a mixture. The lines do not indicate
traffic flow so assume every road goes in two directions (no matter how narrow it is)
unless you are on the expressway. Basically, the rule is that, if the line is dashed,
you may pass, overtaking the car in front of you. If the line is a solid white, you may pass but
exercise caution. Never cross a solid yellow line at all unless there is an additional white
line on your side. This is especially true if it is a thick yellow line. Also, as a general rule,
there is no passing allowed in a tunnel.
Traffic Signs
Traffic signs are not written in romaji at all, though many are self-explanatory.
See Rules of the Road or your JET Diary for a complete list. Some ones to watch
for are:
Construction Zones
Beware of wildlife on country roads, especially in spring and autumn.
Navigation
A great road atlas in English is available from Shobunsha called Road Atlas Japan.
The color maps are topographic. All routes, towns, landmarks, and major tourist attractions
are written in English with kanji included for city names. It is available from a
variety of bookshops and online including from Amazon Japan.
The price is approximately 3000 yen. (ISBN 4-398-20104-1)
Gas / Petrol Stations
Good words to know: mantan 満タン (the equivalent of "fill 'er up."
Otherwise, you can ask for a specific amount of litres/yen), genkin 現金 (pay by cash),
regyura レギュラ (regular unleaded gasoline), and haizara 灰皿 (ashtray; they may offer
to empty it)
Being that Japan is still very much a cash society, there is no credit card pay at the pump.
Also, snacks and the like are rarely available at a gasoline stand; you have to go to a convenience
store. In addition, if you are in the countryside, most gasoline stands will close quite early
(7:30 or 8pm) and will be closed on Sundays and holidays, so plan accordingly.
Pedestrians and Cyclists
Breakdowns and Accidents
If you are involved in an accident, call 110 to report it to the police. If there are injuries,
call an ambulance at 119.
If your car breaks down, there are a number of road service providers, however,
the standard is the Japanese Automobile Federation (JAF). If you are not a member
(or are not carrying your card) JAF will assist you, but the service fees start at 5,000 yen and
go up from there, depending on where you are and what you need. Flat tires often cannot be
fixed on the spot.
The number to call (it should work from mobile phones, pay phones, PHS, etc.) is:
(Japanese mnemonic: ha-i-san-kyu or "hai, thank you")
Regional Road Service Call Centers: See more at
http://www.jaf.or.jp/rservice/network/fr/f_index.htm
Japanese Driving Habits
TOLLS & MOVING VIOLATIONS
Toll Roads
Toll expressways are almost always double-lane divided highways with no signals or stops.
You get a ticket from an automated machine when you enter and pay the toll person after you exit.
The signage is clear, the exits are well-marked, the service areas are plentiful, and everything
is easy to get to. But it is almost as expensive as the shinkansen.
It is only an economical savings if you have a group of at least three in the car
splitting the cost. Sometimes, especially when crossing bridges from island to island
(from Honshu to Shikoku or Kyushu for example), you have no choice but to take the expressway
and pay the high bridge toll. Otherwise, there are usually alternative local roads one can take.
Price:
To be precise:
Local roads are free, but slower and often traffic-clogged. The average speed limit on a local
road is 50kph compared to 70 or 80kph on the expressways. This will feel very slow as Japan
has some of the lowest speed limits in the world. Actual drivers tend to go 65-75kph and
100kph respectively. That being said, it is not recommended to go over 70kph on local roads
you do not know. The already narrow roads have a way of being curvy and sneaky, with cars
stopping in the middle without warning and the occasional obaasan walking on the side
because there are no sidewalks. You are more likely to be pulled over on expressways, but
many drivers speed anyway.
Moving Violations
See http://rules.rjq.jp for full Japanese list
Parking Violations
from
http://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.jp/kotu/chusya/chusya.htm
Alcohol Violations
from http://www.intox.com
Americans and Canadians, note that Absolutely No Turns can be made on a red light in Japan.
British, Australians and New Zealanders, note that the Give Way to Cars on Your
Right rule is the opposite. For example, if you are turning left onto a street and a car
across from you is turning right onto the same street, you have the right of way.
