Gaimen50-question practice tests in the real exam formatWhat does 自動車 (jidōsha) mean? Motorcycles in, mopeds out
Updated: 2026-10
自動車 (じどうしゃ, jidōsha) means a vehicle driven by an engine or motor, not running on rails or overhead wires, other than mopeds (原動機付自転車), light vehicles (軽車両) and a few others (Road Traffic Act (道路交通法) Art. 2(1)(ix)). Unlike everyday usage where it means a car, motorcycles (自動二輪車) are also 自動車. Mopeds (原付, gentsuki), on the other hand, are not. The test asks about this line directly, especially in speed-limit questions.
Legal definition
Article 2(1)(ix) defines 自動車 as a vehicle 'driven by a prime mover and not by rails or overhead wires', excluding mopeds, light vehicles, small mobility vehicles, vehicles for people with disabilities, remotely operated small vehicles and walking aids.
Three points: (1) it is powered by an engine or motor (human-powered bicycles are out); (2) it does not use rails or overhead wires (streetcars and trolleybuses are out); (3) mopeds are excluded.
Spelling and reading: 自動車 (じどうしゃ / jidōsha). In test questions, 自動車 includes motorcycles unless stated otherwise.
The 8 classes of 自動車
Article 3 divides 自動車 into 8 classes, and the size criteria are in Article 2 of the Road Traffic Act Enforcement Regulations (道路交通法施行規則). Licence types follow these classes.
| Class | Main criteria (Enforcement Regulations Art. 2) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Large (大型自動車) | Gross vehicle weight 11,000 kg or more, max. load 6,500 kg or more, or 30 or more seats | 大型 licence |
| Medium (中型自動車) | GVW 7,500 to under 11,000 kg, max. load 4,500 to under 6,500 kg, or 11–29 seats | 中型 licence |
| Semi-medium (準中型自動車) | GVW 3,500 to under 7,500 kg, or max. load 2,000 to under 4,500 kg | 準中型 licence |
| Standard (普通自動車) | Any 自動車 that is none of the others (GVW under 3.5 t, max. load under 2 t, up to 10 seats) | 普通 licence. Kei cars belong here |
| Large special (大型特殊自動車) | Special-structure vehicles such as shovel loaders, forklifts, farm vehicles, other than small special | 大型特殊 licence |
| Large motorcycle (大型自動二輪車) | Two-wheeler over 400 cc or over 20 kW rated output | 大型二輪 licence |
| Standard motorcycle (普通自動二輪車) | Other two-wheeled 自動車 (not counting mopeds) | 普通二輪 licence |
| Small special (小型特殊自動車) | Special vehicle up to 4.70 m long, 1.70 m wide, 2.00 m high, unable to exceed 15 km/h | Can be driven with a 普通 licence, etc. |
自動車 vs mopeds, light vehicles and 車両
Mopeds (原動機付自転車) are defined separately in Art. 2(1)(x) and are not 自動車. Two-wheelers of 50 cc or less (and, from April 2025, two-wheelers up to 125 cc whose maximum output is limited to 4.0 kW) are mopeds (Enforcement Regulations Art. 1-2).
車両 (しゃりょう, 'vehicles') is the umbrella term for 自動車, mopeds, light vehicles and trolleybuses (Art. 2(1)(viii)). So 車両 is wider, and 自動車 is only part of it.
軽自動車 (kei car) is a term from the Road Transport Vehicle Act; under the Road Traffic Act, four-wheeled kei cars are standard motor vehicles (普通自動車).
| Vehicle | 自動車? | 車両? |
|---|---|---|
| Standard car, large vehicle, etc. | Yes | Yes |
| Large / standard motorcycle | Yes | Yes |
| Moped (原付) | No | Yes |
| Bicycle and other light vehicles | No | Yes |
| Streetcar (路面電車) | No | No (but included in 車両等) |
How it is tested and the traps
Example 1: 'On an ordinary road with a center line or traffic lanes, the legal maximum speed of a large motorcycle is 30 km/h' → False. A motorcycle is a 自動車, so it is 60 km/h; 30 km/h is the moped limit. Since 1 September 2026, on ordinary roads with no center line or lanes (residential roads, 生活道路), motor vehicles are also limited to 30 km/h.
Example 2: 'A standard licence allows you to drive vehicles under 3.5 t GVW, under 2 t max. load and up to 10 seats' → True. Watch for false versions with changed numbers.
Example 3: 'On a road with this sign (車両通行止め, vehicles prohibited), cars, mopeds and light vehicles may not pass' → True. 車両 includes more than 自動車.
Many questions flip the answer just by changing the subject (自動車 / 原動機付自転車 / 車両). Read the subject of each sentence carefully.
Practise in your own language
Since October 2025, the knowledge test is 50 true/false questions in 30 minutes, and you need 45 correct. The scope of 自動車, 原付 and 車両 appears across speed, lane and sign questions. menkyopass explains each question in English (first mock test and 3 topics free).
Practice questions using this term
- On a road with this sign, no motor vehicles, motorized bicycles (mopeds), or light vehicles (bicycles, etc.) may pass.
- Even small special motor vehicles, motorized bicycles (mopeds), and light vehicles must not drive in a lane reserved exclusively for route buses (bus-only lane).
- A priority lane for route buses means the same as a bus-only lane, so regular cars must not drive in it.
- At an intersection where lanes are designated by direction of travel, you must follow the designated lane even when giving way to an emergency vehicle.
- When an emergency vehicle approaches somewhere other than at or near an intersection, you must pull over to the left side of the road and come to a complete stop.
- When an emergency vehicle approaches while you are at or near an intersection, you must keep clear of the intersection, pull over to the left side of the road, and stop.
- On a one-way road, if pulling over to the left would actually get in the emergency vehicle's way, you pull over to the right to give way.
- You must not park within 5 meters of a vehicle entrance to a parking lot, garage, or similar facility.
- On ordinary roads with a center line or marked lanes where no maximum speed is set by signs or markings, the statutory maximum speed for motor vehicles is 60 km/h.
- On the main lanes of a national expressway, the statutory minimum speed for standard motor vehicles (regular cars) is 50 km/h.
FAQ
Q. Is a motorcycle a 自動車?
A. Yes. Large and standard motorcycles are 自動車 under the Road Traffic Act (Art. 3), and their legal speed on ordinary roads is the same as cars.
Q. Is a moped (原付) a 自動車?
A. No. Mopeds are excluded from the definition of 自動車 (Art. 2(1)(ix)), but they are still 車両.
Q. Which class is a kei car (軽自動車)?
A. A four-wheeled kei car is a standard motor vehicle (普通自動車) and can be driven with a standard licence. Its legal maximum on national expressways is also 100 km/h.
Q. Are forklifts and tractors 自動車?
A. Yes. They are special-structure vehicles, classed as large special or small special depending on size and top speed.