Top 20 Frequently Asked Questions
Please tell me more about the flow of a driving school.
We explain the flow of foreigners obtaining a driver's license in Japan. Please refer the URL here.
http://jdl.asia/ja/howto/what-are-the-differences-beween-manual-transaction-mt-and-automatic-trwansaction-at/
http://jdl.asia/ja/howto/what-are-the-differences-beween-manual-transaction-mt-and-automatic-trwansaction-at/
Should I be good at Japanese to graduate a driving school?
At the driving school, all the lessons will be in Japanese. You need to be able to have simple conversation in Japanese. If you have a normal conversation level (level 3 or 2), there would be no problem to enter the school.
Is there anybody who studies hard but unable to graduate?
We have prepared our original glossary etc. Please prepare carefully before entering the school. Also, please refer to this article. （http://jdl.asia/ja/basic/can-i-get-a-license/ ）
Can I enter the school even if I can understand Japanese only a little?
I have never driven a car before, but can I pass the one shot exam?
Everyone is feeling uneasiness at first but in the training camps, you can communicate with your teacher every day. If you can make good friends, you can get good advises from them too.
In addition, instructors are responsible to teach you driving lessons. It is safe to choose the plan with a guarantee that you don't have to pay any additional charge until graduation even if you fail to pass the exam many times.
I'm afraid whether I can follow the lessons. How difficult is the lessons?
The driving skill trainings are usually one-on-one lessons and the instructors in the training camp might speak in dialects, so that you might have some difficulty to understand what they say. You might even feel like you have been rebuked because of the dialect.
If your attitude or behavior is bad, you may be reprimanded too.
Instructors are very serious about teaching safe driving skills through training because some of the dangerous driving operations can kill someone They value the safe driving mindset and we should appreciate these strict instructions.
What if I quit before graduation? Can I get a refund?
The refund policy varies depending on the driving school, but in most cases, it will be calculated and refunded according to the cancellation policy.
Do I have to pay a cancellation fee if I cancel my reservation?
Yes. If you make a cancellation after an application, you will be charged 21,600 yen as a cancellation fee.
The training camp is close from my house. Is it okay not to stay in the dormitory?
In principle, it is necessary to stay at the accommodation designated by the school.
What is the difference between MT and AT?
Please refer to this article for details.
http://jdl.asia/ja/howto/camping-or-goingto-school/
http://jdl.asia/ja/howto/camping-or-goingto-school/
What is the difference between a training camp and a driving school?
Please refer to this article for details.
http://jdl.asia/ja/howto/how-to-select-driving-school/
http://jdl.asia/ja/howto/how-to-select-driving-school/
Can I get a license right away on the day of graduation?
After graduating from the driving school, you need to take the exam at the license center where your address in the resident card is.
If I return to China, can I still use my Japanese license?
xxxx
Can you take the exam in English, Chinese, Vietnamese or Portuguese? Are there any foreign instructors?
There is a school where you can take the exam in foreign language. We can introduce a driving school with staffs who can speak Chinese.
If I return to China, can I still use my Japanese license?
XXXXXXXXXXX
If I return to Vietnam, can I still use my Japanese license?
XXXXXXXXXXX
I'm thinking of applying to a training camp alone. Are there any female participants attending alone?
Please feel relief. There are many women participating alone.
Some training camps are limited only for women, some training camps are with full security.
Please contact us so that we can introduce you some recommended schools that are friendly to women.
What should I do if I encounter any problems during the training camp?
In a regular car license training camp, you need to be away from your home for about two weeks.
Please consult the staff and instructors if you have any trouble in relationships with other students /instructors, the progress of training lessons, etc.
Please contact our Customer Center if it is difficult to tell your problems to the staff.
Entrance qualification
My visa is for family stay. Can I enter a driving school?
If you have a status of residence, you can enter the school regardless of the type of visa.
My residence card is now on the process of update, is it possible to enter the school without it?
If the status of residence is being updated, you can apply without your residence card, but you are required to bring your residence card on the day of entry. You can not enter the school without a residence card.
Can I apply or enter the school even if I am under 18?
You do not have to be 18 years old at the time of application, however, it is necessary to be 18 years old when temporary license is issued. To have a temporary license, you need to finish all of your 1st phase classes and training lessons, pass the final writing exam, and also the driving skill examination for the temporary license.
