Getting a Driving License in Kumamoto

I recalled my miserable driving tests in Kumamoto when I read the article below. I failed three times and only passed the test on my fourth attempt. I know some people who renewed the international license every year at the original home country and used it to drive in Japan. However, it's not really legal. I once heard from a former colleague who studied in Japan for his degree, he was almost deported back for driving with a international license after two years in Japan. Since he was a student, the judge gave him a lenience sentence which was only fines. So, he borrowed money and paid off the fines, he said he had bread only for almost a year to pay off the debts. So, better get the license the proper way.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/lifestyle/view/driving-illegally-in-japan

First, I worked in Kumamoto City for a year and I took train to work. The second year, I had to transfer to Nakatsu in Oita 中津市、大分 which was not very convenient in terms of public transport. So, I had to take a driving test to drive in Japan. International driving licence is valid for the first year only. Since I had my original driving licence from Malaysia (pass on my second attempt because I forgot my seat belt the first time around), I could convert the license to a Japanese driving license, it is called 外国免許切替. However, for direct conversion, only a few countries are qualified, info here. 

For others, like a Malaysian driving license holder, I had to take a written test and driving test to convert my license to a Japanese license. It's a big discount compared to what the Japanese people had to do to get a fresh new driving license. To many Japanese, the written test was what they dreaded the most. It's a very difficult multiple questions test and many failed at first attempt. So, in Japan, there's tuition class for driving license written test. However, for this license conversion written test for foreign driving license holder, it's just a common sense 10 multiple choices questions. I personally found it easy. 

Kawashiri Shrine Autumn Festival 河尻神宮秋季大祭

19th October 2011

Like Malaysia, Japan has many festivals. I came across this Kawashiri Shrine Autumn Festival when I was on my way home. When I was walking to the train station, I heard loud bangs and a lot of people were heading to the Kawashiri Shrine. It stirred my curiosity, so I walked there too. Apparently, an archer was riding on a horse and he shot an arrow to a diamond shaped target. When the archer managed to hit the target, the spectators laughed and applauded, the atmosphere was joyous. Well, that day was a working day, so I was actually surprised with the turnout, it was full of people, young and old. 

archer on a horse wearing traditional clothes

Suizenji Garden (水前寺公園)

20th March 2012

Suizenji Garden is one of the famous tourist spots in Kumamoto City. However, I was never tempted to go there until a taxi driver kept recommending Suizenji Garden to me after he knew that I lived in Kumamoto when I went for a business trip in Oita. So, on a windy day, I went to this garden. It is near the Suizenji Garden Tram Stop.  However, I went by car because a colleague brought me there. There's nothing special with the entrance, just a simple stone signage.

entrance to Suizenji Garden

A Short Trip to Daikanbo in Aso Kumamoto

20th March 2012

Google search the keyword 'Daikanbo' will show many beautiful lush green images of field and mountain. So imagine my surprise when I reached Daikanbo on a still chilly day in March 2012, what I saw was nothing but patches of black burned ground. It was so different from what I have imagined. At first, I thought a big wild wire had burnt out the whole area, then thanks to the information board, I learnt that the area was burnt on purpose to avoid reforestation to maintain the grass field. Well, at least I never suffered from any hazy conditions for my one year stay in Kumamoto City. So, no complaint here. 

In Aso, there is even a Fire Festival 火祭り every year where two big huge "火" characters were arranged in two peaks and burnt at night. It's something tourists can go to. However, in the Aso tourist website, it mentioned that although the Fire Festival is open for tourist, the open burning is not and they hoped that non related persons will not go and disrupt the operation.

Four Seasons in Japan (or More Precisely in Kyushu, Japan)

I lived in a city (Kumamoto City 熊本市 in Kumamoto Prefecture) and town (Nakatsu 中津市 in Oita Prefecture) in Japan. To me, Kumamoto City is an ideal city to stay. It's not too crowded and not so rural with all the necessary public transports and shopping malls. I visited Tokyo before and I felt the environment was too crowded to my liking, while my second home, Nakatsu was a bit 'kampung'. There're paddy fields in front and behind my apartment building! During summer time, whether you like it or not, the insects chirping will accompany you the whole night.

