Introduction

I have been living in Korea for a long time, and two months ago, I traveled to Japan. I have been driving in Korea for 3 years in Daegu and Pohang while serving in the military. After being discharged from the military, I rented a car three times a year to drive to my father's cemetery. I would say my driving ability is average.

In January 2025, I traveled to Japan for 4 days and rented a car for 3 days. If I had gone to Japan alone, I would not have rented a car. But my mother and my brother, who were traveling to Japan for the first time, were with me, so I decided to rent a car.

I rented a Toyota Prius, which is a hybrid car.

What is the difference between Korea and Japan?

1. Driving on the left side

I am confident in driving because I have no experience with accidents. But I was very nervous when I drove in Japan. The first thing I worried about was driving on the left side. When I got on the road, I was very nervous. I endeavored to keep with the flow. When I started driving, one of my friends, whose hobby was driving, said to me, "Driving is flow. You have to keep with the flow." He had been driving in Japan and Germany for many years. Nevertheless, I was still very nervous.

On the internet forum, people suggested keeping in mind Jwajak Wookeun(좌작우큰) - Small rotation on the left, large rotation on the right. I consciously kept this in mind. The direction is opposite in Korea and Japan, so this mistake causes driving in the opposite direction. However, after 30 minutes, I got used to driving on the left side. No matter where I drive, the basic rule is the same - drive safely.

2. Driving manners

The reason I wrote this article is that I was very surprised by the driving manners in Japan. I didn't know driving was so easy. Because I have no experience driving except in Japan and Korea, if I just compare Korea and Japan, I think driving in Japan is much easier than driving in Korea. I'll explain why I feel this way.

1) Keep the specified speed

When I was driving in Japan, I was surprised that cars stopped for pedestrians. In Korea, when I cross the road, I have to be careful of cars. But in Japan, cars stop for pedestrians. I was really surprised. Recently, when I came back home after drinking alcohol, I was almost hit by a car that tried to pass the crosswalk when the light was yellow. In retrospect, this is a common situation in Korea. When I go to work, because I have sufficient time, I cross the road as soon as the light turns green. This habit sometimes almost gets me hit by a car.

In Japan, cars stop for pedestrians. It is more accurate to say that cars in Japan rarely drive too fast. After this journey, I felt like I came back to Korea when the taxi driver drove too fast. The speed limit is 60 km/h, but the taxi driver drove over 80 km/h.

2) Yielding to other vehicles

As I know, the blink is a signal to other vehicles. Especially, when another car is trying to change lanes, the car should use the blink, and the car that is in the lane should yield to the car trying to change lanes. Of course, this is the same in Korea. But in Korea, in my experience, half of the cars on the road do not yield to other vehicles when they see the blink. People who have experience driving in Korea would agree with me.

In Japan, when I used the blink, other cars yielded to me like the Red Sea parting. As you know, changing lanes at an interchange is difficult, especially when the road is narrow and there is a traffic jam. But in Japan, I was able to change lanes easily. This is just one episode, but overall, I felt that driving is so much easier in Japan.

3) No honking

In Korea, honking is a common thing. Every day when I go to lunch, I hear honking. Cars that can't pass the crosswalk because of pedestrians sometimes honk. I can't understand why they honk. I just guess that they feel their time is more valuable than pedestrians. When you're on the road, you can hear honking. Many cars honk, not yielding to other vehicles.

On the other hand, in Japan, I didn't hear honking. I only heard honking once when I was driving. That was because the car behind me wanted to remind me to keep an eye on the traffic signal. I don't know what the auxiliary signal is in Japan, this was my mistake.

3. Conclusion

I have spoken very negatively about Korea, but it’s just about driving compared to Japan. Many of my friends have said that driving in Korea is not a bad experience, especially when compared to other countries. I think so too. Insane drivers exist everywhere in the world. I think it’s all a matter of probability. In Korea, the probability of encountering rude drivers is higher than in Japan. If you have no experience driving in Japan but hold a driver’s license, I would recommend driving there. You will be surprised by the driving manners in Japan. By using a car, you can travel to many places where foreigners typically can't go. I think this would be a good experience for you.