If you are not a citizen of Japan then in simple a simple answer, your driver’s license would be almost worthless there. For those planning to travel to Japan for a length of time that might require you to drive, it would be advisable to review the road and transportation legislation before you makes your decision.
The most recent change of the Japanese Traffic Act Article 107-2 which was updated in February 2003 has made it official for license from countries such as China, United States and Brazil to be used directly in Japan. For foreigners, the International Driving Permit obtained from your country would not be adequate as a document if you are looking to spend more than a year in Japan.
International rules states that the driving permit for any country has to be re-taken in the country you are expecting to drive if the Law of the country states it. However, in Japan the International Driving Permit would only be valid for a year and to acquire access for a longer time you would have to leave the country for more than 90 days before it would be legalized on your return to the country.
If you are visiting the country for a short period of time, attaining an International Driving Permit would be a wise idea but if you are to be in the country for more than a year then it would be sensible to get yourself a valid Japanese driving license. Compared to countries such as United States, China and Brazil, others have a much easier option to obtain an official license in Japan. The reason for this would be the similar rules and regulation policed by the countries as with Japan.
Citizens of Canada, Australia, United Kingdom or even New Zealand could just have your driving license from home translated by the Japan officials and undergo an eye check up. It would be verified by paying a certain sum of fee charges instead of having to sit for the exam all over again. But if you are from a foreign country whose driver’s license is not supported by the Japanese government, then an expedient route to drive in Japan would be to sit for the Japanese driver’s license.