DMV

I had yesterday off as an alternative holiday for working Saturday at the JHS sports festival, and I used the opportunity to go to Gifu City to turn in my driver license application paperwork. Actually it's more like a paperwork check. You have to take this ridiculous amount of paperwork to the International Division of the DMV in Gifu City and have them check to make sure you have everything they want before they'll schedule you for an appointment. And they ask you the most pointless, minute questions too. Like, how many questions were on your original written examination, how many did it take to pass, and how many did you get right? ...um, that was 12 years ago (in my case), how the hell am I supposed to remember? And then there was whose car did you drive to take the test? Open or closed course? What kind of physical exam did you have to take? (I guessed eyes and hearing, though thinking back now I think it might just be eyes...) My favorite one was how much money did you spend to get the license (including any driver ed courses and the license application fee). I'm still not quite sure what the point of that one is. Anyway, if you're lucky and you're from Canada or Australia or most countries in Europe, once you get your paperwork checked and you get a scheduled appointment day, all you have to do is hand in your documents on your day and wait to get your Japanese driver license. If you're unfortunate enough to be American (or South African, apparently), you also have to take a written exam and a driving skill test. The written test is as easy as the ones back home, but the driving test is notoriously difficult to pass. And, although this is the INTERNATIONAL DIVISION of the DMV, nobody speaks English there.

Anyway, I went back in June with another ALT and our supervisor to try to turn in this paperwork and was told I needed to have my ORIGINAL license. As in the one from 1996. I told them it didn't exist anymore and they said to get a document that showed every license I've ever had. And they had no sympathy for me when I pointed out that nowhere in the list they give you of stuff you have to have does it say your license must show the date of original issue (mine only showed the date that particular license was issued, in 2005, valid 2 years before I even moved to Japan and way longer than the requisite 3 months). So, I had to request from the State of Colorado, in writing, my full driving record. And 2 months and one document later, I headed back to the Gifu DMV. This time with my friend Angela, who can speak Japanese, to act as my interpreter.

Now, to make this whole process easy, especially for those of us who have to travel halfway across the prefecture to get to this place, they kindly only accept paperwork between the hours of 3 and 4 pm, Monday through Friday. And if you're early or late they won't accept it. Which is why it was so fortunate I had an alternative holiday on a Monday and didn't have to burn a vacation day ^o^

Anyway, we got my paperwork turned in, and this time I got to talk to the slightly more friendly of the two gentlemen who handle this stuff and managed to pass this first round on my second try. Finally! So I've been scheduled for a test on October 6, beginning at 830 am. If all goes well, I could be driving in less than a month! Or, I could go the way of most people and fail the driving test on my first, and possibly second, and third, try. We'll see. Keep your fingers crossed for me (o^_')b