How I Converted My California License to a Japanese License in Tokyo (外免切替)
I did the license conversion, gaimen kirikae (外免切替), in March of 2026, after the Japanese government changed the written test to be 50 questions and added the hill start to the practical test. I was converting a California license, which meant I had to take both the written and practical tests (largely because California doesn't reciprocally allow foreign license conversions). I chose the Samezu License Test Center (鮫洲) in Tokyo for convenience.
Getting the appointment
Tokyo allows you to book the document check online, so I went to the police website to book an appointment and saw that none were available. That's why Gaimen Hunter exists. I wrote a program to scan the appointment site, and it quickly found an open slot about 3 months later. That program is now this website. If I had let the program run continuously as it does now, I probably could have gotten an even earlier slot.
Document Check
I've been driving since 1996, but didn't physically have any past licenses or entry/exit records from the US. What I could get was my California driver's record ($3 online printout) and a Maryland driver's record. I was worried because I had renewed my CA license just before coming to Japan, so the issue date on my license was not the required 3 months before Japan.
Thus, I brought paystubs, W-2s, and university transcripts from random periods of time in my life that were longer than 3 months. I also put together a handy dandy document with photos of my previous licenses and a timeline explaining when I got those licenses and when I moved states.
At the document check, the officer only looked at my CA driver's record, which began in 2013. The CA driving record looks like gobbledygook, so I highlighted the 2013 issue date for him. He didn't need the other information and said he couldn't look at copies of licenses.
Although he didn't look at my handy dandy timeline document, we talked through my driving history and all the different states that I was licenses in, and he took notes of that conversation as seen in the image below. The conversation was in easy Japanese (I am N2 level), but I get the sense that the guy understood English and was familiar with the documents.
The driving record doesn't definitively prove I was in the US for 3 months after getting my license, but I'm guessing due to my advanced age, he didn't feel the need to press me for more evidence.
Written test — same day as the document check!
After he said the documents looked good, he asked if I wanted to take the written test. I didn't know that Samezu did the document check and written test on the same day, so I briefly had a deer-in-the-headlights look because I wasn't mentally prepared to take a test. But I thought I might as well, and I got about 2 hours to get prepared before the afternoon test.
Luckily, I had ordered the Rules of the Road book 3 days before and had been studying it. I also googled for sample test questions and found several free flashcard sites. I crammed on those as well. They get you used to the weird English wording of the questions and show you that they may even ask about details such as the weight limits on towing or what defines a vehicle class.
It's largely like any driving test, though, and the safe answer is probably the right answer. Almost everyone in my classroom passed except 2-3 people out of twenty. One person failed immediately because she touched her test booklet seconds before the time started. Ouch!
Practical driving test preparation
After you pass the written test, they send you over to a kiosk in the test center to schedule the practical driving test. They will print out and give you the admission ticket below. They also explain that you can call the number on the ticket to move your appointment earlier. I ended up doing this and scheduled the practical exam just two weeks later. This was also in simple Japanese, and the poor human on the other end knew exactly what I wanted and didn't spare an extra word.
I had a friend who also did gaimen kirikae recommend a driving school in Saitama for a 2-hour review where they explain how to take the practical test and practice on their course. I also highly recommend you do this. My instructor told me about Japan-specific things to do. You have to do these on the test or you will fail, but you wouldn't think about these naturally as US driver.
I also made a 3D game of the Samezu track using the course diagrams they gave us. By making the game, I ended up memorizing the layout of the course. I hadn't intended to do so because all the obstacles and turns are numbered on the track, and the officer simply tells you in easy Japanese what number to go to next. (If anyone is interested in the game, drop me a note at the feedback link at the bottom of this page.)
Practical driving test day
With that said, it is a stressful situation and you might not catch the directions, and missing a turn will cause more stress. All of this can cause a good driver to look not as good. That would be the reason to memorize.
At Samezu, if you are not first in your test group, you get to ride in the back with the test-taker before you. The course is only about 1 km long, and the instructor will cut the test short and tell you to park at the beginning if you lose too many points, which happened to the test-taker before me.
The evaluation sheet is a point-deduction grid — safety checks, signaling, speed, steering, positioning, pedestrian protection, the usual. There's a course map on it too. Immediate fail stuff is on there as well (red light, dangerous driving, etc.).
I am almost certain the officer decided to fail the test-taker before me the minute he pulled away from the parking spot. His speed and steering were herky-jerky, and it was obvious he had little driving experience. He would stop the car completely in the middle of turns for no reason. He wasn't checking his blind spots. Observing his test somewhat calmed my nerves because it made it seem like the bar for comparison would be very low.
Passing
I definitely was pretty nervous taking the test, but I just thought of it as driving around the corner to get something from the store. I remembered the specific tips around turning from the driving school, and I took things slowly but confidently. It really should be a piece of cake for any car commuter.
Only another guy and I passed in our group of ~14 test-takers. The other guy also had many years of driving experience.
When you pass you get the little 技能確認合格 marker:
You exchange it for a pass receipt:
After that, you run around the license center to do the following: payment → eye test → come back to the counter → photographing for the license → license pick-up (long). Floors and window numbers are on the paper they give you.
Those scary pass-rate stats
If you read Reddit or social media, you're certain to come across the low pass rates and horror stories of taking the test many, many times. Keep in mind that all of this information includes people who are paper drivers in their own country and who literally cannot drive.
If you were a legit driver, you should be able to pass comfortably as long as you book a practice session with a driving school. The written test is also an easy study even at 50 questions.
Also, keep in mind that these policemen disproportionately administer gaimen kirikae tests because most others (99% of license holders) get tested at a driving school. Thus, from their perspective, they administer a test for people who should be experienced drivers but mostly see people who are paper drivers. Thus, the seemingly grumpy demeanor and low pass-rate.
Using the Japanese license in America (bonus commentary)
One bonus of having a license is renting a car in the US. Rental prices and rental terms are FAR better with a Japanese license than an American one. Even one-way rentals are cheap (I guess the actuaries figured out that non-Americans are less of a liability 😝). You can do this with just your Japanese license and a passport, but I'd get an international driving permit (IDP) from Japan just to be safe.