Gaimen50-question practice tests in the real exam formatJapan Traffic Rules That Trip Up Foreign Drivers: 6 Key Rules
Updated: 2026-10
Japan drives on the left, generally does not allow turning on a red light, and requires a complete stop at 止まれ (stop) signs and railway crossings. If you learned to drive in a right-hand-traffic country, habits from home can cost you points on both the knowledge test and the driving test. This guide covers the rules in Japan's Road Traffic Act that most often catch foreign drivers.
1. Driving on the left: right turns cross oncoming traffic
In Japan, vehicles must use the part of the road to the left of the center (Road Traffic Act, Article 17(4)).
So in Japan, the right turn is the one that crosses oncoming traffic, and overtaking is done on the right side of the vehicle ahead. You may pass on the left only when the vehicle ahead has moved toward the center of the road to turn right.
2. No turning on red (unless there is a 左折可 plate)
In Japan, you may turn left on a red light only where a 左折可 (left turn permitted) plate — a blue arrow on a white background — is posted. Without it, no turns on red.
Yellow lights are another trap. A steady yellow means you must stop at the stop position unless you cannot stop safely; the signal that means proceed with caution is a flashing yellow. Even a green light only means you may proceed — if pedestrians are still crossing, you must not go.
| Signal | Meaning in Japan |
|---|---|
| Green | You may proceed (not must), if safe |
| Steady yellow | Stop unless you cannot stop safely |
| Flashing yellow | Proceed while watching other traffic |
| Red | Stop; left turn only with a 左折可 plate |
| Flashing red | Full stop at the stop position, then proceed when safe |
3. 止まれ means a full stop; blind intersections mean 徐行
At a 止まれ sign you must make a complete stop right before the stop line, or right before the intersection if there is no line (Article 43). Slowing down to look is a violation. The official driving test score sheet even includes failure to stop (一時不停止) as a deduction item (National Police Agency).
On the other hand, at intersections with poor visibility to the left and right, the duty is 徐行 (go slowly enough to stop immediately), not a full stop. Telling apart where you must stop and where you must only slow down comes up again and again in the test.
4. Railway crossings: stop every time, as a rule
In Japan, you must stop right before a railway crossing (踏切) — before the stop line if there is one — and check that it is safe before proceeding. The only exception is when a traffic light at the crossing shows green. You must not enter while the barrier is coming down or the alarm is sounding (Article 33).
Even if the crossing has barriers and alarms that are not active, the rule in Japan is still to stop first.
5. Pedestrians at crosswalks come first
When approaching a crosswalk (横断歩道), slow down so you can stop before it unless it is clear that no one is about to cross. If anyone is crossing or about to cross, you must stop right before the crosswalk and let them go (Article 38). Slowing down and yielding is not enough.
If a vehicle is stopped before a crosswalk, you must stop before passing beside it. Since October 2025, the driving test includes passing through crosswalks as a task (Tokyo police).
6. Intersection priority: right-turners wait; equal roads yield to the left
A vehicle turning right at an intersection must not obstruct vehicles going straight or turning left (Article 37). Wait for a gap in oncoming traffic before turning.
At intersections without signals, priority roads and clearly wider roads go first; if the roads are about the same width, vehicles coming from the left have priority (Article 36).
Practice the differences
These points often appear in the 50-question knowledge test in forms like slow down or stop? and left or right? menkyopass mock exams let you check Japan's rules in English in the real test format.
FAQ
Q. Can you turn left on red in Japan?
A. No. Only where a 左折可 plate is posted can you turn left on a red or yellow light.
Q. Do I need to stop at railway crossings with barriers?
A. Yes. In Japan you stop before every crossing as a rule, even with barriers. You may go through without stopping only when a crossing traffic light shows green.
Q. Do I have to stop at a crosswalk with no pedestrians?
A. If it is clear no one is crossing, you may continue. If you can't tell, slow down so you can stop; if someone is about to cross, stop completely.
Q. Who has priority at an uncontrolled intersection?
A. The priority road, then a clearly wider road; if the roads are similar in width, the vehicle coming from the left.