{"id":140,"date":"2006-01-31T23:54:44","date_gmt":"2006-01-31T14:54:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2006-01-31\/140"},"modified":"2006-02-01T00:43:44","modified_gmt":"2006-01-31T15:43:44","slug":"what-a-wasted-day-or-my-third-trip-to-the-kyoto-dmv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2006-01-31\/140","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;What a wasted day&#8221; or &#8220;My third trip to the Kyoto DMV&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n<p>\n\nWhat a wasted day.\n\n<\/p>\n<center>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n#post140 table { border: solid #333 2px }\n#post140 td    { border: solid #282828 1px }\n<\/style>\n\n<table cellpadding=\"7\" cellspacing=\"0\" ><tr valign=\"top\"><td align=\"right\">9:00<br\/>am<\/td><td>Babysitter arrives<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\"><td align=\"right\">9:45<\/td><td>Depart for Kyoto DMV, for an 11:00am filing deadline<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td colspan=\"2\"><small style=\"margin-left:3em\">(drive 55 minutes)<\/small><\/td><\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\"><td align=\"right\">10:40<\/td><td>Arrive at Kyoto DMV<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\"><td align=\"right\">10:50<\/td><td>File paperwork to obtain my Japanese driver's license (window #8, main building, upstairs).\nThis was my third trip, so <span class='nobr'>I knew<\/span> <span class='nobr'>I had<\/span> all the paperwork needed:\n\n<ul>\n<li>Passport<\/li>\n<li>California driver's license<\/li>\n<li>Official translation of California driver's license (3,000 yen from Japan version of AAA)<\/li>\n<li>Old, expired Japanese driver's license<\/li>\n<li>My &#8220;Alien Registration Card&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>Recent 2cm x 3cm photo<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>Because I previously had a Japanese driver's license, they'll let me\nconvert my US license to <span class='nobr'>a new<\/span> Japanese one without taking the <a\nhref=\"\/blog\/2005-04-01\/3\">written and driving tests<\/a>,\nwhich <span class='nobr'>I think<\/span> is just wonderful.<\/p>\n\n<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td colspan=\"2\"><small style=\"margin-left:3em\">(wait 57 minutes)<\/small><\/td><\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\"><td align=\"right\">11:47<\/td><td>Application has been accepted, now need to do <span class='nobr'>a few<\/span> more thing to complete...<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\"><td align=\"right\">11:49<\/td><td>Paid $60 or so of fees (window #2A, main building, downstairs).<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\"><td align=\"right\">11:52<\/td><td>Took <span class='nobr'>a simple<\/span> eye test (room #3, main building, downstairs).<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\"><td align=\"right\">11:57<\/td><td>Re-filed paperwork at original place (window #8, main building, upstairs).<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td colspan=\"2\"><small style=\"margin-left:3em\">(wait 7 minutes)<\/small><\/td><\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\"><td align=\"right\">12:05<\/td><td>Am told to appear at window #6 (main building, downstairs) at 2:10pm. Bring $15 and <span class='nobr'>a pen.<\/span>\nLicense will be ready, the paper says, by 3:45pm.<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td colspan=\"2\"><small style=\"margin-left:3em\">(wait 1 hour 45 minutes; have lunch with Fumie, who was there to start her paperwork as well)<\/small><\/td><\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\"><td align=\"right\">1:50<\/td><td><span class='nobr'>I start<\/span> to wait at window #6. <span class='nobr'>I'm first<\/span> in line.<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td colspan=\"2\"><small style=\"margin-left:3em\">(continue waiting another 24 minutes)<\/small><\/td><\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\"><td align=\"right\">2:10<\/td><td>Window #6 remains closed; <span class='nobr'>I worry<\/span> that I'm in the wrong spot.<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\"><td align=\"right\">2:14<\/td><td>Window #6 opens, lady makes <span class='nobr'>a long<\/span> announcement to assembled unwashed masses.<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr valign=\"top\"><td align=\"right\">2:16<\/td><td>Lady repeats long announcement.