Narrow roads and road rage drive vlog: Driving in Japan.

[@etherdog]

At 15:20, I'm glad you mentioned that people give a wave of thanks/acknowledgement when you pulled over to let them pass. It is a polite thing to do that makes it easier to be nice the next time one is in a similar situation.

[@Exjapter]

Yes, that's something I should have said more about maybe - using hazards to thank people and/or giving the bow-wave.

[@JovesJapanJams]

@@Exjapter The bow-wave is the straw that stirs the drink called driving in Japan-----aka how is it that a pagan nation could be more Christian than Americans when it comes to the Golden Rule-----aka do unto others as you would have them do unto you? And as far as narrow roads go and since context is so important, you haven't driven on a shortcut, narrow back road adjacent to the main road unless you've done it in a literal Sherman tank called a 1968 4-door Chrysler Newport during the prior century when even the main roads were narrower with a lot of them being one lane instead of two lanes of traffic on each side. Also, I hear horns beeping in Japan all the time with the most common occurrence for that being some knucklehead at the head of the line not noticing the light has turned green.

[@srbh41413]

@@Exjapter Yes, the whole "thanks by flasher" culture is mostly great. That and the "apology wave" are often abused by the 5% rude drivers and 90% of taxis who use them to "excuse" obviously rude cut-ins. But, let's focus on the kindly-ness of it in general. Rather than road rage being most common, it's more road gentility.

[@Dutch1954]

Back at the end of the last century, my wife and I got bold and drove from her family's home in Takarazuka to Shirahama for a few days visit. Then we headed out for Nara and got totally lost twice. I really don't remember any instances of raging drivers anywhere, I was busy driving through those mountains and trying to not flinch when I encountered people walking alongside the road extremely close to the pavement, even kids with their backs to traffic. That was pretty unnerving. I absolutely love Japan's rail system.

[@Exjapter]

Once you get used to the driving though, there are legions of beautiful places you can explore that aren't reached by train. Driving through Nara with a friend back in 2005 is one of my best Japan memories, for the places we found and explored.

[@edq4383]

I think the slow turning is about pedestrians and cyclists safety . A lot of times I see great care for people running towards the flashing green man.

[@Exjapter]

It 100% makes sense at certain intersections, but I see it happen at T intersections in Yokohama where there is no pedestrian crossing. I believe situational awareness is a hallmark of a good driver.

[@scruffy2629]

Interesting, always amazed at the amount of power lines.My wife had big problems with roundabouts when she first moved to nz, apparently not such a big thing there :)

[@Exjapter]

If there are any roundabouts in Japan, I haven't seen them.

[@otibed358]

Regarding slow turning, according to my niece who recently went through the driving school racket, Japanese are indeed taught to turn slowly. It was drilled into her that accelerating while turning comes with a great risk of losing control of the car!

[@Exjapter]

That is some right nonsense right there. Kinda like how kids are taught to keep their bike seats low, so you see everyone peddling with their knees to their ears. Silly.

[@madmax8620]

You are spot on about the big box van popularity

[@Exjapter]

The news has reported that people who can afford them even take out dodgy loans to get one.

[@srbh41413]

@@Exjapter That's interesting for me that you find Hi-Ace drivers as the worst. In Tokyo, I would nominate the Vellfire / fancy van drivers as the worst. They are mostly too fast and very aggressive both moving and stopping wherever, especially blocking traffic. I equate Hi-Ace with hard working shokunin like carpenters, painters, handypeople. A bit rough edge driving but I take pity on their work life, so allow. And their having to parkin front of stores where they are remodeling, etc. kind of comes with the territory. The interesting thing about people's "rude" parking is that it feels like everyone knows that at some point, they will have to do that, so no one every gets mad at such blockages. The example you gave about not using an obviously available space is a new one to me.

[@TheShrededward]

Back in the day before you were in Japan, we used to turn our lights off when stopped at a light. If not, the lights would shine in our mirror, which sucked. That changed maybe 30 years ago.

