Free practice questions for the Japanese driver’s license written exam 1

1. Among those who have only recently obtained a regular driver’s license, only drivers who lack confidence in their driving display the novice driver sign; confident drivers are not required to display it.

2. When a pedestrian is crossing at or near an intersection without a designated crosswalk, drivers must slow down, stop, or take other necessary precautions to avoid obstructing the pedestrian’s crossing.

3. On national expressways, assuming a dry road surface and new tires, the recommended following distance at 100 km/h is approximately 100 meters.

4. If passengers are entering or exiting a streetcar, the driver must remain stopped until all individuals have crossed the roadway, whether or not a safety zone exists.

5. When overtaken by another vehicle, a driver need not make room within the lane, as long as they avoid accelerating, even if the gap to the vehicle ahead is insufficient.

6. Where a traffic sign like the one shown in Figure 4 is present, vehicles carrying cargo with a height of up to 3.3 meters from the cargo bed are permitted to proceed.

7. When parking a regular motor vehicle on a public road during the day due to a breakdown, drivers should place an emergency warning reflector or open the trunk or hood to signal to other drivers that the vehicle is disabled.

8. The hand signal for reversing is as follows: extend your arm diagonally downward from the vehicle with the palm facing backward, and wave backward.

9. When moving towards a police officer with his hand pointing to the left, the police officer’s hand signal has the same meaning as a left-turn traffic signal.

10. When driving on a national expressway and feeling fatigued, the driver may pull into a sufficiently wide side strip to rest.

11. When overtaking on a road where the left half of the road is less than 6 meters wide and visibility is good, vehicles may cross the centerline into the right-hand portion of the road, unless prohibited by traffic signs or pavement markings.

12. When there are 2 solid white lines on the edge of the road, separating traffic from a side strip, light vehicles may proceed into this side strip; however, other vehicles are prohibited from entering for parking or stopping.

13. The proper riding posture for two-wheeled vehicles involves leaning forward slightly to reduce wind resistance, thereby facilitating easier operation of the vehicle.

14. Wave shaped ripples on a vehicle’s tires that occur while driving at high speeds with low tire pressure is called the hydroplaning phenomenon.

15. If vehicle A and vehicle B approach an intersection without traffic signals. Vehicle B is approaching from the right of vehicle A, therefore vehicle A must not impede the movement of vehicle B.

16. A vehicle may stop for up to ten minutes on a road with less than 3.5 meters of clearance between its right side and the road’s edge, provided the driver remains beside the vehicle to supervise cargo loading.

17. If drivers feel even slightly drowsy while driving at night, they should pull over to a safe location and take a short nap or rest, resuming their journey only after they feel alert and refreshed.

18. If a breakdown makes it necessary to stop on an expressway, the driver and any passengers should exit the vehicle and move to a safe location after taking all required precautions to prevent danger.

19. An inspection sticker shows the month and year when the inspection was performed.

20. Vehicle A and vehicle B are approaching an intersection from opposite directions. Vehicle A enters the intersection intending to turn right. If vehicle B continues straight, vehicle A must wait inside the intersection until B passes; however, if vehicle B intends to turn left, vehicle A may proceed with its right turn.

21. At intersections with traffic signals but no stop line, vehicles should stop just before the signal.

22. When braking in response to danger, there is roughly a one-second reaction time before the brakes take effect, so drivers should factor this delay into their driving.

23. Extra caution is needed when a two-wheeled vehicle overtakes a four-wheeled vehicle, as it may enter the car’s blind spot and the driver might not notice its presence.

24. If a small amount of coolant or oil is leaking beneath the vehicle, it is not considered a mechanical failure, so the vehicle may still be driven.

25. When entering a garage immediately on the side of the road, you should enter in reverse.

26. On national expressways with two or more lanes in each direction, trailers must travel in the leftmost lane.

27. When a local bus is stopped at a bus stop and indicating its intention to enter traffic, vehicles approaching from behind must not obstruct its progress, unless not blocking the bus would require them to brake or swerve suddenly.

28. Before moving past a stopped vehicle, carefully check all around it—including over the roof and beneath—to anticipate anyone who might suddenly appear from behind.

29. When meeting oncoming traffic on a mountain road, the uphill vehicle should yield to the downhill vehicle.

30. Because large vehicles have a significant wheelbase difference and a blind spot at the left rear, drivers must take care not to cut off pedestrians or cyclists traveling on the vehicle’s left side.

31. At the same speed, a vehicle loaded with heavy cargo has a shorter braking distance than one carrying light cargo.

32. On expressway through lanes, crossing and U-turns are prohibited, but reversing the minimum necessary distance is allowed.

33. A moped performing a two-step right turn must keep its right-turn signal on until it reaches the point where it turns right after going straight.

34. Daily checks include both those performed while the vehicle is stationary and those carried out during driving.

35. When driving at night, even with headlights on, visibility is limited, so it is advisable to focus your eyes immediately on the area in front of the vehicle.

36. Close objects are harder to see when driving at 60 km/h than at 30 km/h.

37. Overtaking is not allowed on steep downhill slopes, but it is permitted on steep uphill slopes.

38. The engine oil level must remain within the range shown on the gauge, between F and L.

39. If a pedestrian stops while crossing as a vehicle approaches, the vehicle may continue driving as before.

40. When overtaking, a vehicle should minimize the distance between itself and the vehicle being overtaken to reduce the risk of a head-on collision with oncoming traffic.

41. Drivers operating vehicles with faulty steering or brakes should reduce speed and exercise caution.

42. A standard moped is only allowed to carry one rider at a time.

43. If a red light and a green left-turn arrow are displayed together, cars and general mopeds may turn left as indicated, while light vehicles must remain stopped.

44. Two people may not ride a general moped at one time.

45. When an automatic transmission vehicle stalls and cannot restart, it may be moved by shifting to (Q) and using the starter motor as a temporary solution.

46. When it rains, pedestrians focus on their footing and their view is often obstructed by rain gear, making them less likely to notice approaching vehicles. Therefore, drivers should exercise extra caution and watch their movements closely.

47. Signal your intention to turn left or right at least 30 meters before the point where you will exit the road.

48. Carrying cargo in a way that blocks the view of indicators, tail lamps, brake lights, or the license plate is allowed only if someone rides along to monitor the load.

49. On roads where the left side is narrower than 6 meters and the centerline is a solid yellow line, vehicles are prohibited from crossing into the right lane to overtake.

50. Stopping and parking are prohibited within railway crossings and within 10 meters of either edge of a crossing.