An American man living in Shizuoka has failed Japan's licence conversion test five times without being told what he got wrong, ABEMA Times reported, a gap that leaves foreign drivers unable to fix mistakes the test never names.
Police figures show traffic accidents overall are falling while crashes involving foreign drivers trend upward. Criticism that the conversion system — 外免切替 (gaimen kirikae), which swaps a foreign licence for a Japanese one — was too lenient led to stricter rules in October 2025.
The American, named O'Connor, is in his second year in Japan. His wife, Nānya, translated his comments for the program ABEMA Prime and described the situation for him.
“He is taking the skills test, but there is no clear indication of what is causing the failure, so there is no way to overcome it.”Nānya, O'Connor's wife
O'Connor attended a driving school and took the conversion course, she said. He already drove in the United States, and instructors there only praised him. He wanted harsher feedback, and then failed the real test anyway.
“They don't tell him the reason either.”Nānya, O'Connor's wife
Nānya holds a gold licence, the clean-record credential Japan issues to drivers with no violations or accidents over a set period. She called the test hard enough that she would probably fail it herself. Watching from above, she said his driving looked fine and he was going slowly.
He began taking the test after the rules were tightened.
Three differences in traffic culture
Ye Jianren, an associate professor at Osaka University's graduate school who studies the crash and violation patterns of foreign drivers, argues that skill alone does not explain the failures. He points to differences in what he calls traffic culture, and lists three.
The first is the commonly cited gap in rules and signs. The second is choosing the right speed.
“Japan has narrow roads where pedestrians and vehicles are not separated. You have to drive so you can stop safely where a bicycle might shoot out. On big, long roads like those in the United States, you don't think about that much and going straight is what matters.”Ye Jianren, associate professor, Osaka University
The third is the sense of priority. Ye said he was struck by how people in the US and Europe will cross on a red pedestrian signal, confident that pedestrians come first. Japanese walkers break into a jog once the light starts flashing.
“The meaning of 'priority' differs that much.”Ye Jianren, associate professor, Osaka University
He said Japan needs to grasp each country's characteristics and think about what driving here requires.
Arrows and lane markings
According to Nānya, O'Connor struggles with the arrows on Japanese signs. He cannot tell at a glance where a lane starts or ends. He finds "left turn permitted" and one-way markings confusing.
Ye suggested O'Connor treat the failures as a message that there is room to improve. Fitting local road conditions and traffic culture matters for anyone driving in Japan, he said, whether the driver is foreign or Japanese.
Nānya said she agrees that foreign drivers should sit the same test as Japanese. She is more critical of the conversion system itself.
“The conversion test is too hard, and I think people are better off giving up from the start.”Nānya, O'Connor's wife
O'Connor is preparing for a sixth attempt.