One Year on a Foreign Licence, Then a Japanese One
Answer
The general rule applies to you
No exception is recorded for citizens of United Kingdom on this topic. That is the answer, not a gap - everything below is the rule you get, unchanged.
195 exceptions recorded across 74 countries · none match United Kingdom to Japan · Driving and licence exchange
Japan lets a visitor drive for one year from the day of landing on an international driving permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention form, or - for six jurisdictions only - on the national licence itself with a Japanese translation from an approved maker. Those six are Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan, and the list is in a Cabinet Order rather than in any treaty. After that year, or where neither route applies, the licence has to be converted. Conversion is not automatic: the Act lets the prefectural public safety commission waive part of the examination after confirming the applicant can drive, and the Cabinet Order sets the condition that decides most cases - a stay of three months or more in the issuing country after the licence was obtained. Since 2026 the application also requires a copy of the applicant's Japanese resident record.
At a glance
- How long a foreign document lasts
- 1 year from the day of landing
本邦に上陸をした日から起算して一年間, article 107-2 of the Road Traffic Act.
- Leaving and coming back to restart the year
- Does not work for a registered resident
Article 107-2 excludes, from the landings that start the clock, a re-entry by a person recorded in the Basic Resident Registration who left and returned within three months.
- Jurisdictions whose own licence is accepted without an international permit
- 6
Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan, named in article 39-4 of the Order for Enforcement of the Road Traffic Act.
- Who may make the Japanese translation
- The issuing authority, that country's consulate in Japan, or a body the National Public Safety Commission has designated
Article 39-5 of the Order for Enforcement.
- Stay required in the issuing country before conversion
- 3 months
当該外国等に滞在していた期間が通算して三月以上, article 34-4(2) of the Order for Enforcement. It is counted after the licence was obtained and it may be cumulative.
- What conversion exempts
- The practical test and the knowledge test
Article 34-4(2) of the Order for Enforcement, for a first-class licence corresponding to the foreign one.
- What it does not exempt
- The commission's own confirmation
Article 34-4(1): questions on the rules of the road and other knowledge, or on the applicant's driving history, or a practical drive.
- Address evidence required
- A copy of the resident record
Article 17(2)(i) of the Regulation for Enforcement of the Road Traffic Act, in force from 1 September 2026, which for a foreign national means the record carrying the particulars in article 30-45 of the Basic Resident Registration Act.
- Licence classes
- First-class, second-class and provisional
Article 84(2) of the Road Traffic Act. First-class is the ordinary one and divides into ten types; second-class is for carrying passengers for hire and divides into five.
Requirements
- To drive on a foreign document: an international driving permit in the Geneva Convention Annex 9 or 10 form, or a licence from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan with an approved Japanese translation
- Within one year of the day of landing in Japan
- To convert: the foreign licence, an approved Japanese translation of it, and a passport or other document proving a stay of three months or more in the issuing country after the licence was issued
- A copy of the Japanese resident record showing the foreign-resident particulars, filed with the licence application
- A confirmation by the public safety commission, which may take the form of questions on the rules of the road and on the applicant's driving history, or a practical drive
In detail
Six jurisdictions, and they are not the obvious six
Everyone else needs an international driving permit in the 1949 Geneva form. Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan need only their own licence and a Japanese translation. The list is a Cabinet Order's, made under the heading of countries whose licensing standard Japan regards as equivalent to its own, and it is not derived from any treaty: Japan has treaty relations on licences with countries that are not on it, and the list includes a jurisdiction, Taiwan, that Japan has no diplomatic relations with at all.
The year runs from landing, and a trip abroad does not reset it
The one-year permission is counted from the day of landing in Japan, which used to mean that a resident could fly out for a weekend and come back to a fresh year. The provision now excludes, from the landings that start the clock, a return within three months by someone on the municipal resident register. A visitor who genuinely lives abroad is unaffected; someone registered as living in Japan is not.