[@Exjapter]

A lot of people still did that in Yamanashi circa 2002. You are right though, it died out over time. Now if I see it I think - "oh, he/she still does that." My brother in law commented on it when he visited in 2003, saying they did the same in Korea when he lived there.

[@beatcomber]

I remember seeing that 25 years ago.

[@cbauch]

I don't drive in Japan, but I ride my bike a lot all over. I live not too far from you. I agree with you about the people that park on the side of the road blocking bike lanes. It makes it difficult to ride my bike and get around these people. They also don't turn on their turn signals when stopped at red lights. They only turn them on when the light turns green. Is this taught in driving school? It bugs me because I don't know if they are turning until the light changes.

[@Exjapter]

Yes. I always joke with my wife at T intersections that "apparently that guy is going straight."

[@WorldsEliteDeatHaze]

I noticed people here tend to honk to say thank you like when leaving space for a car to turn out, very brief little honk and one back in return lol

[@Exjapter]

Yes, the thank you honk is very different! I should have pointed that out.

[@robertyoung2318]

Thank you. Those narrow local roads are scary 😳

[@Exjapter]

Or exhilarating! (Ok, they are still scary at times.)

[@JovesJapanJams]

@@Exjapter Since your thumbnail shows a tunnel, let’s really talk about scary meaning did you happen to take the Ken-O towards Hachioji to hook up with the Chuo to get to Yamanashi? Because some of the longest tunnels I’ve driven on recently to get to the beach from western Tokyo in 45 minutes are on the Ken-O, including one marathon tunnel underneath Mt. Takao. Of course, one reason such long tunnels are scary is because what happens if coincidentally when you are in the middle of a tunnel, there is a repeat of 1923-----aka there is no information on the internet about how much Mt. Takao weighs? As to the other reason, once upon a time my old man commandeered me to drive with him from Tokyo to Shimonoseki because he wanted to deliver a car to his next assignment on the DMZ in Korea. I was 30 minutes late for the meet up and like 20th century fathers did, he was pestering me the whole first half of the drive about being late because I might have made him late to catch his ferry boat. Then at approximately 7:10 PM on the Tomei, we came to a point where Japan’s fastest moving traffic had come to a halt ahead of a tunnel and everybody on the Tomei had to exit and take the regular ground level roads for a distance before they could get onto the Tomei again because why? “The fire accident of the Nihonzaka Tunnel on the Tomei Expressway broke out at 6:40 pm on 11 July 1979. It was due to the rear-end collisions of four lorries and two vehicles, however, it led to a huge catastrophe causing seven deaths and destroying 173 vehicles.” The moral of the story? Sometimes it pays to be late because 2 Americans the Japanese Grim Reaper was scheduled to pick up fortunately missed their appointment. Meaning the whole second half of the ride, it was me pestering my dad about it being a good thing I was late.

[@RideOnTimePH]

Beautiful place!

[@Exjapter]

One part of that valley always reminds me of something out of Spirited Away.

[@THikkikomori]

I think an emergency situation requiring horn use would be to warn of oncoming imminent collision. Like if you somehow lose control of the car due to snow/slippery roads or maybe brake failure.

[@Exjapter]

I would agree that probably counts. I wonder if there are more 'borderline' cases though.

[@robertyoung2318]

Love the comment regarding Hi-Ace drivers😂

[@Exjapter]

I don't know what it is. Hence my theory there's a "bad driver test" to get one of those.

[@KuriMoore]

Black Hi-Ace with blacked out windows, fat Goodyear tyres and an 足立 number plate. Trouble.

[@VirtualHorizonz]

At the end of 2013 I bought a new Nissan xtrail on the end of year sale. I'd researched AWD SUV's. The review was there for the 2013 people mentioned the continued box shape design that had continued from 2007 or whatever and how refreshing the 2014 had steered away from the box shape. For me a negative, angled sides and windows meant a box may fit on the bottom width but not the top due to the less than boxy dimensions and also more sunlight was getting into the car, which for Australia means hotter and greater chance of sunburn in the hotter months....We're moving to Japan in the next 2 or 3 years and I'm really happy with the variety of boxy vans on offer. Although I might need to start with a little Ktruck if the house we buy needs some work....Like how you pulled over for the other person to overtake and do their thing, I do the same in that situation and wish their were more like us 👍

[@Exjapter]

I have never driven a box car (except for an old Suzuki Escudo 2 door SUV) so I never thought about the light in the windows factor!

