Can you help me with drivers test?

Taking Japanese Drivers test tommorow, can you help me?

• I'm taking the drivers test tomorrow in Nagoya. I'm converting my American driver's license into a Japanese one. I'd appreciate any advice you could give. In particular though, I'd like to know if the hand break should be up or to be activated and if you activate it before or after car is started. I'm really freakin nervous.

• Answer:

  1. The Paper Test is easy. But don't overthink it. 10 questions , you can take it in English if you want. 2. OK the important part: there will probably be three people in the car with the instructor (its summer now so many people are taking the test). I will give you a link that is detailed, but just a few pointers. Walk around the car, look under, look behind, look at the tires to make sure they're ok, spend a few minutes adjusting the mirrors, put the seat upright, and I guess if he doesn't say anything just tell him. 　Yoshi, enjin kakemasu. A girl did this in my group--she said everything out loud before she did it, and she passed on the first time, which is the equivalent of earning the Nobel Peace Prize. No chewing gum--automatic fail. NO slouching in seat--automatic fail Remember to inspect vicinity of car--failure to do so automatic fail Start Engine, put on blinker to leave stopped area and take off parking brake. I don't think the order is important, it just depends on the guy grading you. Here is how I passed: I drove slow as hell. Painfully slow. It was a gamble, but I had already failed two times and was running out of money and time over the summer. The instructor told me afterwards I drove way too slow, but since I didn't break any rules he would pass me. My first fail: I didn't turn at a 90 degree angle in the middle of a big intersection. Like most people do unconsciously, I drove kind of diagonally across the intersection. Automatic Fail. The second time, I hit the curb on the S curve, which really wasn't that difficult, I was just sleepy and in bad condition. So don't hit curbs. And don't feel crappy if you fail the first time because nobody passes on the first time--it is the Japanese way. Japan has way too many car owners as is, so they discourage foreigners from driving by raising the bar so high most people give up. I've heard the average is passing on the 6th time, so I was quite lucky. The driving rules are so ludicrous they're actually easy to remember. Just look in every direction all the time, drive super slow, and make clean turns and smooth stops. In other words drive like you're stoned out of your gourd and you have an ounce of pot in your car, and there a bunch of cop cars around town. And always be deferential and courteous. Even when you get failed for BS, thank the instructor for his time and tell him next time you will try even harder. People who throw hissy fits end up taking the test 20 times. http://www.globalcompassion.com/driving.htm