Gaimen Kirikae Written Test: Why Pass Rates Dropped to 30% (And How to Pass)

Information current as of March 2026 based on The Japan Times (Mar 2026), Osaka Prefectural Police, Best Car Web, Ziplus Road Ready, and the Nikkei (Jul 2025).

If you're preparing for the gaimen kirikae written test in Osaka, throw away your old study notes. Before October 2025, the test was 10 illustration-based true/false questions with a 70% pass threshold — and over 92% of people passed. Since October 2025, the National Police Agency overhauled the format: 50 text-based questions, 90% to pass, drawn from the full provisional license question bank. According to The Japan Times, the written test pass rate dropped to 42.8% between October and December 2025. In some prefectures it was far worse — Mie Prefecture saw just 3 out of 87 applicants pass.

This guide focuses on what to actually study and how to prepare — because most foreigners who fail aren't bad drivers, they just didn't know what Japanese traffic law expects. The rules aren't intuitive if you learned to drive in another country. Concepts like "temporary stopping," "safety confirmation," and "priority roads" have specific legal definitions in Japan that don't match what you're used to.

What changed in October 2025

The National Police Agency implemented sweeping changes to the gaimen kirikae process on October 1, 2025, after lawmakers criticized the old test as being too easy. Here's what changed for the written test:

The biggest shift is not just the number of questions — it's the depth. The old test asked whether you could identify a stop sign. The new test asks you to apply the rules in text-based scenarios: "A car is approaching an intersection without traffic signals where the road on the right is a priority road. True or false: the car must yield to vehicles on the priority road." You need to actually understand the rules, not just recognize pictures.

The 22 topic areas

The new test draws questions from the same 22 topic categories used in the provisional license (karimen) exam. While the full topic list is not publicly itemized by the National Police Agency, based on published study guides, practice tests, and the JAF Rules of the Road, the areas include:

1. Traffic signs (regulatory, warning, and guide signs)
2. Road markings (lane lines, stop lines, crosswalk markings)
3. Traffic signals (lights, arrows, flashing signals)
4. Right-of-way rules at intersections
5. Speed limits and speed regulations
6. Passing and overtaking rules
7. Intersections and turning procedures
8. Pedestrian protection rules
9. Crosswalks and school zones
10. Parking (駐車 / chuusha) vs. stopping (停車 / teisha) rules
11. No-parking and no-stopping zones
12. Highway driving rules (merging, minimum speed, following distance)
13. Railway crossings (踏切 / fumikiri)
14. Emergency vehicle procedures
15. Driving in adverse conditions (rain, fog, snow, night)
16. Vehicle maintenance and inspection requirements
17. Safe driving practices and defensive driving
18. Alcohol and drug impairment laws
19. Towing and loading regulations
20. Motorcycle-specific rules (also tested for car license)
21. Accident response and reporting procedures
22. Driver responsibilities and license conditions

Topic areas that trip up foreigners most

Based on practice test results and community discussions, these are the categories where foreign test-takers lose the most points:

• Right-of-way at unsignaled intersections — Japan's rules about priority roads (優先道路 / yuusen douro) and yielding to the left differ from most countries
• Parking vs. stopping — the legal distinction between 駐車 and 停車 is extremely specific (see below)
• Pedestrian protection rules — Japan requires drivers to stop or slow down near crosswalks even when no pedestrian is currently crossing, if one might cross
• Temporary stop obligations — 一時停止 (ichiji teishi) applies in many situations beyond just stop signs
• No-stopping zones — many zones that allow parking in other countries are strictly no-parking or no-stopping in Japan (within 5m of an intersection, for example)

Tricky concepts for foreigners

Japanese traffic law includes several concepts that either don't exist in many other countries or work differently than expected. The written test loves to test these, and the English translations can make them even more confusing.

一時停止 (ichiji teishi) — Temporary stop

This means a complete stop, not a rolling slow-down. In Japan, you must come to a full stop at stop signs, before railway crossings, and when entering certain intersections. The test will ask questions like: "You must stop temporarily before a railway crossing even if the barrier is up and no train is approaching" — the answer is True. Many foreigners from countries where rolling stops are tolerated lose points here.

徐行 (jokou) — Slow down / proceed slowly

Jokou means driving slowly enough to stop immediately — roughly 10 km/h or less. The test expects you to know exactly when jokou is required: near intersections without clear visibility, on steep downhill slopes, near crosswalks with pedestrians who might cross. Questions will test whether you know the difference between "you must stop" and "you must proceed slowly."

安全確認 (anzen kakunin) — Safety confirmation

This is the Japanese concept of checking for safety before every maneuver — lane changes, turns, pulling away from the curb. It involves a specific sequence: mirrors, signal, 3-second wait, shoulder check, then act. The test includes questions about when safety confirmation is required and what it involves.

