Legal Driver in Japan...

Good Morning all,

Shiho, the kids and I drove the 90 minutes to the driving license center, and they were just waiting for us. The second we walked in, my guy walks to the counter, opens the window and calls me over. I then went to another window and paid my 2400yen to take the tests. Then back to the other window to see my guy again and I had to write my name a bunch of times (in the right order of course.)
Then after a few minutes in the lobby, I was escorted to a back room where I was given my written test. They had an English version, but to be honest, the questions were so badly translated, I was not sure I was going to get the required 7 of 10 correct. I actually started to try to read the Japanese version of the questions to see if I could understand some of the things they were trying to say in English, but I figured that it would just make my odds of passing worse. So 10 minutes for 10 very easy questions (if not for the horrible translation), I was sent back to the lobby to wait. A few minutes later, I was told I passed this part, and it was then time for the eye exam. Very easy test. It was just circles with a small part missing. I just had to tell him if it was the top, bottom, left or right part that was missing. Then I had to identify red, yellow and blue colors. Too easy! I was passed in 20-30 seconds for this part.
Then I was told I could take the driving test in an automatic or a manual transmission. Having driven a stick shift for an hour 5 months ago, I figured this would be the one.

Thanks Non for making me drive the truck buddy, otherwise I would have had to think more about it.

I got a course map and a half hour to walk the course and relax just a bit. The driving test is a bit different than in California. It is held on a closed course, but it has traffic lights and obstacles for you to negotiate around. It has very narrow roads that you must transverse (figure S), and parts that you almost must backup on to get through (the crank.) There are blind intersections that you must honk your horn at, and at railroad tracks, you have to stop and look, then roll down your window to listen for trains. And the instructors really want you to exaggerate all movements to be sure you are a safe driver that looks all around at everything...
Anyways the 30 minutes went fast. I spent it all walking the course with Shiho, while the kids were running around. I actually got to be tested by the same guy whom we dealt with from the first day. I think this really helped with my not being so nervous. I received one free loop around the track to get used to the clutch, and then started the real test. All I can say is that it was not to bad. The only things that I think I did to lose points is to signal right as I came up to a turn, and to use the windshield wipers, instead of the turn signal two times. Oh well. (**).

Anyways, we finished the test, and he went in the back, where I think he talked to the people up stairs in the control tower (the top of the motor vehicle building is like a airport control tower.) Maybe they looked at some of the footage from all the cameras on the track as well, they are all over the place as well. It is almost like a high security area.
10 minutes passed, and he came back and explained to Shiho that I had passed the test. That is it. We waited a bit later, they took some photos and another 4000yen of my money, then I received my new license about 45 minutes later.

The biggest parts of the story for me are that I got my Japanese drivers license on the first try, and it only took 2.25 hours this visit. This is really great for Japan. Maybe all those blogs and websites I read are full of it... or maybe I just got sooooooo lucky. I don't care, I GOT MY LICENSE!!! (**)!!!

The guy whom I dealt with at the Shimane License Center was great by the way. He is one of the nicest people I have had the pleasure to meet in Japan. He breaks the stereotype of the DVD employee, which are quite simular to CA DMV workers.
Plus he gave me my license...

That is the news for today. Hope you and yours are great. I am going to bed, and I hope you slept well.

Take care,
Steve.

What is going on in Shimane

Hi All,

Yesterday I swam with the fish... literally, the big fish. I jumped in the water for my daily swim, and I dove under, and there were all these trout swimming with me. I am used to seeing the small 4-6in. fish, but yesterday was a school of 10-14in. monsters. I actually was pretty spooked throughout the 40 minutes or so, because these guys kept swimming right beside and under me.
Next time maybe I will bring my fishing net, and I can bring home dinner too.

Today I am going to take my written and practical skill driving tests. Hopefully I will be able to get my Japanese drivers, but according to all that I have read, only 1-5% pass the test on the first attempt. It is not uncommon for some people to take the test 10 times.
Well needless to say, I do not expect to come home with my new license today. But I will try hard... (**)! WISH ME LUCK!

That is the news in brief from Japan. Hope you are all doing well.

Steve, Shiho and the kiddies.

Story of two impressions left on Japanese persons

Hello All,

I might have mentioned it to some of you, but in case I have not, I have started swimming 4 or 5 days a week in the river outside our house. It is easy going when the weather is warm, but when it is cold and raining the swimming is a little bit more challenging. Getting into the water when it is cold is one reason, but swimming in higher water volume is the main issue. Anyways... on with the story.

Last week I was swimming after it rained for a few days, so the river was up a bit. As I was getting used to the water temperature, I saw a lady walking across the bridge and a big gust of wind came up, blowing her hat off and down into the river. Looking down and seeing where her hat landed, she immediately turned back to her house to retrieve another hat. She then proceeded to go on her way to the bus stop wearing another hat.

Seeing where her hat landed, just shy of hitting the water, but it was also not reachable by any means but swimming or wading through some deep and fast moving water, I wandered if I could get it. As I looked at how I might get to the other side of the river to retrieve it, I knew that I would have to go up river for my departure, since the flow would carry me down stream pretty quickly. Once I had warmed up a bit, I thought I would get my exercise and do a good deed!

As I made my way swimming up my side of the river, I came to an older man fishing near where I estimated I needed to start from, in order to get near where the ladies hat was. I said in my best Japanese something like, "Hello sir, excuse me for getting in your way (by swimming near him), wow that is a nice fish you caught there (he just caught a little fish.)"
This old man was not the friendly sort, and it was obvious by the way he looked at me that I was not welcome near him. Then he started to lecture to me in Japanese about why I should get the h*ll away from him. I thought to myself, should I try to explain to him that I was trying to do something nice for this lady, but I decided this might make things worse. I figured he would figure it out once I had the hat. As I stood up and started to walk out into the river towards the place I wanted to be, his grumbling continued and intensified. Then I think he was surprised and started to quite down as I started swimming across the river, perhaps he was thinking that I was really crazy, not just acting crazy.

At this point I should mention that I am the only person that swims in this river now. Shiho and her friends did when they were children, but then they built a pool at the local school and no one seems to have in the past 20 years or so. So it is not uncommon for me to have people stop on the road or bridge to watch me swim. I really don't care, and I even find it to be somewhat humorous actually. Those tour buses that go by have a lot of heads that turn as well...

Anyways I landed exactly where I wanted to on the other side. After a few moments of looking in the bushes, I found it and started looking for a place to leave from to get back. I ended up directly across from the old man, whom was still giving me crazy looks, but he was still silent anyways. As I departed my side of the river, swimming directly towards him, I think he understood my logic in swimming up towards him now. As I was being swept down 100 meters or so, I was able to exit and place the hat near my stuff on the bank of the river. I want back to swimming to complete the 30-40 minutes of swim time, and he no longer bothered to look at me, but I think he may have still been a little upset... although maybe he was embarrassed, well probably not.

In conclusion, the woman had written her name in the hat, so it was easy for Shiho's mom to give her a call and let her know we had it. I hear she was very happy to get it back and she said to say thank you when it was returned to her.

2 encounters and 2 impressions... they will not all be happy, but they will all have an impression!