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In the past year of learning the Japanese language, there is one bit of grammar I can’t seem to get my head around. That being the particles or function words, such as は (wa), が (ga), に (ni) etc, that joins words in a sentence. Although with very simple sentences it’s very obvious which particle should be used, more often than not, I find myself having to guess between 1 or 2 particles because there really is no definite meaning for each one. So the other day I purchased All About Particles: A Handbook of Japanese Function Words by Naoko Chino. Although I’ve barely started reading it, it does seem what I’ve been looking for. My current text books do cover this topic, as one would expect, but not in such a purposeful yet concise book as this. So this is my recommendation to any other Japanese learners out there who are having similar difficulties as myself. I’m sure this would have helped with my JLPT exam earlier this month.

I made it home after a 22 hour door-to-door journey! I was completely shattered and as always got barely any sleep. I wasn’t too impressed with the new Terminal 5 at Heathrow. I had to wait more than one hour for my luggage to come out, resulting in me missing my bus and having to pay a surcharge to get on the next one. Apart from that, I was rewarded with some outstanding views from the plane.

The first was of Mt Fuji - The pilot announced that those on the left side (that was me!) could see a great view of Mt Fuji.

Shortly after Mt Fuji, I got a few photos of some snow capped mountain ranges (still over Japan). I wish I had a few months off work just to be able to trek across this amazing landscape and country.

Then, somewhere over Scandinavia, I could see all the ice sheets during the sunrise - also another place I would like to visit, just to experience another side of this fragile planet. I’ve never been to anywhere that’s really cold.

It’s nice to be home again and to see family after what would have to be my longest time away. Of course, I’ve missed my mum’s cooking, especially roast duck! I hope to catch up with a few friends back here, but other than that, I’m looking to relax and wind down for the year, before heading back to Japan for at least another 6 months!

Last Sunday I spent the evening in Yokohama - it was an acoustic event hosted by Hanako. A great evening, nice atmosphere, music and most important of all, friends.

Hanako always with a cheerful face

Can’t remember whose idea was to make fake moustaches

This week I was asked to work late evenings/early mornings so I was gifted the whole day time off! This was perfect as even though Tokyo is the city that never sleeps, there are some things that are the same all around the world. Post offices, government offices, doctors and banks etc are only open when you are at work. What I don’t understand is how working people can use these services without all queuing at lunch times or having to sacrifice a precious day of annual leave.

Anyway, I used my Monday morning to get my shiny new Japanese driver’s licence, as pictured below. I’m lucky because as a holder of a UK driving licence, I don’t need to take any tests and can simply “exchange” (it’s not really an exchange, just the licenced skills in the UK are also recognised in Japan) for a fee, to get a Japanese driver’s licence. I don’t actually need one, since I don’t have a car and the cost of ownership is ridiculously expensive in Japan, but I just thought it would be convenient for weekend breaks and not having to carry my UK photo-card + paper counterpart licence, passport and International Driving Permit. The IDP is only valid for 1 year from the date of entry into Japan - so that’s another incentive to get the proper licence.

The remainder of this blog post will be dedicated to providing advice for other people in Japan wishing to exchange their licence. Since everyone will probably have different circumstances, I can’t guarentee you will get the same treatment or go through exactly the same process. But, I tell it how it was for me, which was pretty easy and incredibly streamlined.

How to change your *UK driver’s licence to a Japanese one

*First of all, this guide will probably apply to licence holders of the following countries: Iceland, Ireland, United Kingdom, Italy, Austria, Australia, Netherlands, Canada, Republic of Korea, Greece, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Denmark, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, Finland, France, Belgium, Portugal, Luxembourg and Taiwan. All drivers with a licence from these countries are exempt from having to take any examinations, so should be able to follow this simple exchange process. I guess all these countries get the same treatment but I exchanged my UK licence.

Step 1: Get your foreign licence translated

There are two options I’ve heard of for this. One is to ask your embassy. Or, you can go to the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF), which are like the equivalent of the British AA or RAC, where they offer a translation service for a steep fee of 3,000 Japanese Yens. On the JAF English website, there is a link explaining how to get a translation, the form you need to print and fill in and also the list of JAF offices that offer the translation service.

As a central Tokyo resident, I went to the branch in Minato-ku:

Address in English: 2-2-17 Shiba, Minato-Ku, Tokyo, 105-8562. Tel: 03-6833-9100
Address in Japanese: 105-8562 東京都港区芝２丁目２−１７
Opening hours: 09:00 - 17:30
Nearest metro station: Shiba-koen on Mita line

I arrived first thing, 9:05AM, handed in both parts (photocard and paper counterpart) of my licence and application form, paid 3,000 yen and only had to wait 20 minutes and my licence was translated on the spot. All I got was a piece of paper in Japanese with my licence details written on it. The staff also gave me a printout for instructions to getting to various licence centres. Step 1 complete - pretty easy.