Conversion is a confirmation, not an exchange
The Act does not say that a foreign licence is recognised or exchanged. It says the commission may exempt part of the examination, after confirming that the applicant can drive. The Cabinet Order then waives the practical and knowledge tests for a first-class applicant who spent three months in the issuing country after getting the licence - but the confirmation in paragraph (1) remains, and it can be questions, a review of the driving history, or a drive. Nothing in the Order fixes how many questions or what counts as passing, which is why that part of the procedure can be tightened without amending any instrument quoted here.
The three months is in the wrong place to be about experience
The condition is not three months of driving and not three months of holding the licence. It is three months of being present in the country that issued it, after it was issued, and the Order allows the periods to be added together. It is a test of whether the licence belongs to a life lived in that country, aimed at licences obtained on a short trip for the purpose of converting them.
What applies to you
Nothing changes for a citizen of United Kingdom
We have no rule recorded that treats your citizenship differently here, so the general rule above is the one that applies to you. That is an answer, not a gap.
What the law says
«２ 免許は、第一種運転免許（以下「第一種免許」という。）、第二種運転免許（以下「第二種免許」という。）及び仮運転免許（以下「仮免許」という。）に区分する。 ３ 第一種免許を分けて、大型自動車免許（以下「大型免許」という。）、中型自動車免許（以下「中型免許」という。）、準中型自動車免許（以下「準中型免許」という。）、普通自動車免許（以下「普通免許」という。）、大型特殊自動車免許（以下「大型特殊免許」という。）、大型自動二輪車免許（以下「大型二輪免許」という。）、普通自動二輪車免許（以下「普通二輪免許」という。）、小型特殊自動車免許（以下「小型特殊免許」という。）、原動機付自転車免許（以下「原付免»Our translation - not official
(2) Licences are divided into first-class driving licences, second-class driving licences and provisional driving licences.
Ours. Three classes, and the division is by purpose rather than by vehicle: the second class is what a driver needs to carry passengers for hire, and the ten ordinary types - heavy goods down to moped - all sit inside the first.
Read it at the sourceAbout this source
The Japanese government's own consolidated statute book, run by the Digital Agency. It is the only place that publishes Japanese law as it currently stands: each law page states the date the displayed text came into force, the amending instrument that produced it, and a Law RevisionID of the form <lawid>_<yyyymmdd>_<amending-id> which identifies that exact version. A page also warns 未施行あり where amendments are enacted but not yet in force. The text is Japanese and there is no English anywhere on it; each page links out to the Ministry of Justice translation where one exists, which is how the two publishers are related. Renders through Firecrawl without difficulty despite being a single-page application.
Standing: Maintains the text in force
Cannot be cited for: Japanese only. It publishes the consolidated law and not the amending acts, so an article number here is the article of the resulting law and the instrument that put it there has to be read from the header. It carries no commentary, no notification (告示) and no ministerial guidance, and a great deal of Japanese immigration practice lives in 告示 made by the Minister of Justice which this site does not hold. It must not be cited for anything the Immigration Services Agency decides administratively, and it must not be cited for English: the English on the law pages is a link, not a text.
We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source
«第百七条の二 道路交通に関する条約（以下「条約」という。）第二十四条第一項の運転免許証（ 第百七条の七第一項 の国外運転免許証を除く。）で条約附属書九若しくは条約附属書十に定める様式に合致したもの（以下この条において「国際運転免許証」という。）»Our translation - not official
Article 107-2 A driving permit under article 24(1) of the Convention on Road Traffic (excluding a licence for driving abroad under article 107-7(1)) which conforms to the form laid down in Annex 9 or Annex 10 to the Convention (in this article, 'international driving permit') ...
Ours. The Convention is the 1949 Geneva one; Japan is not party to the 1968 Vienna Convention, so a permit issued only under that instrument is not covered by this article.
