In all of Japanese history, there has never been a deeper mystery than the origins of Nihon Hanako. Her name is enigmatic, her photo alluring. Looking at the license, the only evidence that this woman ever existed, you wonder what she could have been feeling, seated in the fluorescent light and uncomfortable stool of the driver’s license center. Is it fear? Anger? Mild hunger? How does this one woman possess the license qualifications to drive every single known motorized vehicle in Japan – from forklifts to motorcycles to semi-trucks? And by God, why?
Who is Nihon Hanako?
In reality, Nihon Hanako is merely an alias used on the example license for Japan’s driving centers in Tokyo and other places across the nation. Her family name of “Japan” and era-appropriate generic first name (written here after the family name according to Japanese custom) indicates that she was born to creativity-bereft parents like her friends Elizabeth England and Marie France. The identity of the woman pictured is not public information, and the home address listed is the location of Tokyo’s police headquarters.
For the past few decades, Nihon Hanako’s license, blown-up and pinned on a wall, has represented a future of driving freedom for sleepy driver’s training participants. With the periodic nature of required renewals, Hanako’s presence in the lives of Japan’s drivers has been more constant than that of many distant relatives.
This explains Hanako’s gradual elevation to cult hero status, as well as the stir caused when the Metropolitan Police Department published a new Nihon Hanako license in 2019, updated with a Reiwa-era office lady (above). Not to fear, though, because when I went to update my license at the Shinjuku License Center in April 2024, our Showa girl was still there, red-clad and cryptic as ever.
The mystery of Nihon Hanako led me on a years-long journey to find the legendary golden driver’s license. It all began in April 2019, one of my friends who was well-experienced driving in Japan graciously took me to the License Center in Mito, Ibaraki to begin my journey.
How I Got a Driver’s License in Japan
I was required to take both the written test and the driving test in order to convert my American license to a Japanese one. Some countries and individual states in America have exemptions, but I was not so lucky. The whole process took a few hours, starting with some forms and a relatively simple written test in English, then a long, nervous wait for the driving test.
I am grateful that I was able to prepare for driving on the left side of the road with a rental car on a trip to New Zealand a few months prior. An hour or so of repeating out loud “STAY ON THE LEFT. STAY ON THE LEFT,” had allowed me to blossom from a complete nervous wreck into a capable Kiwi navigator with slight anxiety only when approaching turns.
In fact, the difficult thing about the driving test is not driving on the left, it’s the evaluation system. The “test” is less of a skills test than a choreographed performance. The driving instructor sitting alongside you will typically be a grumpy old man who is primarily evaluating your ability to a pantomime set of safety rules. The driving course is so pre-determined that I used a PDF guide for foreigners from years earlier to prepare for the test, and the course was the exact same as the diagrams in the document (see above).
My group of about nine guys were randomly assigned an order, and we each rode in the back seat of the car during the test of the guy in front of us. If my memorization of the illustration of the PDF wasn’t enough, I got to watch each of my new compadres gingerly round the course, their driving ability inhibited by the lists of rules each of us were trying desperately to remember. Then, finally, it was my turn to get into the car.
Scratch that—the test doesn’t start when you enter the car. An example of the ridiculously choreographed rule-based testing system is the pre-drive check you have to do after the previous tester gets out. You have to kneel down and check under the car for lodged debris, walk around and check the tires, and then carefully place your left hand on the car while opening the door with your right. Just in case God decided to slash your tires in the seconds preceding your test. Failing to complete any of these tasks may result in docked points.
During the drive, you must hit 40 kilometers per hour without exceeding it at all. You must painstakingly crane your neck to show the oji-san next to you that you are checking every single mirror in the car before merging. By no means should you drive in a way which indicates that you will be able to survive on a real-life road.
Many people do not pass on the first, second, or even third try. I am convinced that much of the evaluation is merely a subjective appraisal of a jaded government employee, but I digress. Miraculously, I passed my exam and received my license that day, while every single one of my gaijin compatriots failed. I attribute this success to my ability to prepare, years of driving experience, and a healthy dose of pure, dumb luck.
I’d like to offer three tips from my experience at the License Center that might help anyone else seeking to drive in Japan and start their journey towards the mythical golden Japanese driver’s license.
Three Tips for Passing the Japanese Driver’s Exam
Driver's Test Tip 1: Do your homework
I cannot stress enough how essential this is in order to be ready for the exam. The written test is simple, but there are some tricky questions which can be confusing to foreigners. Find the most recent practice tests online and look around for what other foreigners are saying.
For the driving exam, you should be able to find a map of the course and the different driving trials you need to do. Memorize it. The evaluator will grumble instructions at you during the test, so learn the essential words (left, right, straight, etc.) that you’ll need to know. The guide I used was comprehensive, and they should be available no matter what area of Japan you’re living in. Study hard!
Driver's Test Tip 2: Drive with confidence
This was my main observed difference between my driving test and that of my fellow testers. The rules are very strict and difficult to remember, and you are advised to be extra cautious with every single movement you make.
However, I tried to drive as confidently as I could within the rules. I did the song and dance, but I tried not to be too timid. A lot of the other drivers were much too slow, and the instructor told a few of them to end the test early. I think I actually hit 41 or 42 kph on the first straight, supposedly an immediate failure, because I was surprised at exactly how slow that speed really is. However, my instructor didn’t mention it, and I ended up passing. This may be just my experience, but I believe an air of confidence will improve your impression on the instructor.
Driver's Test Tip 3: Dress to impress
My final anecdotal bit of advice is to dress professionally. I wore a white shirt with a tie, the only one of my cohort to do so. There are no official rules on dress code, but I think that if you believe there’s any subjectivity to the test at all, you have to consider the audience of your performance.
If you’re trying to get a Showa-era oji-san on your side, a tie or jacket is as good as a deep bow of respect. Business attire will remind him fondly of his own youthful 100-hour zangyou and pawahara years in the same office he still works in. Looking good will show him you’re serious about not only passing the test, but contributing to and fitting in with Japanese society as a whole.
Additional Resources
For details on where and how to start the process of getting your own license, search for information from your city or prefectural government. There are many useful online guides for foreigners, such as these two from Jobs in Japan and GaijinPot. The JET guide I used was only for Ibaraki, so I'd imagine there are similar documents for whatever area of Japan you find yourself testing in.
Conclusion
I hope that these will tips and resources will help any helpful drivers on their road to reaching Nihon Hanako status. In the next post, I’ll explain about the levels of Japanese driver’s licenses and how you too can attain the fabled golden license. Stay tuned here and on Instagram!