Step 2: Apply for your Japanese driver’s licence
For Tokyo residents (you have to exchange the licence at an office that serves the area where you live) I think there are 3 different driving licence centres that you can go to:

Fuchu Drivers’s License Office (Fuchu Shikenjo)
3-1-1, Tama-cho, Choufu-shi, Tokyo. Tel. 0423-62-3591
Open: 8:30-11:30, 13:00-15:00 (Mon-Fri)
Nearest Station: JR Chuo Line Musashi-Kogane Station

Samezu Driver’s License Office (Samezu Shikenjo) - Map
1-12-5, Higashi-Ohi, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo. Tel. 03-3474-1374
Open: 8:30-11:30, 13:00-15:00 (Mon-Fri)
Nearest Station: Keihin Kyuko Line Samezu Station

Koto Driver’s License Office (Koto Shikenjo) - Map
1-7-24, Shinsuna,Koto-ku,Tokyo. Tel. 03-3699-1151
Open: 8:30-11:30, 13:00-15:00 (Mon-Fri)
Nearest Station: Tozai Line Toyocho Station

The Samezu office is the most central but I went to the Koto office because it was closest to my home/work. However, at the Koto office, they only do licence exchanges and renewals. If you need to take a practical examination then you would have to try the other two places.

The Metropolitan Police Department’s website has some information about these offices and the general process. Scroll down to the bottom of their website for a PDF translation in English, Korean and Chinese.

So, I arrived at the Koto office at 10AM. There were very few English signs around but I could strum up a few phrases in mixed Japanese/English to ask the information desk where to go. I guess you wouldn’t need any Japanese skills to do this but it certainly helps. I think I could at least understand what they were saying in Japanese and they could understand my English/Japanese.

There are some counters on the right hand side as you walk into the building. Counter number 1 was serving foreign licence holders at the time I was there. The following documents were necessary for me to start off the process which I handed to the lady at the counter:

- UK driver’s licence (photocard and paper counterpart)
- JAF translation of UK driver’s licence
- UK passport
- Photo (3cm x 2.4cm) for the application form
- Alien Registration Card

Note 1: The photo is not the normal passport size but a bit smaller. There were photobooths in the building when I went so I was able to get the correct sized ones for 600 Yen.

Note 2: To exchange the foreign licence, you’re supposed to have proof that you’ve resided in the country of issue for at least 3 months. I’ve read lots of stories on the internet how others have had a lot of trouble proving this. However, my passport was more than sufficient and I didn’t need to show my old passports. I think all they need to do is check the date of entry into Japan with the date of issue on your driver’s licence. Perhaps if you’ve travelled a lot, they will also check your entry/deparature stamps of all your journeys. But for me, there were no questions asked about this issue.

After giving all the above, I had to wait about 30 minutes before being called up again. They had already filled in the application form for me in Japanese and just asked me to read the declarations (in English and Japanese) on the back (general medical stuff) and to write my phone number on the form. He also kindly wrote down all the “station” numbers that I needed to go to. Basically, the 1st floor was split off into different areas and each area had a number and different purpose.

First was payment. I paid 4,500 Yen for a normal car licence. You give the cashier the money and then they stick some stamps on the back of your application form which means you’ve paid.

Second was the PIN machines. You input two 4 digit numbers of your choice and press the big button on the bottom right of the screen. It then prints the numbers along with a barcode. Just hold on to this for later.

Third, was a simple eye test. They will ask you if you need glasses or contacts. I think this is written on your licence that you need correction to see properly. The eye test is pretty simple. About four questions asking you the direction the open side of the letter “C” is facing. I answered in English and that seemed OK. Then a simple red/green colour blindness test.

Fourth was a guy outside the eye sight test who will stamp the photo/form. I’m guessing that is just to validate that you did the eye sight test and not someone else.

Then, back to the counter for foreign licence holders. They checked my form and asked me to wait a few minutes. When they called me up again they gave me a piece of paper explaining my licence validity period (in English). There was a section on beginner drivers (those who had a licence for less than one year) but it didn’t apply to me so they had crossed it all out. The guy then told me which stations to visit next.

Fifth was just getting the form checked and stamped by some official. Nothing to do really.

Sixth was the photo. They take your form and rip off the main part which they keep. They hand back the remainder of the form which is your voucher to collect your licence. Here, you need the barcode that you got from the PIN machines. Scan the barcode under the reader and then the staff will ask you to sit on the chair to take your photo. Pretty painless.

Then, up to the 4th floor to collect the licence. I had to wait about 30 minutes here whilst it was printed. There were LED number boards at the front but I didn’t really understand which one I was supposed to look at. Eventually, one of the staff came up to me with my licence because they probably realised I didn’t have a clue what was going on!! After handing in my voucher she pointed me in the directions of some more machines. There, all I had to do was put my licence on the IC chip reader and input my PINs. The details on the screen appeared correct and the guy helping me said “finished”!

I was out of there by 11:30AM. I guess I was lucky with the queues, as there wasn’t any.