Both places gave me a very good safety sense, I felt safe even when I went out at the middle of the night alone. In Nakatsu, there's even no street light outside my apartment and there's a small graveyard nearby. Well, it's so well maintained that I didn't feel it's creepy to live so near to a deceased resting place. Anyway, sometimes I would go out on the middle of the night to buy things in the convenience shop on a bicycle and I totally enjoyed the quietness, it was kind of dark though, have to be really careful not to drop into a drain. One of my friends joked that we are just the temporary tenant who stay in a place, but the deceased is the permanent resident of a place. Good point!

Another plus point when living in a foreign country is I got the chance to experience four seasons, especially winter. However, me and another friend, Dila is done with winter now, still ok with autumn and spring though! Winter was too cold for us, no matter how thick we wore, plus the uniqlo heat tech, plus woolly socks, plus woolly gloves, plus heat pads (2 - one for each pocket), beanies, etc. The cold was chilling to the bones! Snows, when I first laid my eyes on the white snow, I felt very exciting, after awhile, I started to get tired about the slippery road and monotonous white. Autumn and spring was awesome, spring with the flowers and autumn with the read leaves.

Well, below are the photos that I have taken from my apartments in Kumamoto and Nakatsu. I missed the views.

Kumamoto
I stayed in the 8th floor, so I could get a pretty good view from the balcony. 

view from my apartment in Kumamoto (4 seasons)

Kawashiri Half Day Trip (川尻半日コース)

14 April 2012

Kawashiri 川尻 is a small town in the southern area of Kumamoto City. 川 means river and 尻 means buttock, so Kawashiri literary means river mouth in Japanese. From Wikipedia, Kawashiri was a habour from Kamakura period 鎌倉時代 and it was a port with many traders from foreign countries. There was even a mention of one 開懐世利 in a Ming Dynasty literature. So, it can be considered a historical town.

Kawashiri Station is just one station away from the Kumamoto Station. I worked in Kawashiri, however, I had never walked around the area, I would go straight to the office from the train station, never stray off the route. However, since I would be transferred to Oita, I decided to tour Kawashiri.

Kawashiri Station 川尻駅

Kumamoto invaded by Kumamon くまモン

Kumamon Self Introduction

http://kumamon-official.jp/profile

Around Kumamoto City in One Day 31/03/2012

My welcome passport (given after register to the city council) for the Kumamoto City attractions was expiring. So, I decided to wake up one Saturday morning (the last day of the pass) to go to all these places. Coincidently, the one day pass I bought expiry date was that day.

One day Pass for Kumamoto City Tram and  Bus

Welcome Passport (Kumamoto)

 Kengunmachi 健軍町

the final stop for the city tram

Golden week holiday in Kumamoto 熊本 2011 Part 7

2nd May 2011 

From Kumamoto City, we went to 杖立温泉 (don't know to translate to English). There was a display of koi nobori (windsock shaped as carp) for children's day (5th of May). The view was very magnificent. The display would last for a few days only. A lot of parents brought their children to view the koi nobori. There was a group of students who were sketching there. All looked happy. 

koi nobori (windsock shaped as carp)

Students drawing the koi windsock

After that, we went to Kurokawa for the 温泉 (onsen). There are lots of hotel that offer onsen service. The specialty of the onsens in Kurokawa is the colours of the onsen water, like blue, green, black, etc. It was rumoured to have different medical properties for each colour. We went to the information center first, and took the brochure. After that, we chose one near the information center because we didn't wanted to walk far. There are separate pools for both male and female. Some do offer mixed onsen, but few. That was my first onsen experience. We forgot to bring towel, so have to buy one there, it cost 300 yen for the towel and additional 800 yen for the onsen. Although all my travel buddies sweating profusely after came out of the onsen. I didn't sweat at all. Since the water contained sulfur, after immersed in the water, the skin felt smoother. After that, we had our lunch there, felt hungry after 'onsen'ing.