<\/td><\/tr>\n\n<tr valign=\"top\"><td align=\"right\">2:18<\/td><td><span class='nobr'>I get<\/span> some (different)\npaperwork from lady, and inspect. <p>I find what looks like an error with my\nname, so go to window #4 (main building, downstairs) as per the\nannouncement and find that it's not <span class='nobr'>a mistake,<\/span> but the best they could do\nwith my long name. (Most Japanese names are three to five characters long,\nand &#8220;JEFFREY ERIC FRANCIS FRIEDL&#8221; is <span class='nobr'>a bit<\/span> longer than they're\nused to).<\/p><\/td><\/tr>\n\n<tr valign=\"top\"><td align=\"right\">2:19<\/td><td>Go to window 2A again and\npay another $15. Also pay another $10 as a &#8220;donation&#8221; when so\nrequested, to the local &#8220;traffic safety association&#8221;.<\/td><\/tr>\n\n<tr valign=\"top\"><td align=\"right\">2:20<\/td><td>Go to room #7 (main\nbuilding, downstairs) to have picture taken for license. Amazingly, all the\nothers who were ahead of me had already finished. (<span class='nobr'>I went<\/span> from first in\nline to last in line when <span class='nobr'>I checked<\/span> about the potential name mistake.) <span class='nobr'>A\ncongenial<\/span> man with <span class='nobr'>a very<\/span> pleasant manner very quickly took my\nphoto.<\/td><\/tr>\n\n<tr><td colspan=\"2\"><small style=\"margin-left:3em\">(wait 42\nminutes)<\/small><\/td><\/tr> <tr valign=\"top\"><td\nalign=\"right\">3:02<\/td><td>Someone makes an announcement and <span class='nobr'>a few<\/span> people\nstart heading to <span class='nobr'>a test<\/span>-taking room. Congenial photo-taking man is there,\nso <span class='nobr'>I head<\/span> over to him to ask where <span class='nobr'>I should<\/span> be at 3:45 when my license is\nsupposed to be ready, but before <span class='nobr'>I reach<\/span> him he sees me and smiles, and\nwaves me into the room along with <span class='nobr'>a dozen<\/span> or so others. <span class='nobr'>I worry<\/span> I'm going\nto have to take some kind of test!<\/td><\/tr>\n\n<tr valign=\"top\"><td align=\"right\">3:04<\/td><td>Congenial man explains how\nto fill out one of the papers we had (basically, &#8220;write your name and\nthe date, stamp with your personal seal in these spots&#8221;), then calls\npeople up to pick up their license.\n\n<p>My number, 804, was called first:<\/p>\n\n<center><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/i\/untenmenkyo.jpg\" width=\"600\" height=\"366\"\nalt=\"My Japanese Driver's License\"\nid=\"iuntenmenkyo\"\nindexhint=\"right\"\ntitle=\"My Japanese Driver's License\"\/><\/center>\n\n\n<p>I notice that they couldn't fit my full name on the front; it's hand\nwritten in full in the notes section on the back.<\/p>\n\n<p>Although I was licenced in Japan for many years before, since it\nexpired, this is now again treated as my first license. Therefor, it's good\nfor <span class='nobr'>a maximum<\/span> of three years before <span class='nobr'>I have<\/span> to renew. Specifically, it's\ngood until one month past your third birthday after being issued. Since my\nbirthday is in two months, it's good for two years two months from now.\n<\/p>\n\n<\/td><\/tr>\n\n<tr valign=\"top\"><td align=\"right\">3:10<\/td><td>Head home....<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td colspan=\"2\"><small style=\"margin-left:3em\">(drive 50\nminutes)<\/small><\/td><\/tr> <tr valign=\"top\"><td\nalign=\"right\">4:00<\/td><td>Arrive home, wondering why it all had to be such\n<span class='nobr'>a long,<\/span> complicated ordeal. <span class='nobr'>I'm so lucky<\/span>, at least, that <span class='nobr'>I didn't<\/span> have to\ntake the <a href=\"\/blog\/2005-04-01\/3\">two tests<\/a>\n(written and driving) that most people have to take when converting <span class='nobr'>a\nforeign<\/span> license. Fumie's never had <span class='nobr'>a Japanese<\/span> driver's license, so she'll\nhave to take them. Ugh.<\/td><\/tr>\n\n<\/table>\n\n<p>\n\n<\/p>\n<\/center>\n\n\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> What a wasted day. <\/p> 9:00amBabysitter arrives 9:45Depart for Kyoto DMV, for an 11:00am filing deadline (drive 55 minutes) 10:40Arrive at Kyoto DMV 10:50File paperwork to obtain my Japanese driver's license (window #8, main building, upstairs). This was my third trip, so I knew I had all the paperwork needed: Passport California driver's license Official translation of California driver's license (3,000 yen from Japan version of AAA) Old, expired Japanese driver's license My \"Alien Registration Card\" Recent 2cm x 3cm photo <p>Because I previously had a Japanese driver's license, they'll let me convert my US license to a new [...]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=140"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/140\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=140"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=140"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=140"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}