In other words, the car making the smaller turn goes before the car making the larger turn,
even if it is crossing from your right.
STOP
tomare
SLOW
jokou
ONE WAY
NO PASSING
Construction is common, especially construction that reverts traffic to one lane. These zones
are either monitored by live workers or by small lights. If a worker waves a red flag at you,
you must stop. If a worker waves a white flag, you may proceed. If a worker is waving a sign
with two giant kanji, it usually means 'slow' indicating construction ahead. There may
be a single light during off-peak times. Simply: stop if it is red and proceed if it is blue or
green. (Often, a timer shows how long you have
to wait before you can proceed - no more than 2 minutes.)
Getting from one place to another in Japan by car is relatively easy. Almost all signs, even
in rural areas, have romaji under the kanji as well as clear arrows, so the language
barrier is rarely a problem when navigating. Local roads are narrow and twisty, but well-marked.
City roads are more of a challenge since there are more lanes, more cars, sudden forks, and
less time to decipher signs; in particular, avoid driving in the Tokyo-Yokohama area or the
Osaka-Kyoto area unless you have to. Blue signs are the main navigation signs; they will
show the main routes. Green signs indicate toll expressways. Almost all local routes
have numbers.
Gasoline Stands, as they are called in Japan, are fairly similar to their counterparts
elsewhere in the world. The cost is rarely advertised, but hovers just over 100 yen a liter.
They are usually full serve, but keep an eye out for the katakana "self" (セルフ) just to be sure.
Self-serve gasoline stands often have a fancy Japanese-only push-button screen and want cash
ahead of time. If you get stuck, a clerk will probably help.
Pedestrians are supposed to walk on the right side (unless there are sidewalks) while cyclists
are supposed to ride along the left side of traffic.
# 8 1 3 9 (Don't forget to press the pound sign first)
Be prepared to tell them your location, model of your car, and the nature of the breakdown
(the best you can.) If you call from an expressway emergency phone or the like,
they can pinpoint your location easier.
Hokkaido
011-857-8139Tohoku
022-237-0110North Kanto
048-840-0111Kansai
072-645-0111
Chugoku
082-272-4949Shikoku
087-868-0111Kyushu
092-841-5000Chubu
052-889-5300Tokyo
042-339-0111
Kanagawa
045-482-0111Chiba
043-224-1655
Yamanashi
055-241-0111Nagano
026-223-1100Niigata
025-281-0111Fukui
0776-25-2560Ishikawa
076-240-3888Toyama
076-425-7373Okinawa
098-877-9163
Japanese drivers are generally not aggressive. Although they will pull out directly in front
of you and go through red lights, they tend to do so in a leisurely manner.
The most aggressive drivers by far are taxi drivers. The Japanese rarely honk
(except for thank-you honks) but they do tend to, like drivers all over the world, speed, tail you,
and pass you dangerously, though on the other hand, they will also politely stop to let you pull
out in front of them, flash their lights to let you know if your lights are on, and will pull
as far left as they can (putting on their left turn signal sometimes) to let you pass.
Local roads rarely have shoulders, so beware of cars stopped or parked right in the middle
of the road. Beware of drivers stepping out directly into traffic as well as pedestrians
walking on the road who have no sidewalk to walk on. Like any place, driving in the city
is more dangerous and aggressive than driving in the country because of the sheer number
of cars, but comparatively, Japanese drivers could be worse.
If you take the expressways instead of the local roads, be prepared to pay.
The good news is that, because of the astronomical price, the expressways are well kept-up, fast,
and not clogged with traffic, unless you are near a major city.
Small and Regular-sized Vehicles cost about 25 yen per kilometer
ROUTE APPROX. PRICE Tokyo - Kyoto 11,000 yen Osaka - Nagoya 5,000 yen Hiroshima - Fukuoka 7,000 yen Sendai - Aomori 7,500 yen Kagoshima - Nagasaki 8,000 yen Sapporo - Oshamanbe 5,000 yen Kyoda - Naha 1,200 yen
On your license you have 15 points to start, however if you lose more than 6, your license
can be suspended for 30 days, so 6 is the number to watch for. If you lose more than 15,
the penalty will be applied to your next license.
