Transportation

In Okinawa, public transportation consists almost entirely of buses. There is no train or subway system, and the newly constructed monorail runs only from Naha Airport to Shuri Castle. There are many, many taxis. People commute primarily by car or motorbike, but as Urasoe covers an area of less than 19 square kilometers, it's not difficult to get around on foot or by bicycle.

Buses

There are four main bus companies in Okinawa. Ordinary buses have route numbers, which are coordinated between companies (i.e. there is only one #86 bus line), so if you know the route number, you do not need to worry about getting on the wrong bus. The bus system may seem confusing at first, but once you get used to the bus lines, they can be quite convenient. When visiting an urban area, it may be easier and cheaper to take the bus than to park your car.

• Stand visibly by the bus stop, or the bus driver may not see you.
• Take a ticket (seiriken 整理券) upon entering the bus. The number printed on your ticket corresponds to the stop where you got on, and will determine the fare you pay when you get off.
• Press the "stop" button by your seat when you are approaching your stop (this will cause a sign at the front of the bus to become illuminated if it is not already).
• When you get off the bus, put your fare (exact change) into the fare box along with your ticket. If you do not have change, use the change machine below the fare box.

Bus stops generally have the name of the stop written in both kanji and the roman alphabet. Inside the bus, the display is in Japanese only. Bus stops are usually announced as well, so you can listen for your stop, but some bus drivers do not announce every stop. If you do know when to press the stop button for your stop, you can speak to the bus driver when you board (see useful phrases below). Also, the maps on the bus stops are only in Japanese, but if you know your route number, you can check the timetable to find out when the next bus will come. If all else fails, ask the friendly Okinawans around you for help!

Discount passes are available for adults and students, but are usually limited to certain routes. You can purchase these at the main bus terminal in Naha. A book of all the bus routes in Okinawa, and timetables for all the routes is available from the bus information counter in Naha Airport.

Buses in Urasoe
There are several bus routes passing through Urasoe. Buses running on Route 58 can be taken south to Naha and north to Chatan and beyond. Buses running on Route 330 connect Naha and Ryukyu University. The Number 91 runs between Gusukuma in western Urasoe and the Shuri area. Here is a route map.
(*Warning: route map is not drawn to scale, and may just confuse you more.)

Taxis

Taxis in Okinawa are plentiful, and can be readily found everywhere and anywhere 24 hours a day. At night they sometimes out-number cars. The starting rate is ¥500 for a standard taxi, but rates increase from 11 pm to 5 am. You'll notice that a rate-increase (warimashi 割増) light goes on to indicate this.

If you are traveling alone, or with one other person, it is far more economical to take the bus than a taxi. However, groups of three or four may want to take a taxi, for greater speed, comfort and convenience.

Calling a Taxi

Giving Directions

Approximate taxi fares from City Hall (during regular hours):
Kokusai Dōri, Naha => ¥1,400
Goya, Okinawa City => ¥3,000
Airport => ¥2,200
It's not necessary to tip taxi drivers in Japan.

Other Transportation

Monorail
The new monorail, also known as the Yui-rail (Yui-reeru 結いレール), was completed in 2003 and runs from the Shuri Castle Station to the airport. It's safe and smooth, and provides a lovely view of Naha from above. It's also a lot faster than buses, particularly during rush hour. Depending on where you live, Gibo Station or Furujima Station may be quite close to your home. The maximum fare is ¥290 (¥150 for children) and the minimum fare is ¥200 (¥100 for children).

Ferries
Okinawa's outer islands can be reached by ferry or plane. You can take a ferry from Naha's Tomarin Port (Tomarin 泊港) to the Keramas, Kume, and other islands west of Okinawa's main island. Islands off the northern part of Okinawa's main island can be reached by ferry from ports in Motobu and Nakijin.

