The gaimen kirikae practical test, explained (2026)
The practical test for foreign license conversion in Japan: what is on the Samezu course, which mistakes end the test, what the examiner says, and what changed in October 2025.
Oybek
Took the practical test at Samezu and passed. Founder of DriveKata and MenkyoHub.jp.
Last checked: · 6 min read
Short answer
The practical test (技能確認) is a drive of at least 1,200 m on the test center's own course, with an examiner beside you. You start at 100 points, lose points for each fault, and need 70 to pass. Some mistakes end the test on the spot.
On this page
If you are converting a foreign driver's license in Japan (外免切替, gaimen kirikae) and your country is not on the exempt list, you take two tests: a written test (知識確認) and a practical test (技能確認). This guide is about the second one. Most people fail it, and almost nobody explains it properly.
I took it at Samezu myself. Everything below is checked against the police's own documents, and each figure links to its source.
What the practical test is
The practical test is a short drive on the test center's own closed course, not on public roads. An examiner sits in the passenger seat, gives you directions in Japanese and marks faults as you drive. The national rules set three things that matter most:
- The course is at least 1,200 m long. Each center has at least three routes of equal difficulty.
- You need 70 of 100 points. Every run starts at 100 and faults are taken off.
- Scoring follows the national driving-test standard (技能試験実施基準), the same standard used for a new Japanese license.
Where it happens in Tokyo
In Tokyo, licenses from any country are converted at the Samezu Driver's License Center (鮫洲運転免許試験場, Shinagawa) or the Fuchu Driver's License Center. Koto only handles licenses from the 29 exempt countries and regions. So if you need the practical test, it is Samezu or Fuchu. The practical test is booked for a separate day; you can't take it on the day you apply.
Samezu is about 8 minutes on foot from Samezu station on the Keikyu line. Booking, documents and the written test are covered step by step on MenkyoHub.jp.
What is on the course
The national rules list what every route must include for an ordinary car:
| Task | At least |
|---|---|
| Driving at a speed the examiner gives | once or twice |
| Curves around the loop | twice |
| Stopping at a set place | once |
| Right turn and left turn | once each |
| Passing a traffic signal | once |
| Passing a crosswalk | once |
| Crossing the railroad crossing | once |
| Passing an obstacle | once |
DriveKata's Course B also has the S-curve (S字), the crank (クランク) and the slope (坂道). It is 1,450 m from pole 1 back to pole 1, with ten announced turns, a stop before the cone on the slope, and a speed-up to 50 km/h on the long side.
The mistakes that end the test
The standard calls these 試験中止. If one happens, the test ends there:
- Dangerous driving: hitting something hard (接触大), a wheel far off the course (脱輪大), not stopping where you must (指定場所不停止), not stopping at the railroad crossing (踏切不停止), running a red light (信号無視), rolling far back on the hill (逆行大), and similar.
- The examiner had to help: braking or steering to avoid danger.
- Not following an instruction given to run the test.
- Too many points lost: once 70 can no longer be reached, the test ends.
Before you move off
Scoring starts when you get in. Before the car moves, the examiner checks that the door is shut and the seat and mirrors are set. Your seatbelt must be on. Hold the brake while you start the engine and select a gear, and release the parking brake before you move.
In DriveKata's Practice lesson the coach asks for the same order before you pull away: seatbelt, left shoulder, the three mirrors, right shoulder, then the right turn signal. All of them are judged the moment the car moves.
What the examiner says
The directions are short, fixed phrases in Japanese. On Course B you hear these:
| Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 準備ができたら発進してください | When you're ready, pull away |
| 5番を左 | Left at 5 (the numbers are posted at the junctions) |
| 突き当たりを左 | At the end of the road, turn left |
| コーンの手前で止まってください | Stop before the cone |
| 50キロまで加速してください | Speed up to 50 km/h |
| 1番のポールの前に止まってください | Stop before pole number 1 |
What changed in October 2025
From 1 October 2025:
- the practical test added a crosswalk task;
- failing to signal (合図不履行) and improper turning (右左折方法違反) are scored as strictly as on a new-license test;
- the written test went from 10 questions to 50, with 45 needed to pass;
- a 住民票 (residence record) is required.
The pass rate
Nationally, the pass rate for the practical test was 13.1% in October–December 2025, the first three months of the stricter rules. In 2024 it was 30.4%. These figures are national; we found no published Tokyo or Samezu figure (checked 15 November 2026).
Source: National Police Agency figures, reported by Nikkei, 2 March 2026How to prepare
Three things decide the result: knowing the route, doing every check at the right moment, and doing it so the examiner can see. The real course opens on some Saturdays and holidays, but slots are almost impossible to get. Driving schools coach on it by the hour. DriveKata lets you rehearse an exact replica of Course B as often as you like. The options and costs are in how to practise for the practical test.
If you fail
National rules let you retake the practical test without the written test within 6 months of the day you took the written test. After that, the written test comes back. Tokyo's pages don't restate this, so confirm at the counter. What to change before the next attempt is in failed the practical test?
Source: National Police Agency, foreign-license procedures (January 2026)Frequently asked questions
Is the practical test on public roads?
No. For foreign-license conversion it is driven on the test center's own course, with an examiner in the passenger seat.
How many points do I need to pass?
70 out of 100. Every run starts at 100 and faults are deducted; some faults end the test on the spot.
Is the test in English?
The examiner gives directions in Japanese. They are short, fixed phrases such as 5番を左 (left at 5), so you can learn them beforehand.
Which course will I get at Samezu?
The center uses several routes of equal difficulty. Test-takers and schools report that the route is announced on the day. "Course B" is DriveKata's name, not an official one.
Keep reading
How the practical test is scored: 100 points, 70 to pass, and the mistakes that end it
How the examiner scores the gaimen kirikae practical test, in plain English: deduction from 100, 70 to pass, and the mistakes that stop the test on the spot.
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How to practise for the practical test in Tokyo
Every way to practise for the gaimen kirikae practical test at Samezu or Fuchu: the official course opening, driving schools on the test course, and rehearsing on your iPhone. Costs and catches.
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Failed the practical test? What to do before the next attempt
Why good drivers fail the gaimen kirikae practical test, the retake rules, and how to use the time before your next slot. From someone who has taken it at Samezu.
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Walk into Samezu having driven it before.
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