[@OnceUponATimeInJapanM8]

One Japan driving peeve I have relates to cycling, when driving school cars that pull over to the far left-hand side of the lane when approaching an intersection (generally when doing a left-hand turn), therefore blocking cyclists etc from passing on the inside even where there are bike lanes marked on the road! Students are being distinctly taught to do this so that they don’t have anyone in their blind spot / obstructing them when they do a left turn - ie. alleviating risk. Seems to be old school, 20th century driving schools/instructors that didn’t get the memo about sharing a carriageway or the concept of a bike lane…

[@Exjapter]

My understanding is that this is actually the traffic law - left hand turn has the right away. An approaching scooter or cyclist must yield to a car ahead of them which is turning left. And if you think about it, that would ensure the best level of safety for everyone. When I took the driver test (long ago) part of the course was turning left and doing the 'move over' thing you describe.

[@OnceUponATimeInJapanM8]

They have right of way when turning but not well in advance of the turn (including when stopped at a red light) to block anyone getting by on the inside. Needs revision with the advent of bike lanes at the very least.

[@ClefairyFairySnowflake]

That would be cool to go over what is required to get a driver's license in Japan. That would make for an interesting video. 😊

[@Exjapter]

I could do that for sure!

[@28naveenator27van]

It's funny cuz when I drove in Kobe Osaka and Kyoto. drivers were a lot ,ore mellow compared to back home in North America and never had to worry about some one pulling out their gun. Safe drivin to all :-))

[@Direwoof]

i live in yamaguchi ken and people in the chugoku/kyushu/shikoku region drive a bit kwaaazy lol and will road rage sometimes. No where NEAR as bad as like California drivers but yea they definately drive crazier than people in Tohoku and Chubu (they all drive like an old granny lol) when I was in Yonezawa people were driving like 25 kph on a big wide empty open road lol.

[@Exjapter]

There are absolutely regional differences. Nagoya drivers ARE a bit nuts. They are the accident capital of Japan regularly. In Yamanashi if you are turning right, it usually takes only 3 or 4 cars before someone signals to let you turn in front of them. In Kanagawa no one lets you through.

[@josephkelley]

Bought a brand new Honda StpWGN in Feb and the headlights are automatic. Can turn them off but once I start moving they come on if the light is below a certain level. If its day it has LED running light. Not sure if it's a new requirement or just something Honda is doing. BTW I was looking at buying a HIACE. LoL

[@Exjapter]

You're far too nice for a HiACE. Glad to hear some manufacturers are messing with the light settings to make vehicles safer.

[@josephkelley]

@@Exjapter Interested in the HIACE camper conversions.

[@Exjapter]

THAT would be cool, and since that's more of a family thing I don't think you need to prove you're a bad driver. ;) Actually, I remember riding with you several times when you kindly took Josh and I to the train station. You're a very good driver.

[@KuriMoore]

Reversing to allow the oncoming car to pass on a 1.9 width road is my responsibility as a gaijin. This I know.

[@larrikinjapan]

Australian‘s just have to do an eye test and they give us a licence. I had no idea what was going on with the eye test never seen anything like that before and a color test read the hiragana.

[@thadtuiol1717]

Same for Brits. It's one of the few times where the Japanese favour us over the yanks!

[@Exjapter]

Yeah, that lack of reciprocation hurts because it means I can't just transfer my motorcycle license. I would have to take the class, which costs 100,000 yen or more, and I don't have that kind of money to just throw down for a motorcycle license.

[@dennisgiguere5166]

Please make another video on driving written and driving test cause I'm hoping to buy an Akiya in the country and I have to get get a drives licence, does it snow where you live? I want to live there in winter and get away from NH snow.

