Two weeks back I wrote about the stop sign I missed and the rule about international driving permits in Japan that I didn’t know existed.
If you haven’t read that story yet, you can find it here:
The Stop Sign I Missed and the Rule I Didn’t Know.
What I didn’t expect at the time was how long that situation would actually take to resolve.
What started as a simple traffic stop eventually turned into two evenings at the police station and, a week later, a visit to the Gifu Driving Center to convert my Dutch driver’s license into a Japanese one.
Six Hours at the Police Station
When the police officers stopped me, I initially assumed the situation would be brief.
I had not fully stopped at a stop sign, and I expected the usual procedure: a short conversation, perhaps a warning, and then continuing on my way.
But once the officers discovered that the international driver’s license I was using was not valid in my particular situation, the procedure became more formal.
I was asked to accompany them to the police station where everything needed to be documented.
What I thought might take an hour turned into something much longer.
By the time the evening arrived, I had already spent about six hours at the police station.
The officers carefully documented the situation and began preparing a written report.
Eventually the station was closing for the night.
The report was still not finished.
So I was asked to come back the following day to continue the interrogation and complete the paperwork.
What started as a missed stop sign had suddenly turned into a two-day administrative experience.
Remaining Calm
Despite the unexpected situation, I stayed calm and cooperative.
There was no reason for me to deny anything or defend myself.
I simply answered the questions and followed the procedure.
Looking back, this was probably the easiest way to handle the situation.
A Necessary Step
After those two visits to the police station, one thing was clear.
If I wanted to continue driving in Japan, I needed to convert my Dutch driver’s license into a Japanese one.
So about a week later, I went to the Gifu Driving Center to start that process.
Visiting the Gifu Driving Center
Compared to the police station experience, the process at the driving center felt surprisingly straightforward.
The entire procedure took about half a day.
First there were the application forms to fill in.
After that came an interview about my driving history in the Netherlands.
The officer asked questions about how I originally obtained my license:
- how I learned to drive
- whether I attended a driving school
- whether I passed both theory and practical exams
- whether I had committed any traffic violations
It felt a little like explaining my entire driving history.
But the purpose was clear. They wanted to verify that my license had been obtained through proper training and testing.
The Eye Test
After the interview came the eyesight test.
This was quick and straightforward.
Once that was completed, the final step was paying a small administrative fee.
Shortly after that, I received my Japanese driver’s license.
Compared to the two evenings at the police station, the conversion process itself felt remarkably efficient.
Not Everyone Had the Same Procedure
While waiting at the driving center, I noticed that my process was not the same as everyone else’s.
Some applicants appeared to be preparing for written exams about traffic rules, while others seemed to be scheduled for practical driving tests.
From what I understood, this depends largely on the country where the original driver’s license was issued.
Some countries have agreements that allow a simpler conversion process, while others require additional testing.
In my case, the process involved paperwork, the interview, the eyesight test, and the fee.
But clearly the procedure can be different for other people.
Driving Legally Again
At the end of the day, I left the Gifu Driving Center with a Japanese driver’s license.
It felt good to know that I could now drive legally in Japan without worrying about whether my documents were valid.
But the story itself is not completely finished yet.
The police case that started everything is still being processed.
And now I simply have to wait.
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