February 5th Rob and I went to get our Japanese driver's licenses. I found it a long, interesting process. I guess it wasn't any longer that it took in Maryland. Since we arrived with all our paperwork COMPLETED and verified by the US Embassy, I didn't think it should take very long. I don't really know why it takes so long in Maryland or other places either now that I think about it. Here is our story:
We met at the Embassy at 8:50 and were given paperwork from the Embassy and a checklist to make sure we had the things we needed. At 9:00 AM we got in the van and were driven to the Japanese version of the DMV about 30 minutes away. We had instructions telling us to go to window #27 (I believe) on the second floor. We had the documents we needed: Foreigner ID card, diplomatic passport, US driver's license, notarized translations of the documents from English to Japanese, and the completed paperwork. We submitted the documents and were told to sit and wait. After over an hour and a half, we were called to the window and given our documents and told to go downstairs and take our eye test. This was the part that worried me. I have been aware that my vision is declining. I haven't ever had glasses or contacts and it has become obvious that I do. Instead of the alphabet eye chart familiar to us in the US, we did what I call the "c" eye chart. Basically it has rows of circles with sections of it missing on the top, bottom, left, or right. This makes it look like a "c" in various positions. I thought this would be tons easier than identifying letters. Rob went first and we were given directions. He had no problems. When I got up there, I could not tell which segments were missing. As the examiner highlighted a letter, I would stall asking if he wanted me to tell which direction it was pointing. Meanwhile I would squint and try closing one eye at a time to see if that helped. I did my best, but at least one was a total guess. I passed! The color blind part was easy since I'm not color blind. Even though I made it, I still realized that I have vision problems. I was still excited. With our little seals affixed to show we passed, we went back upstairs. We went to a different window where we bought special stamps which were placed on our documents to show that we had paid the appropriate fees. Then it was back to the first window. We had to wait for awhile and were then told to come up with two different four digit pin numbers to associate with our licenses. (Other than being able to access our personal information at the DMV by inserting our licenses and entering our PINs, I don't think there is any purpose for the PIN numbers). After this was done, we were told to go back downstairs and get our picture taken and turn in our paperwork. At that point we were given a number and told that our licenses would be ready at 12:20. We had to go up to the 3rd floor and sit in a big waiting room until our numbers were displayed. Then we were able to go up and get our licenses. Yay! Back out to the van and back to the Embassy. Rob and I are only "beginner" drivers since we cannot prove that we were in the United States for a full year since our license was issued. Well, of course we can't prove that, we haven't been in the US for over a year on our current US licenses. If we want to be "professional" and not "beginner" we would have to request our DMV records and submit translations of them along with our previous passports to prove our driving experience. Evidently having a license for more than half my life is not enough. Whatever. All our driving status means is that we have to have a magnet on the front and back of the car when we are driving to indicate we are new drivers. I suppose that isn't so bad. I am new to driving on the wrong side of the road! One interesting thing about our driver's licenses is the year. My birthday is listed as 47-01-29. That would look to me like I was born in January of 1947 and am older than my own mother. The 47 refers to the 47th year of the reign of an Emperor, I don't know which one though. My license expires in the twenty something year of the reign of the current Emperor. I think that is really confusing if he dies before that year comes. I was excited that I passed my eye exam and was telling everyone. Everything I have heard seems to indicate that they don't really pay attention when we take our eye exams and that it is just a formality. Rob says that sometimes it seemed the guy was moving on to the next one before he even answered. That kind of bummed me out. Maybe I can't guess as well as I think.
We met at the Embassy at 8:50 and were given paperwork from the Embassy and a checklist to make sure we had the things we needed. At 9:00 AM we got in the van and were driven to the Japanese version of the DMV about 30 minutes away. We had instructions telling us to go to window #27 (I believe) on the second floor. We had the documents we needed: Foreigner ID card, diplomatic passport, US driver's license, notarized translations of the documents from English to Japanese, and the completed paperwork. We submitted the documents and were told to sit and wait. After over an hour and a half, we were called to the window and given our documents and told to go downstairs and take our eye test. This was the part that worried me. I have been aware that my vision is declining. I haven't ever had glasses or contacts and it has become obvious that I do. Instead of the alphabet eye chart familiar to us in the US, we did what I call the "c" eye chart. Basically it has rows of circles with sections of it missing on the top, bottom, left, or right. This makes it look like a "c" in various positions. I thought this would be tons easier than identifying letters. Rob went first and we were given directions. He had no problems. When I got up there, I could not tell which segments were missing. As the examiner highlighted a letter, I would stall asking if he wanted me to tell which direction it was pointing. Meanwhile I would squint and try closing one eye at a time to see if that helped. I did my best, but at least one was a total guess. I passed! The color blind part was easy since I'm not color blind. Even though I made it, I still realized that I have vision problems. I was still excited. With our little seals affixed to show we passed, we went back upstairs. We went to a different window where we bought special stamps which were placed on our documents to show that we had paid the appropriate fees. Then it was back to the first window. We had to wait for awhile and were then told to come up with two different four digit pin numbers to associate with our licenses. (Other than being able to access our personal information at the DMV by inserting our licenses and entering our PINs, I don't think there is any purpose for the PIN numbers). After this was done, we were told to go back downstairs and get our picture taken and turn in our paperwork. At that point we were given a number and told that our licenses would be ready at 12:20. We had to go up to the 3rd floor and sit in a big waiting room until our numbers were displayed. Then we were able to go up and get our licenses. Yay! Back out to the van and back to the Embassy. Rob and I are only "beginner" drivers since we cannot prove that we were in the United States for a full year since our license was issued. Well, of course we can't prove that, we haven't been in the US for over a year on our current US licenses. If we want to be "professional" and not "beginner" we would have to request our DMV records and submit translations of them along with our previous passports to prove our driving experience. Evidently having a license for more than half my life is not enough. Whatever. All our driving status means is that we have to have a magnet on the front and back of the car when we are driving to indicate we are new drivers. I suppose that isn't so bad. I am new to driving on the wrong side of the road! One interesting thing about our driver's licenses is the year. My birthday is listed as 47-01-29. That would look to me like I was born in January of 1947 and am older than my own mother. The 47 refers to the 47th year of the reign of an Emperor, I don't know which one though. My license expires in the twenty something year of the reign of the current Emperor. I think that is really confusing if he dies before that year comes. I was excited that I passed my eye exam and was telling everyone. Everything I have heard seems to indicate that they don't really pay attention when we take our eye exams and that it is just a formality. Rob says that sometimes it seemed the guy was moving on to the next one before he even answered. That kind of bummed me out. Maybe I can't guess as well as I think.
