Person E, Country of Origin: Canada
"My province actually has a reciprocal licensing agreement with Japan, which means I should not have to take the driving test. I have been in contact with the embassy and the motor vehicles branch back home and they have both confirmed this. Japanese people in my province are given their licenses "over the counter" as it were, however, Japan refuses to honour this agreement."

How will these changes affect international exchange in Japan in the future? In Kochi Prefecture, where many non-Japanese live in small isolated towns, driving is not so much a preference as it is a necessity. Will non-Japanese reconsider their stay in these areas past one year if these tests are what’s waiting for them, and particularly if they must do driving lessons as well?