Japan to recognize Taiwan licenses

Yang made the announcement at a news conference ahead of the implementation of a Taiwan-Japan agreement on the reciprocal recognition of driver’s licenses.

The news conference was jointly called by Yang and Koichi Ito, director of General Affairs under the Japan Interchange Association, Taipei Office, as well as officials from the Ministry Of Transportation and Communications (MOTC).

The Japanese Cabinet approved Aug. 16 an amendment to its traffic laws that recognizes Taiwan driver’s licenses.

As a reciprocal measure, Taiwan’s MOTC is scheduled to unveil a new provision Sept. 19 to the existing highway traffic safety regulations that will provide a legal basis for reciprocal recognition of driver’s licenses with other countries.

Under the agreement, Yang said, holders of a Taiwanese driver’s licenses are allowed to drive on roads in Japan so long as they possess a copy of the Japanese translation of the license. Japan motorists can also drive on roads in Taiwan using using a copy of the Chinese translation of their Japanese driver’s licenses, he added.

Before going to Japan, Taiwan visitors should first obtain a Japanese translation of their Taiwan-issued licenses from the Driver License Registration Offices in Taipei or Kaohsiung or from Taiwan’s representative offices in Japan, Yang said, adding that the Japanese versions will be valid for one year from the date of entry.

Meanwhile, Yang and MOTC officials reminded Taiwan motorists that Taiwan-issued international driver’s licenses cannot be used in Japan and cars drive on the left side of the road and have the driver’s seat and steering wheel on the right.

The goodwill measure adopted by the Japanese government in mid-August followed its granting of 90-day visa-free treatment to Taiwanese tourists in September 2005.

Travel service operators in the Japanese prefecture of Hokkaido were instrumental in persuading the Japanese government to recognize Taiwan driver’s licenses, as Taiwan is one of the main sources of foreign tourists to the prefecture.

According to official Japanese statistics, some 300,000 Taiwan tourists visit Hokkaido annually. Taiwanese tourists made a total of more than 1.3 million visits to Japan last year, ranking behind only South Korean tourists, who made a total of 2.1 million visits.

Meanwhile, the MOTC is expected to publicize details on Sept. 21 of the implementation of the measure regarding reciprocal recognition of driver’s licenses with other countries.

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