If you are using a Manaca card to commute on a regular basis, you may not be aware that your card is racking up mileage points that can be easily claimed at Manaca ticket Machines and manaca charging machines located inside subway and Meitetsu stations.

From Saturday, April 21, commuters will be able to use Manaca IC cards at the 148 stations operated by JR Tokai. TOICA card users will also be able to use their cards at the 390 stations and 1639 bus services that currently use Manaca IC cards.

The Sei-shun-ju-hachi-kippu is the one of the most cost-effective types of travel ticket in Japan allowing users to freely travel on JR local and JR rapid trains. Travelers can freely enter and exit any JR station, explore towns and train hop around Japan. Travelling this way can be slow, but a good book, a pre-planned travel itinerary, and a sense of adventure are can make time fly by.

If you alreay have a foreign driving license the path to converting to a Japanese license is split into 3 parts: an inspection of documents followed by a vision and colour recognition check, a knowledge test, and a practical driving test.

If you posses an International Driving Permit or have a driving license from a certain country, provided you meet certain conditions you can legally drive on the roads in Japan. If you don’t meet the conditions, you will need to get a Japanese driving license – either converting a valid foreign license or applying from scratch.

JAF provides a Japanese translation service for driver’s licenses from abroad as well as 24-hour road services.

The Manaca is an easy to use and very convenient travel pass and smart card rolled into one!

Tweet★Question: Which month of the year sees the most traffic accidents? The answer is off course December. In Japan, December is bōnenkai season where groups of friends or co-workers gather to drink away their troubles of the past year. It is probably no coincidence that this monthly blip in accidents comes at a the time [...]

Motorbikes are divided into four categories according to the amount of exhaust put out. 50cc & 125cc bikes are not allowed on expressways. What are the types of licenses required?, where can you take a test?, what documents are needed?, and how much does a license cost?

They are small and easy to manoeuvre and park. Mopeds are known as gendokitsuki-jitensha原動機付自転車 or “gentsuki” 原付 for short. A moped may be operated with a moped license or an automobile license. A standard Japanese driving license is valid for 50cc motorbikes & mopeds. However, international licenses are not valid for motorbikes including 50cc mopeds unless you are licensed specifically for motorbikes.

I recently went back to my home country to acquire an international driving license. Shortly after I came back to Japan, whilst I was driving my car, I was involved in a minor collision with a bicycle and the rider was un-hurt. However, the investigating police officer told me that I could not use my international driving license in Japan. How is this possible? On top of that, I was informed that I could face a prison term or at least a suspended sentence. Please tell me what could happen.

TOICA is the name JR Central’s rechargeable contactless smart card ticketing system. Using TOICA means that you don’t have to buy a ticket each time you travel – the ticket gate automatically calculates your fare! The cards can be repeatedly charged up and can also be used from in-station stores and vending machines.

Ever returned to your bicycle after a long day at work to find it missing? In Aichi Prefecture a bicycle is stolen every 24 minutes! Don’t become a victim, take steps to prevent it.

Whether you want to explore the City for a few days over the holidays or are going on vacation via Narita or Haneda Airports, you don’t have to spend all your pocket money on the return Shinkansen fare from Nagoya.

Tweet  Can you help me? ■Q: I left my bicycle chained to a railing outside Ozone Subway Station, but when I came back it was gone.   Parking your bicycle at a subway station used to be easy. Now leave your bicycle outside at station or on a nearby street and it will probably be [...]

Tweet ■The benefits are simple: – If your bicycle is stolen it is more likely to be found. – the police are well-known for on-the-spot registration checks and being caught riding a bicycle that is not registered in your name can land you in hot water. – if your bicycle is confiscated because it was [...]

Tweet Can you help me? Q: Can you help me? What’s the cheapest way I can get to Tokyo?   A: From Nagoya Station, both Meitetsu and JR operate long-haul coach services to major cities across the country. For most destinations services either depart early morning, or late at night and arrive the following morning. [...]

Tweet Getting Away this Christmas! 　 　 Christmas is still a month away, but if you are planning to skip country and go home (or somewhere exotic) for Christmas, now is the time to start planning your trip. 　 　 　  English Speaking Travel Agents A’cross Travellers Bureau www.across-travel.com Tel: 052-954-0814 – located behind the [...]

Tweet Drivers beware! As of April special parking spaces aimed exclusively for the elderly, pregnant, and handicapped have been introduced across the country. The special parking zones are located in regular no-parking zones and without an eagle eye and knowledge of kanji are hard to distinguish from regular roadside parking spaces. If you park in [...]

More than 90% of Japanese driver’s license holders are graduates of designated driving schools. If you do not possess a valid license and would like to obtain a full Japanese driver’s license then this is way to go.

The Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway (東海北陸自動車道 Tokaihokuriku Jidosha-do) is a national expressway linking Aichi and Gifu Prefectures with Toyama Prefecture.

Tweet Drive Across Japan for a Lot Less! Expressway tolls are notoriously expensive. However, from March 28, 2009, the maximum toll for passenger cars on regional expressways across most of Japan will be reduced to 1000 Yen for unlimited distance on weekends and national holidays. The discounts, which will continue for two years, will apply [...]

Tweet New Job? New School? New Travel Route? – Save Money the Easy Way. 　 ★Subway and City Bus Monthly Passes 定期券 Ever wondered why every commuter except you has a special monthly pass? If you commute daily on Nagoya City’s subway or city buses, it may be well worth your while. Listed here are [...]

Tweet   Getting Around Aichi For Less – ★JR & Meitetsu　Monthly Train Passes 定期券 Ever wondered why every commuter except you has a special monthly pass? If you commute daily between 2 stations – by JR or Meitetsu – it may be well worth your while. One, three, and six month regular commuter & student [...]

Tweet Subway and City Bus Discount Passes Ever wondered how come every commuter except you has a special monthly pass? If you commute daily on Nagoya City’s subway or city busses, it may be well worth your while. Listed here are the prices for 1 month passes. Passes for 3 month, and 6 month periods [...]

Last year there were 17,796 reported traffic accidents in Nagoya City.
What would you do if you were the victim of a traffic accident? Here are a few points of advice for you to remember.

Tweet Can you help me? Q: I want to buy a car from my friend. Do I need to do something? A: When you buy a car from a dealership, the dealer takes care of the registration documents and taxes. However if you buy a car, motorbike, or scooter from an individual, you will have [...]

Tweet Can you help me? Q: I’m returning to Canada to work in the transport industry. I have been asked to provide a copy of my driving record. Where can I get one from? 　 A: Driving records are needed for such things as car insurance applications, license applications in many US States & Canadian [...]

Tweet ■ A Crash Course Guide to Bicycle Safety 自転車を安全に乗るために A revised Road Traffic Law came into effect in June – containing the first changes to the nation’s cycling rules since 1978. According to Aichi Prefectural Police, the number of bicycle related traffic accident has been increasing – 3811 people were injured or killed in [...]

The number of traffic accidents involving foreign nationals has recently been on the increase. What would you do if you were the victim of a traffic accident? Here are a few points of advice for you to remember.