Cars drive on the left side of the road and have the driver`s seat and steering wheel on the right. The legal driving age is 18. Drunk driving is prohibited. Signs and traffic rules follow international standards, and most signs on major roads are in Japanese and English. Vehicles must stop before crossing the tracks. The age of a Japanese person depends largely on his social position, the first years of school looking for work and even retirement. For about 140 years, adulthood in Japan has been set at 20, and even a special celebration called “Seijin no Hi” (or Coming of Age Day) is held on the second Monday of January for young men and women who have reached that age. The laws and rules of society change over time, and adulthood is no exception. In fact, legal adulthood in Japan has been lowered to 18 as of April 1, 2022. Although this does not affect traditional celebrations such as “seijin no hi”, it causes changes in marriage, rental age, etc. Since 18 has become adulthood in Japan, you`d think that almost anything anyone can do would start at that age.
However, this is not the case and some activities may require different ages. Whether you already live in Japan or are planning to move there, you need to be aware of certain age limits. Japan has bilateral agreements with more than twenty countries, including Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United Kingdom, as well as the U.S. states of Hawaii, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia and Washington, to acquire a license. If you have a valid driver`s license from one of these countries, you can get a Japanese driver`s license without taking a written or practical test. The second unique type of parking space uses low barriers under lifting cars to physically block each individual vehicle. Once you`ve paid your parking fees (either at a central vending machine or at the parking lot), the gate comes down and you can leave safely. This type of parking is usually seen around small urban lots. If you have a driver`s license from a country or state that doesn`t have an agreement with Japan, such as China, Brazil, or most U.S. states, you must pass a written and practical test to get a Japanese driver`s license. This process usually takes several attempts, even for experienced drivers. A rental car can be rented by anyone who has a valid driver`s license.
Therefore, in Japan, where you must be at least 18 years old to get a driver`s license, minors can still rent a car. However, anyone who has a provisional driving licence, which is issued only for the practice of driving on the road, cannot do so. Most Japanese go to a driving school before getting a driver`s license, although there is no legal requirement to go to a driving school, it is very difficult to get a driver`s license without going because there is no apprenticeship license in Japan. From the age of 16, Japanese teenagers can obtain a motorcycle or moped driver`s license. However, to obtain a “normal” driver`s licence, the applicant must be at least 18 years old when passing the final test. An 18-year-old can also legally buy a car. In addition to a valid Japanese driver`s license, these driver`s licenses are allowed to drive in Japan. Please refer to “How to change your driver`s license to a Japanese driver`s license” if you plan to convert your driver`s license to a Japanese license. If you wish to renew your driver`s licence, please read here. Of course, drunk driving is illegal, but passengers who are not the driver can drink freely. In recent years, incidents of impaired driving have been followed by severe penalties to combat the problem.
Drinking is considered a privilege of adults who expect people to drink responsibly. In the Edo period, girls as young as 13 and boys as young as 15 were considered adults, but during the Meiji period in 1876, the legal age was officially raised to 20 for both sexes. In 2015, the Japanese government`s diet decided to lower adulthood to 18; However, this law will not come into force until 2022. Some larger vehicles require a special driver`s license, which can only be obtained by drivers aged 20 and over. To drive a professional vehicle, you must be at least 21 years old. Concert halls in Japan are legally operated as “food and drink venues,” meaning anyone can enter, regardless of age. Some venues have specific rules that, for example, exclude young children from standing performances or minors from certain events. However, most venues and shows have no restrictions. However, the alcohol sold is only available to people aged 20 and over. While minors can enter a concert hall, they are only sold soft drinks.
Many Japanese sites have a “one drink” system where you have to buy a ticket for a drink in advance or charge a drink fee of about 500 to 600 yen with the live ticket. This system was introduced not only to cover costs such as maintenance, but also to maintain the status of a “food and beverage establishment”. The beverage ticket can be used for a beverage of your choice, but be prepared to be asked for identification if you order alcohol and the staff do not know if you are a minor or not.