Today I start taking driving lessons at a school on the west side of Tokyo with the hopes of earning a license so that I can buy a car this coming fall. Driving schools are generally a requirement for a license in this country and, as one might expect, they're priced to reflect this reality. And, while it's certainly true that Japan's public transit system is robust enough to allow a person to go just about anywhere within a reasonable amount of time, my dog hates being carried around in a case; a requirement while on the busses and trains in this country. As absurd as it sounds, I am working on earning a Japanese driver's license because of my dog.
This is long overdue, though, and taking a course makes sense. The last time I drove on the road was in Canada over twenty years ago. Any skills I had back then have long since atrophied and this country is very, very different in some regards than Canada. Being better informed on the rules and expectations here just makes sense. As the school is on the west side of Tokyo, this will also be an opportunity to earn experience by driving on the crowded streets of the capital. This will hopefully result in less anxiety when going through the bigger cities as a new driver.
Based on the lesson schedule, I can expect to complete the course in August. Shortly thereafter I'll head to the local license registration centre to take the final exam and – hopefully – obtain a piece of plastic. There is no graduated licensing process here like in other countries, which means I'll have an opportunity to pick up a car shortly thereafter. I haven't even started looking at vehicles in any serious manner, but am keen on getting something in my favourite colour for a car: bright yellow.
Every so often I remember that I'm doing this so that my dog and I can go places … which seems so absurd on the surface. However, this will give us a bit more flexibility than public transit ever could.