Day 1
Step 1 - Prove that you've driven for 90 days in the US on your license *(this requirement is to keep people from getting a US license without really having driven much, then coming to Japan and short-circuiting the full licensing system)
That may be easier said than done for some people. I was one of the unlucky people who had been in Japan quite a while before deciding to get my license. In my state, they only keep record of renewal dates for 10 years so the date of the original issuance of the license is erased. The problem is that in Japan, they don't equate a 'renewal' date as equivalent to some certification of that you passed the test originally. So, the first time I tried to apply for my license, they wouldn't take my application since I couldn't prove when my very first license had been issued.
The second time I tried to apply, I tried to be ready for every possible objection. So, I wrote my BMV and got an official letter with my driving record and a record of my latest renewals going back 10 years. In addition, I translated that letter into Japanese to make it easier to follow, and explained that this was as far back as the records went. Also, on the same page as the translation, I explained about the licensing process in my state and what was required to get a license there. I talked up just how stringent the training was in my state and talked about drivers training courses, 6 months of a learner's permit, then taking the written and practical test. Also, this time, my Japanese wife was kind enough to help negotiate with the application screener. She told them that this paper was the best proof we had and she answered a couple additional questions (i.e. Why were my renewal dates at different intervals? A: Because I renewed the license when I had the opportunity when I was back in the US on vacation.), she smiled nicely, and eventually they softened their reluctance and accepted my application. Phew! In addition, I had all my old passports and had indexed the vacations I’d taken to America to show I’d driven on my current license for more than 90 days. I believe that having a rather patient and pleasant native Japanese speaker there to negotiate this part of the process was the key difference between my application being quickly rejected or accepted (even if reluctantly).
Step 1 - Prove that you've driven for 90 days in the US on your license *(this requirement is to keep people from getting a US license without really having driven much, then coming to Japan and short-circuiting the full licensing system)
That may be easier said than done for some people. I was one of the unlucky people who had been in Japan quite a while before deciding to get my license. In my state, they only keep record of renewal dates for 10 years so the date of the original issuance of the license is erased. The problem is that in Japan, they don't equate a 'renewal' date as equivalent to some certification of that you passed the test originally. So, the first time I tried to apply for my license, they wouldn't take my application since I couldn't prove when my very first license had been issued.
The second time I tried to apply, I tried to be ready for every possible objection. So, I wrote my BMV and got an official letter with my driving record and a record of my latest renewals going back 10 years. In addition, I translated that letter into Japanese to make it easier to follow, and explained that this was as far back as the records went. Also, on the same page as the translation, I explained about the licensing process in my state and what was required to get a license there. I talked up just how stringent the training was in my state and talked about drivers training courses, 6 months of a learner's permit, then taking the written and practical test. Also, this time, my Japanese wife was kind enough to help negotiate with the application screener. She told them that this paper was the best proof we had and she answered a couple additional questions (i.e. Why were my renewal dates at different intervals? A: Because I renewed the license when I had the opportunity when I was back in the US on vacation.), she smiled nicely, and eventually they softened their reluctance and accepted my application. Phew! In addition, I had all my old passports and had indexed the vacations I’d taken to America to show I’d driven on my current license for more than 90 days. I believe that having a rather patient and pleasant native Japanese speaker there to negotiate this part of the process was the key difference between my application being quickly rejected or accepted (even if reluctantly).