Long distance ferries to the Japanese mainland (Kagoshima, Osaka, Kobe, and Tokyo) and the Amami Islands leave daily from Naha Shinkō (那覇新港). As of 2008, long-distance ferry service to the Yaeyama Islands and Taiwan from Okinawa has been stopped.

Bicycles (Jitensha 自転車)
Bicycles are for sale at most major department stores. Alternatively, there are several specialty shops which sell high-end bicycles in Naha (check the phone book for details). Used bicycles are for sale at Recycle Plaza (see Housing Chapter) as well as at several independent bicycle repair shops around Urasoe such as Cycle Shop Pipeline (on Pipeline Street in the Iso area). No licenses are required for bicycles, but to prevent theft, the bicycle must be registered in your name. The shop where you purchase a bicycle will do the paperwork for you. Unlike other types of crime, bicycle theft is common on Okinawa, so please secure your bike.

Moped and Motorcycle Licensing

Mopeds (Gentsuki Jitensha 原付自転車)

A Japanese driver's license allows you to drive mopeds (2-wheeled vehicles under 50cc) without any special certification. However, you cannot drive a moped on an International Driving Permit unless you are specifically certified for 2-wheeled mopeds in your home country. Some countries, such as the USA, automatically certify you when you get your regular license - check the driving laws of your country. If you want to drive a moped but do not have the appropriate license, visit the License Center.

• Your Alien Registration Card
• 1 standard small-size ID photo (white background, no head covering)
• Application forms (available at the License Center)

You will need to bring these documents and take a written test. The test is offered at 1 pm on every weekday but Thursday. The test costs ¥1,650, which you must pay beforehand. Because the License Center is closed from 12 pm-1 pm for lunch, you must arrive before 12 pm in order to turn in your paperwork and pay in time. A grade of 90% or over is passing, and it is a tricky test, so many people take it more than once. If you pass the test, you must complete a short training course, after which you will receive your license. You must wear closed-toe, low-heeled shoes for the training course.

Motorcycles (Baiku バイク)

There are two ways to get a license for a larger motorcycle. If you already know how to ride a motorcycle, you may take the motorcycle road test at the License Center in Naha. It costs about ¥5,000. If you pass, you will have to sign up for a supplementary training course to receive your license. This costs ¥:15,000. Even if you already know how to ride a motorcycle, it is advisable to take a few hours of lessons at a driving school. These lessons cost around ¥5,000/hour, and will prepare you for the test course and requirements. Driving schools in Urasoe are listed below in the Cars section.

If you do not know how to ride a motorcycle, you will have to enroll in a training course at a driving school. Training courses last 2-3 months and cost around ¥100,000. Upon completion of the course, you will take the road test at the driving school, rather than at the License Center.

Automobile Licensing

International Driver's Permit

If you wish to drive a car in Japan, you must have the proper license. Some countries have treaties that allow their citizens to drive in Japan for a time on an International Driver’s Permit (IDP). In general, you must obtain an IDP in your home country before coming to Japan.

When you drive with an IDP in Japan, you must have both your valid driver's license from your home country and the IDP with you at all times. The IDP is valid for one year after you arrive in Japan, or until its expiration date, whichever comes sooner.

Getting a Japanese License for UNLICENSED Drivers

If you do not have a license from your home country and you wish to get a Japanese license, you must go through the same licensing process as a Japanese national. You must:

• Attend driving school. This costs ¥200,000-¥300,000.
• Take and pass a written exam at the license center.
• Take a road test at the driving school where you took driving lessons.

As instruction and tests are conducted in Japanese, you must be able to speak a certain amount of Japanese to get your license this way.

Getting a Japanese License for Drivers LICENSED in their Home Country

If you already possess a valid driver's license from another country, it is easier to obtain a Japanese license; this is not to say it is not a long and complicated process. This process is called Gaikoku Menkyo Kirikae (外国免許切換). To be eligible for "Gaimen Kirikae" (as the name is shortened to), you must have a valid foreign license, have been in the country of issue for at least three months after you first received the license, and have a clean driving record since coming to Japan (no speeding tickets, drunk driving violations, etc).