[@TheShrededward]

That would be a good video. Basically, there's a track behind the license building you drive with the instructor, with a few instructions like getting up to a certain speed in a straight section of the course, the crank test where you do an S turn without curbing the wheels, braking at a stop sign, and probably a few others I forgot. If you want to get a manual transmission license, you will be given a manual transmission car to drive the course. Try to keep things as smooth as possible. Generally, you'll have to take the test about three times before they actually pass the road test.

[@etherdog]

On the channel Kyde&Eric about 5 years ago, kyde explained her driver education and test in some detail as well as video of the course on which the test is administered. They've lived in Japan for about 12 years now and have PR. They have a great channel if your are into details about Japan life.

[@Exjapter]

There have been a lot of driving questions and you aren't the only one to request this, so tune in next week!

[@srbh41413]

@@TheShrededward Just to be clear - I think you mean at the end "There are so many easy ways to instantly fail the test, it's a bit rare to pass the first time."

[@roymcbroom8647]

I got to drive around Lake Yamankako recently. Yes, trucks do seem to tail gate. But I was wondering in your experience, do the Japanese follow the speed limits? The speed limits are slower than the U.S. and I figured going 5km over the speed limit would keep me up with traffic. Not really. It seemed that 10km over was more the norm. What is your experience?

[@Exjapter]

Yes, 10 seems to be the norm. I think that's because there is a perception that that's what the police will allow without issue, but if you reach 15 over or more they might pull you over.

[@maccody8022]

What is road construction/improvement like there? It it all over the place and takes forever to be completed? Or is it more sparse and gets done quickly when it does happen? Also, are road speed limits slower in Japan, in general, compared to the United States? Finally, how the vehicle accident rate in Japan compare to the United States? I seem to recall reading somewhere that the per capita accident rate in Japan is higher. If I recall correctly, a lot of that is due the prevalence of Kei cars/trucks and the more elderly driving population. Thanks for another interesting vlog!

[@Exjapter]

All great questions, some of them I will have to look up the answer to. Tune in next week!

[@srbh41413]

There's a fair bit of road construction, but a difference from that in the USA is that it's done very tidily and there are separate traffic minders to control things like who goes when on a single lane for both directions. Also, the merging at the point of lane constriction is pretty smooth and 'zipper-like'. As for accident rate, would bow to any data, but having driven daily in Tokyo for some decades, I would say it must be much lower. However, it has been published that the proportion of accidents involving older drivers is increasing - along with their proportion of the population.

[@murray.altheim]

If driving on a narrow road and you decide you need to turn around, I was told it's considered very rude to use a private driveway, i.e., to drive into a private driveway and then back out onto the street. This is probably true in many places (and I don't know the law about it) but apparently in Japan it's to be avoided at all costs.

[@Exjapter]

This is true. Using the edge to pull off a little bit to let someone pass is ok, but its not cool to pull into the driveway completely.

[@metalsloth7387]

Lol, I wrote my comment just before I got to your observation on the same thing..haha.

[@Exjapter]

Which one?

[@metalsloth7387]

Ah , sorry , I wrote about the just stopping wherever then I got to your part in the video , where you spoke of it .

[@metalsloth7387]

Well I had a comment that I wrote and it was here yesterday ...but idk , I must not be liked by the powers that be of the tube of you...there was nothing wrong with my comment , lol , no wonder you were wondering what I meant . Thanks , still another excellent video...

[@TheShrededward]

Interesting how your lights flash. They don't flash here in Nagano ken. As for using a horn, you use that if the light has turned green, and somebody is obviously asleep at the wheel. A very short "beep" is acceptable, just to wake them up. As for road rage, I've only experienced this with truckers. They tailgate me, so I just let off the gas, but my wife says I should pull over to let them by. She's right of course, but I'm an American. So I eventually come to a full stop, roll my window down and flip them off. They pull around me in a huff, and that's the end of it. Once a guy got out of his truck, I got out of my car wishing that I had a baseball bat, and he got back in and drove away. My gaijin pass at work. Mostly, what people should know is that you slow down and stop if the road is obviously too narrow for both of you to both pass. You put your hand up (or bow), and things go on as normal. Putting your hand up is a way of saying 'thanks'.

