Gaimen50-question practice tests in the real exam formatRight of Way in Japan: Intersections, Pedestrians, Emergencies
Updated: 2026-10
Right-of-way questions come down to two things: who has priority, and whether you must stop or only slow down. At an uncontrolled intersection the order is priority road → clearly wider road → vehicle from the left, and right-turning vehicles yield to vehicles going straight or turning left. For pedestrians, children and emergency vehicles, each situation has its own stop-or-slow rule, so learning them as a table is the fastest way.
Priority at intersections without traffic control
At an intersection without traffic control (no lights or police officer), decide in this order (Road Traffic Act, Article 36). Even without a sign, a road whose center line or lane lines continue through the intersection is a priority road (優先道路).
When entering a priority road or a clearly wider road, slow down and do not obstruct traffic on it. Where there is a STOP sign (止まれ), stop just before the stop line and then yield to traffic on the crossing road.
| Order | Who has priority | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vehicles on a priority road | Roads with the sign, and roads whose center line or lanes continue through the intersection |
| 2 | Vehicles on a clearly wider road | The narrower side slows down and yields |
| 3 | If widths are similar: the vehicle from the left | Not the one from the right |
| Special | Streetcars (路面電車) | Have priority over vehicles from either side |
| Any intersection | Vehicles going straight or turning left | Right-turners yield even if they entered first |
Pedestrian crossings: three levels
Your duty when approaching a pedestrian crossing (横断歩道) depends on the pedestrians (Article 38). The same rule applies to cyclists about to use a bicycle crossing lane.
If a vehicle is stopped just before a crossing, pedestrians may be hidden behind it, so you must stop before passing it and moving ahead. At or near intersections without a marked crossing, you must still not obstruct pedestrians who are crossing.
| Pedestrian situation | Duty |
|---|---|
| Clearly nobody crossing | You may proceed |
| Unclear whether anyone is crossing | Slow to a speed at which you can stop before the crossing |
| Someone crossing or about to cross | Stop just before the crossing and give way (slowing down is not enough) |
| A vehicle is stopped before the crossing | Stop before passing it and moving ahead |
Stop or slow down? By situation
Statements saying “you must always stop” are often False in this topic. Check the level of duty for each situation.
| Situation | Duty |
|---|---|
| Passing a pedestrian | Keep a safe distance; if you cannot, slow down |
| Passing a child walking alone | Stop or slow down |
| Elderly person with a cane or others with difficulty walking | Stop or slow down |
| Passing a stopped school bus | Slow down and check safety |
| Passing a safety zone with pedestrians | Slow down |
| A pedestrian about to cross at a crossing | Stop |
Yielding to emergency vehicles
What to do when an emergency vehicle (緊急自動車) approaches depends on where you are (Article 40). On a one-way road, if keeping left would obstruct it, keep right instead.
| Where | What to do |
|---|---|
| At or near an intersection | Clear the intersection, keep left and stop |
| Elsewhere | Keep left and give way (no duty to stop) |
| One-way road where keeping left would obstruct | Keep right |
Buses, streetcars, hills and marked cars
What “priority” means differs by road user. The number to remember here is 1.5 meters for streetcars.
- A route bus signaling to pull out from a stop: vehicles behind must not obstruct it, except when giving way would require sudden braking or swerving
- A stopped streetcar: as a rule, stop behind it. If there is a safety zone, or nobody is getting on or off and you can keep 1.5 meters or more away, you may pass slowly
- Narrow hill where vehicles cannot pass each other: the downhill vehicle yields to the uphill one. If there is a pull-out (待避所) nearby, even the uphill vehicle pulls in and waits
- An obstacle such as a parked car ahead: the vehicle on the obstacle side stops or slows and lets oncoming traffic go first
- Cars with beginner or elderly driver marks: what is prohibited is pulling alongside to squeeze them and cutting in so they cannot keep a safe distance (unless unavoidable to prevent danger). Overtaking and passing them are not prohibited
Common trap patterns
Most False statements in this topic fall into one of these patterns.
- Upgrading the duty: pedestrians, school buses and safety zones require slowing down, not “always stop”
- Downgrading the duty: a pedestrian about to cross requires a stop, not just slowing down
- Left and right swapped: at equal-width intersections the vehicle from the left has priority
- Ignoring exceptions: streetcars always have priority; with a pull-out nearby the uphill car also yields
- Wrong location: a full stop for emergency vehicles is required only at or near intersections
- “In all cases”: even yielding to a departing bus has an exception for sudden braking
Practice right-of-way questions in English
Since October 2025 the knowledge test is 50 written True/False questions and you need 45 correct. menkyopass's conversion drill lets you practice right-of-way questions with English explanations (first mock exam and 3 topics free; full access ¥1,500 one-time).
Practice questions on this topic
- When a pedestrian is about to cross at a pedestrian crossing, it is enough to slow down and let the pedestrian go.
- When you approach a pedestrian crossing and it is not clear whether anyone is going to cross, you must reduce speed so that you can stop just before the crossing.
- When another vehicle is stopped just before a pedestrian crossing, you must stop before passing alongside it and moving ahead of it.
- When a bicycle is about to cross at a bicycle crossing lane, you must stop just before it and give way, the same as for pedestrians at a pedestrian crossing.
- When a pedestrian is crossing at or near an intersection that has no pedestrian crossing, you must not obstruct the pedestrian.
- Whenever you drive past a pedestrian, you must come to a complete stop.
- When passing a child walking alone, it is good practice to sound your horn to warn the child and drive past at the same speed.
- When passing a stopped school or kindergarten bus, you must always come to a complete stop.
- 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.
- A road whose center line or vehicle traffic lanes continue through the middle of an intersection is a priority road.
- At an intersection without traffic control, the vehicle coming from the left always has priority, regardless of the width of the roads.
- When you arrive at the same time at an uncontrolled intersection where the roads are about the same width, you must give way to the vehicle coming from the left.
- At an uncontrolled intersection where the roads are about the same width, if a streetcar approaches from the right, your car may go first because you are on the left.
- At an intersection, a vehicle turning right may go before vehicles going straight or turning left.
- On a narrow slope where vehicles cannot pass each other, the rule is that the vehicle going uphill gives way to the vehicle coming downhill.
- When meeting another vehicle on a narrow slope, if there is a pull-off area nearby, even the uphill vehicle should move into it and give way.
- When there is an obstacle such as a parked vehicle ahead in your path, you must stop or slow down in advance and give way to vehicles coming from the opposite direction.
- When a route bus at a bus stop signals that it is about to pull out, vehicles behind it must give way in every case.
- When a stopped streetcar has no one getting on or off, there is no safety zone, and you can keep a gap of at least 1.5 meters from the streetcar, you may proceed at a slow speed.
- You must not overtake or pass a vehicle that is displaying the elderly driver mark.
FAQ
Q. At an uncontrolled intersection of equal width, a car arrives from my right at the same time. Who goes first?
A. The vehicle from the left has priority. If the other car is on your right, you are the one on its left, so you go first. Streetcars, however, always have priority.
Q. Can a road without a priority road sign be a priority road?
A. Yes. A road whose center line or lane lines continue through the intersection is a priority road.
Q. Do I have to stop for an ambulance when I am not near an intersection?
A. No. Keep left and give way; there is no duty to stop. At or near an intersection, clear the intersection, keep left and stop.
Q. May I overtake a car with an elderly driver mark?
A. Yes. Overtaking and passing are not prohibited. What is prohibited is squeezing them and cutting in so they cannot keep a safe distance.