Because the process of changing over your license may take several months, it is recommended that you start the process well before your IDP expires. If you drive on an expired IDP and are caught by the police, you are no longer eligible for a Japanese license. These are the steps of the Gaimen Kirikae process:

1) Get Your License Translated
The first step is to get your foreign driver's license officially translated. To do this, please visit JAF (Japan Automobile Federation) located at 1-48-7 Maeda, Urasoe. Telephone: (098) 877-9225. Bring:

• A clear, color copy of your valid foreign driver’s license (both sides)
• A copy of your Alien Registration Card (both sides)
• Translation fee of ¥3,000

Sometimes foreign driver's licenses do not contain all the information needed by JAF (e.g. date of issue). You may need to get supporting documentation from your home country in this case. However, if everything goes smoothly, the translation should be ready the same day.

2) Get a Certificate of Residence
Next, obtain a Certificate of Residence (tōroku genpyō kisai-jikō shōmei-sho 外国人登録原票記載事項証 明書) from the Citizens' Affairs Section of Urasoe City Hall. There is a nominal fee for the certificate.

3) Complete Paperwork at the License Center
After you have your translation and Certificate of Residence, the next step is to visit the License Center in Naha. You must bring the following items with you to the license center:

• Your foreign license and a photocopy (both sides).
• The JAF translation of your license.
• Your Alien Registration Card.
• Your passport, with photocopies of the pages with your name, your visa, and your date of entry. (The passport is to prove that you were in the country where your license was issued for at least three months after issue. If this documentation is on an expired passport, you must also bring your expired passport.)
• Two standard ID photographs.
• Your Certificate of Residence.
• Application fee of about ¥5,000. The actual fee depends on your nationality.

Please visit the License Center between 8:30 am and 12 pm on a weekday to submit your paperwork. Paperwork should be submitted to window #8. Processing your paperwork may take several hours.

For applicants with licenses from England, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Iceland, France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Holland, Greece, Switzerland, Sweden, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Belgium, Portugal, Luxembourg, Canada this is almost the end! After submitting your paperwork and taking an eye test, you will have to visit the License Center one more time to pick up your license and sit through a one hour lecture about "safety driving." Then you're done!

4) Take the Written Test (Gakka Shiken 学科試験)
Applicants from all other countries must next take a written test. The written test is only given on Wednesday mornings at 11 am. It costs ¥2,650. Please arrive a little before 11, so you have time to pay in advance. The written test is only ten true/false statements. They are very simple (e.g. A red light means stop.)

At the time of the written test, you will be asked to decide whether you will take the driving test in a car with manual or automatic transmission. If you decide to go for the automatic test, your license does NOT certify you to drive manual. However, if you take the test with a manual transmission, you will be certified to drive either type of car.

5) Take the Road Test (Ginō Shiken 技能試験)
After you have passed the written test, you will have to schedule a road test. The road test schedule is quite crowded, so it is likely that you will have to wait 2-3 weeks to take it. The road test costs around ¥3,500. As with the written test, please arrive in advance of the starting time to give yourself time to pay.

The License Center recommends that before you take the road test, you take at least one hour worth of driving instruction at a local driving school to familiarize yourself with the test course and standards. one hour's instruction costs around ¥6,000, and it can save you the hassle of retaking the actual test again and again. There are 2 driving schools (jidōsha kyōshu-sho 自動車教習所) in Urasoe:

As a candidate for foreign license conversion, you cannot make an appointment at a school, but must visit directly and wait for a cancellation. Cancellations come up often, so usually you can get a lesson right away. Tell the staff at the school that you want to practice for "Gaimen Kirikae."

If you pass your road test at the License Center, you will have to listen to a lecture about safety. Depending on what time your road test finishes, you may have to come back another day to listen to the lecture. After the lecture, you will be given your license, and asked to contribute ¥1,000 to a Prefectural "safe driving fund." This fee is voluntary.