Read it at the sourceAbout this source
The Japanese government's own consolidated statute book, run by the Digital Agency. It is the only place that publishes Japanese law as it currently stands: each law page states the date the displayed text came into force, the amending instrument that produced it, and a Law RevisionID of the form <lawid>_<yyyymmdd>_<amending-id> which identifies that exact version. A page also warns 未施行あり where amendments are enacted but not yet in force. The text is Japanese and there is no English anywhere on it; each page links out to the Ministry of Justice translation where one exists, which is how the two publishers are related. Renders through Firecrawl without difficulty despite being a single-page application.
Standing: Maintains the text in force
Cannot be cited for: Japanese only. It publishes the consolidated law and not the amending acts, so an article number here is the article of the resulting law and the instrument that put it there has to be read from the header. It carries no commentary, no notification (告示) and no ministerial guidance, and a great deal of Japanese immigration practice lives in 告示 made by the Minister of Justice which this site does not hold. It must not be cited for anything the Immigration Services Agency decides administratively, and it must not be cited for English: the English on the law pages is a link, not a text.
We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source
«をした日から起算して一年間、当該国際運転免許証又は外国運転免許証（以下「国際運転免許証等」という。）で運転することができることとされている自動車等を運転することができる。 ただし、旅客自動車運送事業に係る旅客を運送する目的で、旅客自動車を運転し若しくは牽けん引自動車によつて旅客用車両を牽けん引して当該牽けん引自動車を運転する場合、又は代行運転普通自動車を運転する場合は、この限りでない。 （国際運転免許証等の携帯及び提示義務） 第百七条の三 国際運転免許証等を所持する者は、自動車等を運転するときは、当該自動車等に係る国際運転免許証等を携帯していなければならない。 第九十五条第二項 の規定は、この»Our translation - not official
... may, for one year counted from the day of landing, drive the vehicles that the international driving permit or the foreign driving licence (together, 'international driving permit etc.') allows them to drive.
Ours. One year from landing, not one year of residence and not the validity of the document itself.
Read it at the sourceAbout this source
The Japanese government's own consolidated statute book, run by the Digital Agency. It is the only place that publishes Japanese law as it currently stands: each law page states the date the displayed text came into force, the amending instrument that produced it, and a Law RevisionID of the form <lawid>_<yyyymmdd>_<amending-id> which identifies that exact version. A page also warns 未施行あり where amendments are enacted but not yet in force. The text is Japanese and there is no English anywhere on it; each page links out to the Ministry of Justice translation where one exists, which is how the two publishers are related. Renders through Firecrawl without difficulty despite being a single-page application.
Standing: Maintains the text in force
Cannot be cited for: Japanese only. It publishes the consolidated law and not the amending acts, so an article number here is the article of the resulting law and the instrument that put it there has to be read from the header. It carries no commentary, no notification (告示) and no ministerial guidance, and a great deal of Japanese immigration practice lives in 告示 made by the Minister of Justice which this site does not hold. It must not be cited for anything the Immigration Services Agency decides administratively, and it must not be cited for English: the English on the law pages is a link, not a text.
We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source
«住民基本台帳法（昭和四十二年法律第八十一号） に基づき住民基本台帳に記録されている者が 出入国管理及び難民認定法（昭和二十六年政令第三百十九号）第六十条第一項 の規定による出国の確認、 同法第二十六条第一項 の規定による再入国の許可（ 同法第二十六条の二第一項（ 日本国との平和条約に基づき日本の国籍を離脱した者等の出入国管理に関する特例法（平成三年法律第七十一号）第二十三条第二項 において準用する場合を含む。）の規定により 出入国管理及び難民認定法第二十六条第一項 の規定による再入国の許可を受けたものとみなされる場合を含む。）又は 出入国管理及び難民認定法第六十一条の二の十五第一項 の規定によ»Our translation - not official
... (landing meaning, where a person recorded in the Basic Resident Registration under the Basic Resident Registration Act (Act No. 81 of 1967) has departed on a confirmation of departure under article 60(1) of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act ...
Ours, and the opening of the bracket only. The bracket excludes, from the landings that start the one-year clock, a return within three months by a person on the resident register - which is what stops a resident renewing the year with a weekend abroad.