I have a myopic vision. Do I need glasses or contacts?
It is necessary to meet all the conditions below. If you are not sure, please go see your doctor in advance.
● Ordinary vehicle /motorcycle/ large size special-purpose vehicle : Vision of 0.3 or more for each eye and 0.7 or more for both eyes
● Semi-Medium vehicle/ medium-sized/ large-sized/towing vehicle/ Class 2 license: Vision of 0.5 or more for each eye and 0.8 or more for both eyes. Visual acuity test for depth error should be within 2 cm in average.
Required documents & Things to bring
What should I bring in the day of entering school?
When entering the school, a residence certificate, without my number but with the registered domicile, and a residence card are required.
Can I enter the school without the resident card on the day of admission?
You can not enter the school if you don't have your resident card. There are some driving schools which allow you to enter the school if you can prepare it until the temporary license examination.
※ Please contact us if your resident card cannot be issued in time.
Lodging
How is the accommodation?
Each school offers a dedicated lodging and an outside partner hotel.
There are a variety of lodgings from single rooms to shared rooms used by several people, apartments and pension-type lodgings and luxury sightseeing hotels.
Please check at the time of application as there are lodgings within walking distance from the school, and lodgings with a return from school bus.
In addition, men and women are in principle separate buildings or separate floors, and security is also ensured.
The campus dormitory is a accommodation facility directly managed within the premises of the school.
Private lodgings are also run directly by the school, but they are located away from the school.
Both are well equipped with facilities that are convenient for training life, and the rates are set lower than the hotel. However, there is a curfew, and there is a rule decided for each training center, such as prohibition of drinking in the lodgings.
On the other hand, at the hotel you will be free to spend time after your lessons are complete and you will also have a private place. However, the price is more expensive than in-house and private dormitories.
What is a room type "regular"?
Regular type means a shared room, and you will be in the same room with other students.
The number of guests per room varies depending on the property. You can apply for one.
Even if you might feel uneasy at first, you will be able to get along with everyone in the room! !
Can I share my room with my boy friend / girl friend?
XXXXXXXXX
Am I going to be in the same room as Chinese?
Please contact us in advance. We will arrange the same room as the Chinese guests as much as possible, but there is a possibility for the people from other countries may come in.
Are there a baths and a toilet in the room?
It depends on the lodgings. Please confirm the details on the lodgings site of each driving training camp.
Can you do the laundry?
Yes. There is a shared washing machine. Please bring your own detergent.
Can I go out in my free time?
It is possible to go out. Curfew varies in each accommodations. Please inquire for details.
Can I stay out during the training camp?
Please refrain from staying overnight, as you are required to return to the curfew during the training period.
How should I manage my valuables?
We are asking you to manage your own valuables by yourself.
How should I get to the school from the lodging?
It depends on the each accommodations. Usually there is a pick up bus from the accommodation to the school.
Is it non-smoking in the hotel?
The lodgings are non smoking. If you smoke, please follow the rules.
Can I cook in the lodging?
It is possible. If you want to cook, please choose a school that has a "self" plan.
Can I use Wi-Fi (network environment) at the lodging?
There are some training camps and lodgings with Wi-Fi. Please inquire for details.
What time is the curfew?
The curfew is 10 o'clock in principle. Please inquire for details.
Can I stay in the same room as my friend?
It is possible if you request at the time of application. Please request "twin" room type for 2 people and "triple" for 3 people. If there is not enough availability, it may not be possible to meet your request.
Each training camp has different types of room. If you have an option to choose triple room, you may enter "triple" but in some training camps, triple rooms are not available. In that case, you will be asked to choose a room type from "Shared Room", "Single Room" or "Twin Room".
Room type is an optional input item, so if you don't t know which to choose, it is OK to leave it blank. We will explain by phone after your application is completed, and guide you to the room type you like.
For a regular plan, it is possible to apply for the same room only with the same sex.
Meals
Are three meals included in the price? Where and what meals do you eat?
The breakfast, lunch and dinner are included in the camping fee. The meal type will be a lunch box, a set meal in the dining room, and a buffet. Some training camp has a cafeteria in the dormitory and some training camp will give you a lunch box at the school.
※ If you choose "self-plan", you need to prepare your meals by yourself.
What is a plan called "self"?
If you want to choose this plan, it is better to search for the neighborhood information where you can buy food in advance.
