| InTsugaru |
| Providing Information About Life in Tsugaru City |
| Copyright (C) Tsugaru City Planning Division. All Rights Reserved. |
| Useful Info: Driving |
| Useful Info |
| Cars drive on the left in Japan, and the steering wheel is on the right side of the car, two things that may be hard to get used to when driving here for the first time. Although owning a car is rare in large cities, Tsugaru City's rural location makes owning a car almost a necessity, as public transportation is limited. City roads tend to be narrower than those in the United States, and are generally kept in very good condition, as is Japan's extensive network of highways. A state of the art expressway system runs throughout the main island of Honshu and is rarely crowded except on weekends and holidays. Expressways are toll-based and expensive by American standards, with tolls averaging about 25 cents a mile. Gasoline also tends to be rather expensive, with prices often being 3-5 times higher than those in the United States. |
| Driving in Japan |
| All cars in Japan must be enrolled in "cumpulsory automobile insurance" (jibaiseki hoken). This mandatory insurance covers damagest to the other party in case of an accident involving injury or death. Because this insurance only covers the other party in an accident, it is highly recommended that you also enroll in an optional insurance plan that covers things like damages to the other party's vehicle, damage to your own vehicle, and personal injuries. When buying a car, whether from a dealer or a friend, be sure to inquire about the expiration date of the cumpulsory insurance and the availability of optional insurance plans. |
| Insurance |
| All cars must also have a valid shaken (vehicle inspection) form. This inspection ensures that your car is operating safely, and for all but the newest cars must be renewed every two years. Shaken tends to be very expensive, ranging from 60,000 to 200,000 Yen (about 500 to 1,500 USD) depending on the age and type of car. Driving a vehicle with expired shaken is a serious offense, so be sure to renew yours on time! |
| Shaken (vehicle inspection) |
| A yearly car tax is levied on all vehicles driven in Japan. This tax is collected by the city in the case of "kei cars" (vehicles with a yellow license plate) as well as mopeds and other small vehicles. A reduced tax amount for those affiliated with the US Military has been set up under the SOFA agreement and needs to be paid in April of every year. For more information regarding the tax or to make payment inquiries, please contact the Tsugaru City Planning Division at [email protected] (English assitance available). The tax on regular passenger cars (vehicles with white license plates) is levied by Aomori Prefecture, and subsequently payment needs to be made to the prefectural tax office. More information can be obtained by calling the Aomori Prefectural Office at 017-722-1111. |
| Tax Issues |