VIOLATION (for normal-sized cars) POINTS
OFFCOST Driving Under the Influence (of drugs or alcohol)
See more below.25 300,000 - 500,000 yen
(and possible jailtime)Driving without a License 19 200,000 - 300,000 yen
(and possible jailtime)Driving on an Expired Temporary License 12 200,000 - 300,000 yen Driving without shaken or Insurance 6 80,000 - 100,000 yen Going 50kph over the limit 12 80,000 - 100,000 yen Going 40 - 50kph over the limit 6 60,000 - 80,000 yen Going 30 - 40kph over the limit 6 (less
on expway)25,000 - 35,000 yen Going 25 - 30kph over the limit 3 18,000 - 25,000 yen Going 15 - 25kph over the limit 1 or 2 12,000 - 15,000 yen Disregarding a Traffic Signal 2 7,000 - 9,000 yen Not Wearing a Seatbelt 1 2,500 - 10,000 yen Not Carrying Your License 0 3,000 yen
To park on the street, one's car must be parked 3.5 meters from the other side of the street.
If you do the measuring, you'll realize this is impossible on most Japanese streets,
even in residential areas. As a result, street parking is basically illegal and you must
find a parking lot, usually a pay lot or a commercial lot, to park in. Note that many supermarkets
and office buildings have gated parking. If you are parked until after-hours, your car may be
trapped inside until the next morning. If you are parked illegally, you may get ticketed or
towed. You will have to go to the police station to pay the ticket and get the sticker
removed from your car (it is illegal to try to remove it yourself). This is not a quick process,
it may take an hour or more, especially for foreigners and especially if your car was towed.
VIOLATION (for normal-sized cars) POINTS
OFFCOST Leaving your car for a long-period in a no-stopping or parking zone 3 18,000 yen Leaving your car for a long period in a no-parking zone 2 15,000 yen Parking in a no-stopping or parking zone 2 12,000 yen Parking in a no-parking zone 1 10,000 yen
The moral of this section is: don't even think about drinking and driving in Japan.
Not even one drink. Especially because you are a teacher (a role model) and because you are
a foreigner, the repercussions of being caught driving under any influence are extremely
harsh. Expect to be dismissed from the program if you are caught attempting to drive with
even a small amount of alcohol in your system (or knowingly let someone else drive when
they have drunk.) Watch your co-workers at enkais; for the most part, they will not
risk it either.
CLASSIFICATION POINTS
OFFFINE PUNISHMENT PRISON Drunk Driving 35 500,000 yen license cancelled for 2 years incarcerated up to 3 years DUI(alcohol concentration per one liter of air - not blood) above .25mg 13 300,000 yen license suspended for 90 days
incarcerated up to 1 year .15mg to .25mg 6 300,000 yen license suspended for 30 days 
How much is .15mg?
NOT VERY MUCH! Less than one drink. Although there are a lot of variables to take into consideration to determine your breath alcohol content, if you have had more than a sip for a toast (or a spoonful of medicine), do not chance it!
Note that most other countries' limits are between .2mg or .4mg per liter of air and Japan's
was .25 until recently. Note that this system of measurement does not use the same units
as the U.S, U.K. or other countries.
0.00 mg/l of breath - This is the only safe level.
0.10 mg/l of breath - The limit for drivers in some countries.
0.24 mg/l of breath - The limit for many countries.
0.38 mg/l of breath - The limit for most countries.
0.48 mg/l of breath - The limit for drivers in almost every country is no higher than this.
1.50 mg/l of breath - At this level most people will lose consciousness.
2.00 mg/l of breath - At this level most people will become comatose and may die.
I wasn't the one driving, my friend was. I was just in the back seat. I can't get into any trouble, right?
Wrong. If you are in the car OR were even with that person at the time of the drinking even though you were not in the car, you can still be held accountable for your friend's drinking and driving. Hence you face similar penalties.