Read it at the sourceAbout this source
The Japanese government's own consolidated statute book, run by the Digital Agency. It is the only place that publishes Japanese law as it currently stands: each law page states the date the displayed text came into force, the amending instrument that produced it, and a Law RevisionID of the form <lawid>_<yyyymmdd>_<amending-id> which identifies that exact version. A page also warns 未施行あり where amendments are enacted but not yet in force. The text is Japanese and there is no English anywhere on it; each page links out to the Ministry of Justice translation where one exists, which is how the two publishers are related. Renders through Firecrawl without difficulty despite being a single-page application.
Standing: Maintains the text in force
Cannot be cited for: Japanese only. It publishes the consolidated law and not the amending acts, so an article number here is the article of the resulting law and the instrument that put it there has to be read from the header. It carries no commentary, no notification (告示) and no ministerial guidance, and a great deal of Japanese immigration practice lives in 告示 made by the Minister of Justice which this site does not hold. It must not be cited for anything the Immigration Services Agency decides administratively, and it must not be cited for English: the English on the law pages is a link, not a text.
We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source
«３ 第一項 に定めるもののほか、免許を受けようとする者が自動車等の運転に関する本邦の域外にある国又は地域の行政庁又は権限のある機関の免許を有する者であるときは、公安委員会は、政令で定めるところにより、その者が受けようとする免許に係る自動車等を運転することに支障がないことを確認した上で、運転免許試験の一部を免除することができる。»Our translation - not official
(3) Beyond what is provided for in paragraph (1), where a person seeking a licence holds a licence of an administrative agency or competent authority of a country or region outside Japan concerning the driving of vehicles, the public safety commission may, as provided by Cabinet Order, exempt part of the driving licence examination after confirming that there is no impediment to the person driving the vehicles covered by the licence sought.
Ours. The whole statutory basis of licence conversion is this one sentence, and it is discretionary: the commission may exempt, having first confirmed.
Read it at the sourceAbout this source
The Japanese government's own consolidated statute book, run by the Digital Agency. It is the only place that publishes Japanese law as it currently stands: each law page states the date the displayed text came into force, the amending instrument that produced it, and a Law RevisionID of the form <lawid>_<yyyymmdd>_<amending-id> which identifies that exact version. A page also warns 未施行あり where amendments are enacted but not yet in force. The text is Japanese and there is no English anywhere on it; each page links out to the Ministry of Justice translation where one exists, which is how the two publishers are related. Renders through Firecrawl without difficulty despite being a single-page application.
Standing: Maintains the text in force
Cannot be cited for: Japanese only. It publishes the consolidated law and not the amending acts, so an article number here is the article of the resulting law and the instrument that put it there has to be read from the header. It carries no commentary, no notification (告示) and no ministerial guidance, and a great deal of Japanese immigration practice lives in 告示 made by the Minister of Justice which this site does not hold. It must not be cited for anything the Immigration Services Agency decides administratively, and it must not be cited for English: the English on the law pages is a link, not a text.
We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source
«第三十四条の四 法第九十七条の二第三項 の規定による確認は、免許を受けようとする者に対し法令で定める道路の交通の方法その他の自動車等の運転について必要な知識若しくはその者の自動車等の運転に関する経歴に関する質問をすること又はその者に自動車等の運転に関する実技をさせることにより行う。 ２ 免許を受けようとする者が第一種運転免許を受けようとする者であつてその受けようとしている免許に係る自動車等に相当する種類の自動車等の運転に関する外国等の行政庁等の免許を有するもの（当該外国等の行政庁等の免許を受けた後当該外国等に滞在していた期間が通算して三月以上の者に限る。）であるときは、技能試験及び 法第九十七»Our translation - not official
Article 34-4 The confirmation under article 97-2(3) of the Act is carried out by asking the person seeking the licence questions about the methods of road traffic laid down in laws and regulations and other knowledge necessary for driving, or about the person's driving history, or by having the person perform a practical drive.
