How to spot beginning or novice drivers in Japan

Driving a car, much less owning one, is a big deal in Japan. Student driving is a big business in Japan and anyone who has ever navigated Japan's back roads can attest to the skill that the drivers must have to drive on the narrow roads that wind in and around the cities and towns. The roads are narrow and it takes courtesy for the other cars that share the road to let the other car pass. It is not uncommon to park the car and help the other car pass by stopping traffic or guiding them around a tight turn.

This sticker tells other drivers that the driver of this car is a novice or less experienced, so please be patient if they are not as skilled or fast as other drivers. Please be patient.

Driver's License - Japanese Style!

Welcome to Ehime Prefecture's Driver's License Center.

Behind the building lies the Seto Inland Sea.

Lobby

The lecture room. After the applicant is tested for vision, they are given a serious lecture on what has been updated to the traffic laws. For example, it is now required that passengers in the back seat wear seat-belts, as before it was optional. The Japanese take their driving very seriously.

The lecture was punctual and the audience was respectful and no cell phones were allowed. An older gentleman gave the lecture.