If you want to choose this plan, it is better to search for the neighborhood information where you can buy food in advance.
Do you have allergy-free food service?
Please let us know the details of your allergy. We will introduce the training camps that can provide allergy free meals.
I have food restrictions due to religious reason. Can I remove a certain type of food from my meal?
Please let us know the details. We will introduce the training camps that can remove specific food from meals for you.
Is the meal buffet style? Or is it a lunch box style?
It depends on the training camp. Some training camp is popular for delicious meals. Please inquire for details.
Transportation fee
Please tell me more about training camp transportation fee.
Round trip transportation costs will be paid back at the time of graduation.
Please purchase a ticket for outbound trip. You can arrange your return trip ticket from the school on your graduation day.
Please note that pay back is for the designated area. For example, if Shinjuku Station to Utsunomiya Station is the coverage area, you need to pay for a ticket to Shinjuku Station.
Is transportation cost included in the price? Do I need to pay any extra cost?
The traffic route from each area is designated by the training school. The training school will pay transportation expenses only for the designated transportation and areas.
Please refer to the web page "Access and transportation expenses" in each school. You need to pay for the transportation cost that training school does not cover. Please check at the time of application.
Payment methods
What kind of payment method is available?
You can choose from bank transfer and loans.
Foreign nationals can also use installment loans. Please refer to following article as well.
http://jdl.asia/ja/howto/how-to-pay-at-driving-school/
http://jdl.asia/ja/howto/how-to-pay-at-driving-school/
If I pay in cash, when should I make a payment?
You need ot make a full payment within one week after your application is completed.
However, if you have more than 2 months from application day to entrance day, you will ask to pay for 21,600 yen (tax included) as a down payment and the rest until the day one month before the entrance date.
Can I change the payment method after the application is confirmed?
You can change the payment method even after the application is confirmed.
However, if you change the payment method from bank transfer to driver's license loan, it will take time to get approval for the loan, so the procedure may not be in time by the date of entry.
In that case, please note that you will have to change the entrance date.
I do not know much about the loan? Can you explain in detail?
The payment for the training camp must be paid in full amount before the entrance date of the school. Since the cost is very high, we provide driver's license loans that can be paid in installments. The contract will be made with a specific credit sales company.
If you want to apply for the loan, please apply for a loan examination first. The payment will start from the month following the school entrance month if you pass the examination .
What kind of procedure does the driver's license loan review take?
The process for the loan application is as below.
Please complete the application at our web site first.
When the application is officially completed by our company, we will send an email with a URL to connect you to our affiliated credit sales company .
The loan examination will start if you register the required customer information for the driver's license loan in the web site.
At the shortest, you will find out the examination results on the day of application. Please make sure to finish your loan examination before you enter the school.
Depending on the result, you may need a re-examination with a guarantor registration, or there is a case that you need to go through the process with a written documents.
There is a possibility that you may not be able to use a driver's license loan.
Please note in advance that we are not involved in the process of the loan examination and the result. It is conducted by the credit sales company.
Are there anything I should note when I'm making a loan?
To have an approval, you need to have some income in principle. In addition, it is necessary to complete your payment during your stay in Japan.
Additional cost
Do I have to pay extra cost if I stay more than the minimum number of days?
There is no additional charge if it is within the coverage of "guarantee" set by the school.
However, the guarantee does not apply in the case of training delays due to customer convenience such as lateness, illness, injury, etc... Additional charges will occur.
Also please note that the examination fee of 1,750 yen for a temporally license test is not covered by the guarantee after the second times.
Is there any cost that I need to pay other than the prepaid training camp fee?
Please bring "temporary license examination fee: 1,750 yen" + "temporary license issuance fee: 1,100 yen"= total 2,850 yen (tax exempt) to a training camp as an extra expense, .
If you fail in the temporary examination exam, you need to pay 1,700 yen as an examination fee every time you take the exam. Please also note that you need to pay transportation cost if the place of departure is outside the coverage area.
Launderette fee to use washing/drying machine during stay*, food expense if you choose "self-plan" for the meals, money for leisure, sightseeing, snacks are also not included in the price**.
However, there are convenience stores and banks near the training school and accommodation facilities so you do not have to carry a lot of cash.
*Some accommodation provide free washing/drying machine. For details, please refer to “Accommodation” on each accommodation web page. **The cost of three meals is included if you choose a regular plan.