Temira Drives on the Left
Today I picked up my car. It's a honda accord station wagon, and looks much better than anything I've owned since the 4-Runner.
Owning a car in Japan is similar to owning a car in Maui, only a lot more expensive. First of all, there is something called a Shakken. This is similar to the Hawaiian Saftey, but not as easy to get. Shaken is a compulsory safety inspection, which cars in Japan have to undergo every two years. The shaken typically costs between 100,000 and 200,000 Yen (at 114 Yen to the dollar, this is between $900 and $1800). In Hawaii, you can wink, smile, show some skin and receive a Safety for $20. This is not the case in paperwork and regulation obsessed Japan.
In addition, there is an annual vehicle tax. For my car, this came to about $375. Insurance is about 100000 yen per year, or $90 per month. This seems, from what I gathered with my limited Japanese, to give you enough liability insurance to cover your causing a fully loaded schoolbus to drive off a cliff.
In case you hadn't gathered from the title, the Japanese drive on the left. This means the steering wheel is on the right and the blinker and wiper switches are on the opposite sides of the wheel from what is right to Americans. Fortunately, the gas pedal and brakes are in their "normal" spots. My first time driving on the left felt more awkward than my first time ever behind the wheel!
It's almost quitting time here. Every day around 4:30 people start chatting and joking - I think it's the unofficial end of the work day. Too bad I don't understand much!
Tonight will be my first Aikido class in what feels like a million years! I'm sooooooooo excited!
