Renewing driver’s license in Japan, Saitama style
In Japan, a driver’s license is usually valid for five years. That means, every five years, we have to go through the renewal process, with the deadline set on the license holder’s fifth birthday.
A few days ago, I received the renewal notice from Saitama Prefectural Police.
When I flipped the postcard over and saw the map on the back, I felt a small jolt of fear. According to it, I might have to go all the way to the main “licensing center” in Kōnosu City, in Saitama Prefecture.
Typically, each prefecture has only one such “licensing center.” If you live far from it, that can easily mean an hour or more of travel each way just to renew your license. Kōnosu sits more or less in the geographic center of Saitama, but for those of us living in the southern part of the prefecture, it feels quite far away. Since most people in Saitama live in the south, largely because of its proximity to central Tokyo, going to Kōnosu inevitably turns into a bit of a journey.
It’s pretty unreasonable. But at the same time, it may also function as a kind of “soft law”: behave yourself for five years and you’re rewarded with the convenience of renewing your license at a nearby police station. Get caught committing an infraction, and you’re sent to the distant central facility.
I was fairly sure I hadn’t been caught doing anything over the past five years… so I opened the postcard, slightly nervously…
…and discovered that I can renew my license at my local station. Relief.
These days, it’s also possible to merge your driver’s license with Japan’s My Number (“Myna”) card. In theory, that sounds modern and convenient. In practice, though, the benefits seem minimal. The fee is a bit cheaper, but the process takes longer than simply having a conventional license card printed. Which basically means spending extra time sitting around at a police station, not exactly everyone’s idea of efficiency.
Anyway, I’m glad I don’t have to make the long trip to Kōnosu, more than an hour away from home. Still, part of me thinks that a day trip to the northern part of the prefecture might not have been so bad… a bowl of local udon noodle, a change of scenery, and a short break from the usual busy routine.
2026/01/10 9:39 PM - Tweet