Ours. 'Or' throughout: the commission chooses which of the three to use, and the Order fixes no number of questions and no pass mark.
Read it at the sourceAbout this source
The Japanese government's own consolidated statute book, run by the Digital Agency. It is the only place that publishes Japanese law as it currently stands: each law page states the date the displayed text came into force, the amending instrument that produced it, and a Law RevisionID of the form <lawid>_<yyyymmdd>_<amending-id> which identifies that exact version. A page also warns 未施行あり where amendments are enacted but not yet in force. The text is Japanese and there is no English anywhere on it; each page links out to the Ministry of Justice translation where one exists, which is how the two publishers are related. Renders through Firecrawl without difficulty despite being a single-page application.
Standing: Maintains the text in force
Cannot be cited for: Japanese only. It publishes the consolidated law and not the amending acts, so an article number here is the article of the resulting law and the instrument that put it there has to be read from the header. It carries no commentary, no notification (告示) and no ministerial guidance, and a great deal of Japanese immigration practice lives in 告示 made by the Minister of Justice which this site does not hold. It must not be cited for anything the Immigration Services Agency decides administratively, and it must not be cited for English: the English on the law pages is a link, not a text.
We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source
«２ 免許を受けようとする者が第一種運転免許を受けようとする者であつてその受けようとしている免許に係る自動車等に相当する種類の自動車等の運転に関する外国等の行政庁等の免許を有するもの（当該外国等の行政庁等の免許を受けた後当該外国等に滞在していた期間が通算して三月以上の者に限る。）であるときは、技能試験及び 法第九十七条第一項第三号 に掲げる事項について行う試験（ 次条 において「学科試験」という。）を免除する。»Our translation - not official
(2) Where the person seeking a licence is seeking a first-class driving licence and holds a licence of a foreign administrative agency or competent authority for a type of vehicle corresponding to the licence sought (limited to a person whose stay in that country or region after obtaining that licence totals three months or more), the practical test and the test on the matters listed in article 97(1)(iii) of the Act are exempted.
Ours. The three months is the condition most conversions turn on, and it is about time spent in the issuing country after the licence was issued rather than about how long the licence has been held.
Read it at the sourceAbout this source
The Japanese government's own consolidated statute book, run by the Digital Agency. It is the only place that publishes Japanese law as it currently stands: each law page states the date the displayed text came into force, the amending instrument that produced it, and a Law RevisionID of the form <lawid>_<yyyymmdd>_<amending-id> which identifies that exact version. A page also warns 未施行あり where amendments are enacted but not yet in force. The text is Japanese and there is no English anywhere on it; each page links out to the Ministry of Justice translation where one exists, which is how the two publishers are related. Renders through Firecrawl without difficulty despite being a single-page application.
Standing: Maintains the text in force
Cannot be cited for: Japanese only. It publishes the consolidated law and not the amending acts, so an article number here is the article of the resulting law and the instrument that put it there has to be read from the header. It carries no commentary, no notification (告示) and no ministerial guidance, and a great deal of Japanese immigration practice lives in 告示 made by the Minister of Justice which this site does not hold. It must not be cited for anything the Immigration Services Agency decides administratively, and it must not be cited for English: the English on the law pages is a link, not a text.
We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source
«第三十九条の四 法第百七条の二 の政令で定める国又は地域は、次に掲げる国又は地域とする。 一 スイス連邦 二 ドイツ連邦共和国 三 フランス共和国 四 ベルギー王国 五 モナコ公国 六 台湾 （日本語による翻訳文を作成する者） 第三十九条の五 法第百七条の二 の政令で定める者は、次に掲げるとおりとする。 一 自動車等の運転に関する免許に係る運転免許証を発給する権限を有する外国等（ 法第百七条の二 に規定する国又は地域に限る。 次号 において同じ。）の行政庁等又は 同条 に規定する国の領事機関 二 法（自動車等の運転に関する免許に係る部分に限る。）に相当する法令を所掌する外国等の行政庁等が、国家»Our translation - not official
Article 39-4 The countries or regions specified by Cabinet Order under article 107-2 of the Act are the following: (i) the Swiss Confederation; (ii) the Federal Republic of Germany; (iii) the French Republic; (iv) the Kingdom of Belgium; (v) the Principality of Monaco; (vi) Taiwan.
