Demon Dave

Yeah, DaiOni that was it...I had a green license before...now moved up to blue.

Yep - Yamanashi...home of grapes...Mt. Fuji...and yet more grapes DCD, on here, is also from Ibaraki

Great vid. As Justin said, the end shots, in the hangar at the base - superb. Gio's car was looking and sounding as awesome as ever...

Yeah, I asked Kayo about it. Apparently us gaijins get started on a lower grade license that what regular Japanese first time license holders do or something like that. When I renewed mine, despite not having any accidents or fines I still had to listen to the lecture, watch the safety video and waste 3 hours waiting all to get a new license. Though, the next time I renew (assuming I've been a good boy ) I simply have to wait to get a new card issued... OT: and a funny side note: UK laws state that if you permanent address is outside the UK, the your UK license becomes invalid. Can you believe I had to go to the license centre in Japan and get an international drivers permit to drive in my home country! Got some funny looks from the staff when I said I wanted a permit so I can drive in the UK, handed over my Jap license and it clearly states I'm from the UK!

I hate renewing my license too - even with no mishaps it still takes forever. Justin are the rules different over your way? I've had to go and renew my license once already (and endure 3 hours of waiting, which includes a compulsory safety video you must watch, though 90% of the people in the room fell asleep!) and I understand even with a gold grade license you still got to go back every 5 years or so...right? :confused:

I don't think the Japanese would consider a Toyota Vitz as being a small car Now kei cars, with yellow plates can be small. 660cc motor and limited dimensions. Most go pretty well considering, but it's largely due to the fact they weight less than an empty packet of cigs A lot of people tune kei cars, and a fair few are raced. There's a tournament held at my local circuit, open only to Kei cars - most are stripped out Daihatsu Miras...they weigh less than the driver The cappuccino is really small, but I don't see many on the roads. Honda do the Beat which supposedly goes quite well: A Cappuccino And the Alto Works there's loads more. Funny though, going into Tokyo I see very few Kei cars, but out here in the sticks just about everyone has got one...

LMAO

I totally agree with the ATM one...ATM's that close at night

This is really intended for the other Japan residents, but I figured everyone would be interested to know. So come on, what really bugs you about life in Japan? 1. Hanko's. One word: WHY?!?!? I hate the damned little things. Which brings me to Number 2. 2. Hanko certificates. That's right, a piece of paper verifying your hanko is legit 3. Key money. It's expensive moving into a new apartment as it is, never mind about paying one months rent as a "compulsory thankyou" to the landlord! 4. Drivers reading the newspaper/shaving/watching the TV while driving. Also people who leave their engines running while shopping in stores, all purely to keep the aircon/heater on. 5. high school kids on bicycles, mobile phone in one hand, riding in the middle of your lane, towards you as though they have some kind of deathwish! There's loads more, I'm sure.

Got to agree there...lovely motors, and if maintained/modded properly there's no reason they shouldn't last a long time. I was sooooo tempted to get one a few years back, but kids and a 2 seater sports car just don't go...

Sounds good, but the key question is - where is your hotel in relation to the messe?

Justin, Nah mate - way too much hassle taking a car IMHO: Aside from nightmare traffic going through Tokyo to Chiba, you've got hellish traffic around the messe and then the difficulty of finding somewhere to park. That's not even considering the cost of parking... I think it's easier, cheaper and less stressful on the train.

1998.... I just luv the CF6 shape Accord wagons

Nah...it's "deibito"... I think my ignorance when I first got here is partly to blame - you know how it is, you start filling in forms, registering at places and if you don't have your name written down correctly, in Katakana, from the start, then it becomes really difficult to change it later... funnily enough, about 3 months after I got here, studying katakana, I discovered that it's possible to write "David" almost exactly using katakana - "　デヴィド　" The "v" katakana doesn't appear to be very popular...I mean, Vodafone prefer to write it as "ボーダフォン" rather than "ヴォダフォン" :confused:

Following on from that (and still on topic I hope ) - for the Japan residents, when in Japan how do other people - students, colleagues etc address you? Do they pronounce your name properly - or just say it katakana style? I hardly ever meet people that actually say "David"...it's always "deibito". Even the teachers and everyone I work with calls me "deibito"....so after a while you get to the point, well I have at least, where people ask my name and I just reply "deibito"... bugs me a bit though...many of them are keen to learn spoken English, with an emphasis on correct pronunciation and they can't even be bothered to get my name right!

Reading through this thread and I just thought, in all the years I've been here I can never, ever recall being called "deibito chan"... I should clarify I prefer to go by my full name David, when in Japan, mainly because when Japanese kids say Dave (debu) they think it's funny....now anyone who has ever met me can attest, I'm anything but "debu" :) Could be worse though, I work with a guy at one place, his name is Keith and the kids all call him "kiss Sensei" !

Hehehe - got to wonder how many bikes are stolen each year by drunk salary men, who aint got a clue which bike is theirs after one too many drinks... I've seen on two occassions guys smashing the hell out of a bicycle lock outside an izakaya only to realize later they were trying to unlock the wrong bicycle! :) Yeah, but it is weird - in a country where crime is very low, bicycles are stolen all the time...

A lot depends on where in Japan you're living. Usually a typhoon up near Tokyo/Yamanashi means little more than heavy rain and a bit of wind, but in southern parts, kyushu etc it's got to be more severe - read in this morning paper 16 people died as a result of Typhoon 21...

I don't think so...my brother-in-law's estima was diesel and that was a white plate...and a fair few delica's are diesel and they're white plates too. I always thought green plates were for commercial vehicles...taxi's, trucks, buses and the like...

Sounds to me like you're not too sure about the car...?

Typhoon...in Japan...when did that happen? Seriously...when I used to live down in the valley flooding was a regular occurrence, especially around September...a couple of times I recall having 30cm of water in the street outside my place, though fortunately my apartment and parking area were raised slightly above street level... now I'm out of the valley, on the hillside over looking the city, and I don't have to worry about flooding. Though it does get mighty windy around here at times... incidently...buyers of used cars from Japan should beware....I've seen a couple of cars for sale at what seemed like bargain prices, until I asked why and I got the reluctant reply they'd been in a flood.

Troy I wouldn't bother...my bike has sat in the shed for 3 years, never moved with 2 punctures and a rusty chain! If ya wanna get around on 2 wheels then I have a scooter and motorcycle.

I wonder if that extends to the other numbers aswell? I recall a thread about this a while ago...since then I've noticed a few cars with what I would assume were personalized plates...maybe getting one is as simple as asking for it at the garage?

I'm the opposite - since moving to Japan I hardly ever use my bicycle. It's way too hot and humid in the summer and in the winter too cold and windy. But if you don't mind the weather and the hard work involved in cycling up/down numerous mountains, then a bicycle is a great way to see rural Japan...

That'd make sense - taxi's and trucks tend to have green plates and white writing...