[@Exjapter]

They don't flash here either - that's just a mismatch of the speed my camera and the frequency speed of the lights.

[@GOATPoets]

Just checking in to bless your channel with a future million subs! Also, one cannot help but notice, on commuter pathways, the preponderance of passive aggressive bikers when walking ... they just seem to get as close as they can to you as they have nowhere else to direct their hatred toward their bosses. Perhaps!

[@Exjapter]

I am totally a "share the road with bikes" type of person, but the majority of bicyclists here don't follow any road rules whatsoever. I am shocked there are not more accidents!

[@murray.altheim]

I don't think it's the Hiace van drivers in Japan per se. It must be the vans themselves. The vast majority of foreign cars here in New Zealand come from the used market in Japan, and it seems that all of the Hiace van drivers here are as you describe: the tailgaters, the most aggressive drivers, the stupidest drivers all drive Toyota Hiace vans. Oh, and builders buy them, so big Venn diagram overlap. I'll be in Japan for three months as of a week from today, and am planning a trip to drive around the southern part of Kyushu. Last year it was 1300km around the northern part of the island. But most of my time will be spent in central Tokyo: no driving needed, thank goodness.

[@Exjapter]

Maybe Hiace are imbued with evil spirts....

[@madmax8620]

What IS a K-csr exactly?? I am moving to Japan and my wife, who knows nothing about cars and with low income, said she wants to buy a new one for $4k? What? Is it a good car? Clueless...

[@srbh41413]

Kei-sha are vehicles that meet this standard: since October 1998, the law consistently specifies a maximum vehicle length, width and height under 3.4 m (11.2 ft), 1.48 m (4.9 ft) and 2.0 m (6.6 ft), respectively, and engine displacement under 660 cc (40.3 cu in). [ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kei_car ] with the advantage mainly being lower annual license fee and of course, fit into smaller parking spaces which is very relevant for most Japanese residences that have parking. I read somewhere that 40% of cars in Japan are Kei-sha They have yellow & black plates

[@Exjapter]

Thanks! The only thing I would add is, although I don't know the details, the tax benefits of buying one have expired due to a change in the law, so buying one isn't as economically savvy as they were in the past.

[@madmax8620]

@@srbh41413 wow thanks... but are they reliable? Are a made by trusted manufacturers(toyota , Honda, Mazda etc??l

[@Gazumi-inOZ]

Rented a car down in Ise Shima Mie during my May trip, 3rd time driving/rental in Japan. Had to be constantly disciplining myself to keep to the low 50'ks highway and 30/40k's rural speed limits even though it seemed everybody else was speeding around me 👀. It puzzles me why Japan utilizes such ugly orange traffic posts and so many randomly placed traffic cones/witches hats. Alternatively in Australia, they're universally white with just a small single built-in reflector. I've often thought if Japan went to similar white posts, and just reflective white paint on street edges or any danger points, the self-inflicted ugliness could be minimised drastically. I've also noticed when I'm cycling in Japan that drivers are so overly cautious around me that it often creates detrimental confusion for driver and rider. Oh last thing ... What's with these 🚫 red dot/blue background signs without any description !!! I parked outside a station in Shizuoka for dinner one night, with other cars, only to come back and receive a $250 parking fine ... That's when I found out this nondescript sign meant 'no parking' 😮 🫣 I ❤ Japan 😅

[@Exjapter]

Yeah, some of the signs are opaque at first. Sometimes they don't even seem official...but are treated as such... I'm not even sure. Where we used to live there was a local road where it was "one way" for people to leave it into an intersection, but you weren't supposed to turn into it from the main road. But it was technically 2-way, just that the entrance wasn't. There was a vertical sign in Kanji that I couldn't read explaining this. The first time I turned in a local person walking flagged me down and explained to me what the sign said, and claimed that I could get a ticket for doing that. I am dubious of the latter because the sign looked pretty halfass, but I never turned in that way again.