Ours, and the whole list. The heading of the article calls them countries or regions having a driving licence system of a standard equivalent to ours.
Read it at the sourceAbout this source
The Japanese government's own consolidated statute book, run by the Digital Agency. It is the only place that publishes Japanese law as it currently stands: each law page states the date the displayed text came into force, the amending instrument that produced it, and a Law RevisionID of the form <lawid>_<yyyymmdd>_<amending-id> which identifies that exact version. A page also warns 未施行あり where amendments are enacted but not yet in force. The text is Japanese and there is no English anywhere on it; each page links out to the Ministry of Justice translation where one exists, which is how the two publishers are related. Renders through Firecrawl without difficulty despite being a single-page application.
Standing: Maintains the text in force
Cannot be cited for: Japanese only. It publishes the consolidated law and not the amending acts, so an article number here is the article of the resulting law and the instrument that put it there has to be read from the header. It carries no commentary, no notification (告示) and no ministerial guidance, and a great deal of Japanese immigration practice lives in 告示 made by the Minister of Justice which this site does not hold. It must not be cited for anything the Immigration Services Agency decides administratively, and it must not be cited for English: the English on the law pages is a link, not a text.
We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source
«一運転免許（以下「免許」という。）を受けようとする者（以下「免許申請者」という。）が 住民基本台帳法 の適用を受ける者である場合にあつては、 同法第七条第五号 に掲げる事項（外国人にあつては、 同法第三十条の四十五 の規定により 同条 に規定する外国人住民に係る住民票に記載することとされている事項（以下「特定事項」という。））が記載された住民票の写し»Our translation - not official
(i) Where the person seeking a driving licence is a person to whom the Basic Resident Registration Act applies: a copy of the residence record stating the matters listed in article 7(v) of that Act (for a foreign national, the matters which article 30-45 of that Act requires to be entered on the residence record of a foreign resident).
Ours. This is why conversion now needs a registered Japanese address: the application itself cannot be made without the resident record, and a foreign national gets one only on a period of stay longer than three months.
Read it at the sourceAbout this source
The Japanese government's own consolidated statute book, run by the Digital Agency. It is the only place that publishes Japanese law as it currently stands: each law page states the date the displayed text came into force, the amending instrument that produced it, and a Law RevisionID of the form <lawid>_<yyyymmdd>_<amending-id> which identifies that exact version. A page also warns 未施行あり where amendments are enacted but not yet in force. The text is Japanese and there is no English anywhere on it; each page links out to the Ministry of Justice translation where one exists, which is how the two publishers are related. Renders through Firecrawl without difficulty despite being a single-page application.
Standing: Maintains the text in force
Cannot be cited for: Japanese only. It publishes the consolidated law and not the amending acts, so an article number here is the article of the resulting law and the instrument that put it there has to be read from the header. It carries no commentary, no notification (告示) and no ministerial guidance, and a great deal of Japanese immigration practice lives in 告示 made by the Minister of Justice which this site does not hold. It must not be cited for anything the Immigration Services Agency decides administratively, and it must not be cited for English: the English on the law pages is a link, not a text.
We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source
Practical notes
The Act, its Order for Enforcement and its Regulation for Enforcement were read in the e-Gov consolidated texts in force on 1 October 2026, 1 September 2026 and 1 September 2026 respectively. Only the provisions cited were read.
The number of questions in the knowledge confirmation, the pass mark and the content of the practical drive are not in any instrument read here. They are set by the prefectural public safety commissions under National Public Safety Commission rules, which were not read.
The resident-record requirement is recorded here as the rule in force. What it replaced has not been read, so nothing in this record says what evidence of address was accepted before.
No translation of the Road Traffic Act was used: the Ministry of Justice's database carries the Act in Japanese only.