Working odd hours has got me craving for some junk food. Trust my luck to live in the middle of a 20 minute radius from all the 24 hour McDonalds in Tokyo. I haven’t had any for half a year - that’s gotta be a record. I miss the days when I lived in Bayswater, London. McD, BK and KFC all within a minutes walk from my flat.

It’s another one of those weeks where I’m working the night shift - after all, I am here to work in Japan! Anyway, I thought I’d share with all those tucked away in their warm, comfy beds that it’s a tad nippy outside at the moment.

The real one this time. Yup, it was time to take an official exam to see if I had learnt anything after all my study. Last Sunday was the test, same location as the practice test at Takachiho University. So how was it? Well, a little harder than I was expecting it to be but still manageable.

The writing/vocabulary paper wasn’t too bad and I think I did OK on the listening too. But I struggled slightly with the grammer paper, probably making educated guesses on too many questions rather than actually knowing the answer. I think my problem is that I still don’t know enough words - so I simply have to guess the answer from the grammatical structure which isn’t easy!

Anyway, I need a score of 240/400 (60%) to pass. I’m quietly confident that I achieved this we annoyingly have to wait until February 2009 for the results - which I don’t see why it takes so long since the answer paper could be and probably is makred by a robot!

I’d just like to say a huge どもうありがとうがざいました to all my past and present Japanese teachers and friends who have helped me with the Japanese language.

James (Autralian guy who climbed Mt Fuji with me and others) was back in Tokyo this weekend. So the Mt Fuji team and other friends had a nice evening yesterday at Rebekha’s place with Hanako’s lovely pasta. Hanako even sang us a song:

I’ve been slowly studying Japanese for about one year now, having taken about 1 and a bit hours a week of lessons ever since I heard I was coming to Japan. This Sunday I will have my first examination. It’s actually just a mock exam for the real deal in two weeks time! This Sunday’s test is the new Japanese Language Proficiency Test (新日本語能力試験) which is due to replace the current JLPT format in 2010. The main changes being one extra level to accomodate the more advanced learners, so the current level 4 (for beginners) will be level 5 from 2010.

It’s pretty nice to have a practice test but I hope the format isn’t dramatically different as that would just be confusing for the real thing. We get given ￥2,000 for trying it and giving our feedback. I hope I’ll pass both exams, not that I need it for anything. I just want to prove to myself, my teachers and friends that I’ve made progress and to add to the ever increasing number of languages that I “know enough to understand what you’re talking about”.

I’ve been so busy in the office this week that it seems like so long ago that I was scuba diving in sunny Okinawa. In fact, it was only last week. TGI Friday! Now I can blog and share my lovely photos with everyone.

Firstly, I must thank Miho and her friends Taka and Yoshi for organising the trip. It was simply wonderful to see this corner of Japan, in fact, this corner of the world. It was a two and a half hour flight from Tokyo, almost reaching Taiwan. As soon as we exited Naha airport in Okinawa, it reminded me of Hong Kong or Bangkok, with the humidity and near 30C heat suddenly hitting my body. That is what I call “holiday weather”

The main purpose of our trip to the island of Okinawa was scuba diving. Miho’s a diving professional but this trip was my first scuba dive experience. She got us a nice package which included undercamera water rental. It was just a taster experience but I really enjoyed it. My lack of Japanese language skills was no problem underwater because you can’t talk! My ears seemed to hold up pretty well too as we went below depths of 10m on the 2nd and 3rd dives.

We were very lucky to see 5 turtles at the first dive site.

And even more surprising to see whitetip reef sharks at the third dive site.

Of course we saw lots of fish that I don’t know the name of. Here’s a nemo look-a-like at least.

I did find it quite funny how when I was on the sea floor I lost balance and fell on my back due to the heavy oxygen tank on my back and large flippers disabling my ability to re-foot. I just lay there like an upturned turtle. My instructor quickly flipped me over thankfully. It just shows how out of place humans are in the sea.

All I can say is that scuba diving was very enjoyable. It was literally like stepping into a new world for me. I highly recommend anyone who hasn’t tried it to try it. You don’t even need to know how to swim just to do the taster course. I’ve already sketched onto my imaginary to-do list to get a scuba diving licence. Perhaps next year in Thailand.

The weather was simply perfect. So lucky we were. This is us on the boat back to Naha. L to R: Me, Yoshi, Miho, Taka

The rest of the trip we explored the main island of Okinawa. Lots of sake after the scuba dive and experienced traditional Okinawan music - which I stangely find quite nice to listen to. On Saturday we drove around to check out the beautiful scenery before visiting a beach and aquarium in the evening. On Sunday, before flying back to Tokyo, we checked out a castle and sake celler/cave.

I would have to saw Okinawa falls into the top 10 most beautiful places I’ve visited. It’s too difficult to choose any as the most beautiful but I have a top 10 list and Okinawa is one of them.

On Flickr: Scuba dive photos and the rest of Okinawa

Update: Uploaded some vids on YouTube:
Traditional Okinawa music:

A beach in Okinawa:

Giant whale sharks feeding at Okinawa aquarium: