Japanese Traffic Terms in the License Conversion Knowledge Test

How we counted, and how to use these tables

We took menkyopass's 161 conversion questions (9 topics: signs, signals, right of way, parking and stopping, overtaking, speed, expressways, emergencies, duties) and counted, for each glossary term, how many questions contain it in the Japanese text. When a short term appears only inside a longer one (歩道 inside 横断歩道, for example), it is not counted for the short term. 停車 includes 駐停車, and 追越し and 追抜き include the spellings 追い越し and 追い抜く.

The English equivalents match the glossary menkyopass uses to translate its questions. Legal definitions were checked against Japan's Road Traffic Act (道路交通法) and the National Police Agency's Rules of the Road (交通の方法に関する教則). The real test questions are not published, so treat the counts as a guide to the vocabulary of the test syllabus, not as the real exam frequency.

Since October 2025 the knowledge test is 50 written true/false questions in 30 minutes, with 45 or more correct to pass. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police (警視庁) offers it in 20 foreign languages including English, but every term still carries its Japanese legal definition. Judge by that definition, not by how the English word feels.

Table 1: Stopping, moving and turning

This group decides the most answers. 停車 and 駐車, 一時停止 and 徐行, 追越し and 追抜き are all pairs that can end up as near-synonyms in English. In everyday English "stopping" and "parking" overlap, but Japanese law draws a sharp line between them.

Table 2: Roads and places

Place terms usually come with numbers, such as where stopping or overtaking is banned (5 m, 10 m, 30 m). 高速道路 and 高速自動車国道 are different words: the statutory 50 km/h minimum applies only on the main lanes (本線車道) of a 高速自動車国道.

Table 3: Vehicles and people

Questions here often keep the rule correct but swap who it applies to: mopeds (原付) and motorcycles (自動二輪車), cars and trams, bicycles (軽車両) and pedestrians. Read the subject of each sentence carefully.

Table 4: Signs, signals, speed and distance

標識 is a signboard; 標示 is a line or word painted on the road. This group is full of terms where one character changes the meaning, such as 最高速度 and 最低速度, or 制動距離 and 停止距離.

Four pairs that cost people points

The differences in these four pairs are easy to lose in translation, and in real questions they decide the answer directly. The questions are quoted word for word from menkyopass's English version.

For example, 徐行 is often rendered as "slow down", so the first question reads as if slowing down were enough. But 徐行 in Japanese law means a speed at which you can stop immediately, and for a pedestrian at a crossing the law requires a full stop (一時停止). That is why the answer is False.

Each pair is explained in more detail in its own article (徐行 vs 一時停止, 駐車 vs 停車, 追越し vs 追抜き).

How to learn them: in Japanese, not through the translation

The most reliable approach is to learn each term's kanji, reading and Japanese definition together. Road signs, road markings and the examiner's instructions are all in Japanese, so this also helps in the driving test (技能確認).

When practising, answer in English first, then check which Japanese term the original question used; that is where you will spot your confusions. menkyopass mock tests are available in Vietnamese, English, Chinese and Japanese in the real 50-question, 30-minute format (first mock test and 3 topics free; all questions ¥2,980, one-time purchase).

FAQ

Related guides

• 徐行 vs 一時停止: Slow Down vs Full Stop in Japan's Test
• Parking (駐車) vs Stopping (停車) in Japan: The 5-Minute Rule
• 追越し vs 追抜き: Overtaking vs Passing in Japan's Test
• Japan License Conversion Trick Questions: 6 Types with Examples
• Japan License Conversion Test Languages: Which Are Available?

Sources (in Japanese)

• e-Gov法令検索「道路交通法」（第2条第1項の定義・第38条・第44条ほか）
• e-Gov法令検索「道路交通法施行令」
• 警察庁「交通の方法に関する教則」（令和6年11月13日現在・全文PDF）
• 日本法令外国語訳データベース「道路交通法（Road Traffic Act）」
• 警視庁「外国語による学科試験・知識確認」
• 警視庁「令和7年10月1日施行・改正道路交通法施行規則について」