Chile's own record in this corpus states that Chile has a licence treaty in force with Japan under which only the First Class is recognised. Read against article 84(2) of the Road Traffic Act, the first class is Japan's ordinary licence class and covers all ten types from heavy goods vehicle to moped; what it excludes is the second class, which is the licence needed to carry passengers for hire.
- consolidates道路交通法 - e-Gov 法令検索
e-Gov 法令検索 (e-Gov Law Search) · consolidated to 2026-10-01
About this source
The Japanese government's own consolidated statute book, run by the Digital Agency. It is the only place that publishes Japanese law as it currently stands: each law page states the date the displayed text came into force, the amending instrument that produced it, and a Law RevisionID of the form <lawid>_<yyyymmdd>_<amending-id> which identifies that exact version. A page also warns 未施行あり where amendments are enacted but not yet in force. The text is Japanese and there is no English anywhere on it; each page links out to the Ministry of Justice translation where one exists, which is how the two publishers are related. Renders through Firecrawl without difficulty despite being a single-page application.
Standing: Maintains the text in force
Cannot be cited for: Japanese only. It publishes the consolidated law and not the amending acts, so an article number here is the article of the resulting law and the instrument that put it there has to be read from the header. It carries no commentary, no notification (告示) and no ministerial guidance, and a great deal of Japanese immigration practice lives in 告示 made by the Minister of Justice which this site does not hold. It must not be cited for anything the Immigration Services Agency decides administratively, and it must not be cited for English: the English on the law pages is a link, not a text.
We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source
- consolidates道路交通法施行令 - e-Gov 法令検索
e-Gov 法令検索 (e-Gov Law Search) · consolidated to 2026-09-01
About this source
The Japanese government's own consolidated statute book, run by the Digital Agency. It is the only place that publishes Japanese law as it currently stands: each law page states the date the displayed text came into force, the amending instrument that produced it, and a Law RevisionID of the form <lawid>_<yyyymmdd>_<amending-id> which identifies that exact version. A page also warns 未施行あり where amendments are enacted but not yet in force. The text is Japanese and there is no English anywhere on it; each page links out to the Ministry of Justice translation where one exists, which is how the two publishers are related. Renders through Firecrawl without difficulty despite being a single-page application.
Standing: Maintains the text in force
Cannot be cited for: Japanese only. It publishes the consolidated law and not the amending acts, so an article number here is the article of the resulting law and the instrument that put it there has to be read from the header. It carries no commentary, no notification (告示) and no ministerial guidance, and a great deal of Japanese immigration practice lives in 告示 made by the Minister of Justice which this site does not hold. It must not be cited for anything the Immigration Services Agency decides administratively, and it must not be cited for English: the English on the law pages is a link, not a text.
We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source
- consolidates道路交通法施行規則 - e-Gov 法令検索
e-Gov 法令検索 (e-Gov Law Search) · consolidated to 2026-09-01
About this source
The Japanese government's own consolidated statute book, run by the Digital Agency. It is the only place that publishes Japanese law as it currently stands: each law page states the date the displayed text came into force, the amending instrument that produced it, and a Law RevisionID of the form <lawid>_<yyyymmdd>_<amending-id> which identifies that exact version. A page also warns 未施行あり where amendments are enacted but not yet in force. The text is Japanese and there is no English anywhere on it; each page links out to the Ministry of Justice translation where one exists, which is how the two publishers are related. Renders through Firecrawl without difficulty despite being a single-page application.
Standing: Maintains the text in force
Cannot be cited for: Japanese only. It publishes the consolidated law and not the amending acts, so an article number here is the article of the resulting law and the instrument that put it there has to be read from the header. It carries no commentary, no notification (告示) and no ministerial guidance, and a great deal of Japanese immigration practice lives in 告示 made by the Minister of Justice which this site does not hold. It must not be cited for anything the Immigration Services Agency decides administratively, and it must not be cited for English: the English on the law pages is a link, not a text.
We re-read it every 90 days. More about this source