Renewing your License

The period of your vehicle license depends on the length of stay of your visa. Licenses for all vehicles (moped, motorcycyle, and automobiles) should be renewed before they expire. If you allow you license to expire, you will have to take the driver's test again to get a new license.

Buying, Selling, and Disposing of Vehicles

Buying a Vehicle
If you wish to purchase a car, motorcycle, or moped, you will need a valid Japanese driver's license or IDP, and an inkan. If you are buying a white plate car, you will also need a proof of parking space　(shako shōmeisho車庫証明書). To get a shako shōmeisho, you must get a document from you landlord or rental agency showing your parking space. Your landlord may charge you a hefty sum for this document. Once you have the document from you landlord, bring it to the police station. The police will verify that it is correct, and prepare a shako shōmeisho.

Automobile Acquisition Tax (Jidōsha Shutoku-zei 自動車取得税)
When an automobile is purchased, regardless of whether it is new or used, the purchaser must pay an acquisition tax. If you purchase a car through an auto dealer, they will take care of the paperwork for you.

If you wish to sell your vehicle, you must change the name on the vehicle registration. This process is called meigi henkō (名義変更). Visit the Land Transportation Office together with the buyer of your vehicle. Bring along both people's inkans, the insurance documentation, proof of vehicle inspection, proof that you have paid the yearly vehicle tax, and both people's alien registration cards and licenses. If you are selling a white plate car, you will also need both people's Inkan Registration Certificates, and the buyer's proof of parking space (shako shōmeisho 車庫証明書).

Disposing of a Vehicle
If you want to get rid of your vehicle, you must contact a private vehicle disposal company. Vehicle disposal is called haisha (廃車).

Vehicle Inspection & Insurance

Vehicle Inspection (Shaken 車検)
Cars must be inspected every two years (once a year for cars over 12 years old). Inspection is quite pricey, and will probably cost ¥100,000 plus any repairs your car might need. For this reason, it is good to confirm how much shaken is left if you wish to purchase a used car. Car inspection is a carried out by private companies, so please check the phone book for a shaken provider near you. Motorcycles of 400cc and above also require shaken.

Accident Insurance
All vehicle owners are required to purchase "Compulsory Liability Insurance" (jidōsha songai baishō sekinin hoken 自動車損害賠償責任保険). This insurance covers you (up to a certain sum) if you kill or injure a third party while driving. If you purchase your vehicle from a dealer, the dealer will take care of this for you. The insurance will be good until your shaken expires and you have the vehicle inspected. You must keep your insurance certificate in the vehicle at all times. It is advisable to also take out "Optional Liability Insurance" (jidōsha nin’i hoken 自動車任意保険). With only the compulsory insurance, you will almost certainly be faced with paying some damages yourself in case of a serious accident. Optional insurance not only covers third party injury or death to a higher amount, but also can cover property damage, injury, and death of passengers or drivers of your car. If you want to purchase optional insurance, talk to the dealer where you are buying a car, or consult the yellow pages.

Okinawa Prefecture offers a ¥1,000,000 traffic insurance policy for only ¥500 a year. Check with the Citizens' Welfare Section (Shiminseikatsu-ka 市民生活課) for details.

Vehicle Tax (Jidōsha-zei 自動車税)

Every year in May, all vehicle owners must pay a vehicle tax. You should receive a notice (nōfusho 納付書) in the mail telling you when and where to pay your taxes. The tax must be paid by the due date or you will not be able to drive legally on the roads of Okinawa. The amount of the tax depends on what type of vehicle you own. The tax for yellow-plate cars, light motorcycles, and mopeds is under ¥10,000. This tax is collected by the city. The tax for white-plate cars and large motorcycles is considerably higher, depending on the engine size, but ranges from ¥30,000-¥100,000. This tax is collected by the prefecture.