駐車 (chuusha) vs. 停車 (teisha) — Parking vs. stopping

This distinction catches more foreigners than almost any other topic. In Japanese law:

• 駐車 (chuusha / parking) means either: (a) stopping the vehicle and the driver leaving it so it can't be moved immediately, or (b) stopping continuously for more than 5 minutes for reasons other than loading/unloading or picking up/dropping off passengers.
• 停車 (teisha / stopping) means any temporary stop that does not qualify as parking — loading/unloading for under 5 minutes, picking up or dropping off passengers, stopping at a traffic light.

A classic trap question: "Stopping for 3 minutes to load cargo while the driver stays in the vehicle counts as parking (駐車)." The answer is False — it's stopping (停車), because it's under 5 minutes and the driver is present. The no-parking and no-stopping zone rules then layer on top of this distinction.

優先道路 (yuusen douro) — Priority road

At intersections without traffic lights, the vehicle on the priority road has right-of-way. If neither road is a priority road, the vehicle coming from the left has priority (opposite of many Western countries). If road widths differ, the vehicle on the wider road has priority. Test questions will present scenarios combining these rules to check whether you know the hierarchy.

Taking the test in English at Kadoma or Komyoike

Both of Osaka's license examination centers — Kadoma (門真) and Komyoike (光明池) — offer the written test in approximately 20 languages, including English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Thai, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, Hindi, and Nepali.

How to request English

You don't need to request it in advance as a separate step — when you check in at the reception window on test day, you'll indicate which language you want. The center will provide the test in that language. However, confirm the language availability when you make your reservation, since scheduling may vary depending on language demand.

The same test at both centers

The written test is the same at Kadoma and Komyoike. The questions are drawn from the same national question bank. There is no advantage in choosing one center over the other for the test itself — pick the one that's more convenient for you geographically.

A word about English translation quality

The English translations of Japanese traffic law terms can be awkward. Some things to watch for:

• "Temporary stop" (一時停止) may be translated literally — but it means a full stop, not a brief pause
• "Slow down" (徐行) in the test means the specific legal concept of driving at near-walking speed, not just reducing speed
• "Parking" and "stopping" have the narrow legal meanings described above, not everyday English meanings
• Some terms may use British English ("give way") or inconsistent phrasing between questions

If a question's English wording feels ambiguous, think about what the Japanese legal concept behind it means. Studying the Japanese terms alongside the English ones will help you decode confusing phrasing on test day.

Study resources that actually work (post-October 2025)

Most practice tests and study guides published before October 2025 are based on the old 10-question format and are no longer useful. You need resources based on the provisional license (karimen) question bank. Here are the ones that have been validated by people who passed after October 2025:

A real study strategy that worked

One foreigner who passed the new 50-question test shared their method: they read the JAF Rules of the Road book cover to cover, then took ten full honmen practice tests using the KariHonmen app. They didn't pass a single practice test on the first try — but by reviewing wrong answers and understanding the logic behind each rule, they passed the actual test. Their takeaway: "The difficulty of the actual test felt very close to the honmen practice tests I had done, basically the same level."

Another test-taker in Tokyo documented their experience passing the 50-question knowledge check after the October 2025 changes, confirming that thorough preparation with honmen-level materials was key to passing.

Test day tips

• Arrive early. Reception at both Kadoma and Komyoike opens at 8:45. There will be a queue, and the document check alone can take over an hour. Arriving after 9:30 means you risk not being processed that day.
• Bring everything. Missing even one document means you go home and come back another day. Double-check: foreign license, JAF translation, passport(s), residence card, residence certificate (住民票), photo, and fees.
• The test takes about 30 minutes. You'll receive a paper test sheet (or tablet, depending on the center) in your chosen language. Read each question carefully — the test uses deliberate wording designed to trip you up. Negative phrasing ("It is not necessary to...") and absolute terms ("always," "never") are common traps.
• Results come quickly. You'll typically get your result within 30 minutes to an hour after finishing. If you pass, you'll be scheduled for the driving test (usually a different day). If you fail, you'll be told your score.
• Bring a book or your phone. There's a lot of waiting. Between the document check, aptitude test (eyesight/hearing), and the written test, expect to spend most of the morning at the center even if everything goes smoothly.

Quick FAQ

Can I retake immediately if I fail?

No, not on the same day. You'll need to make a new reservation. Availability depends on the center's schedule, but most people report being able to rebook within 1–2 weeks.

How long between attempts?

There is no mandatory waiting period set by law between written test attempts. The limiting factor is appointment availability at Kadoma or Komyoike. During busy periods, it may take 2–3 weeks to get a new slot.

Is the test the same at Kadoma and Komyoike?

Yes. Both centers draw from the same national question bank. The questions, format, number of questions, pass threshold, and available languages are identical. Choose the center that's easier for you to reach.

Do I need to pass the written test before the driving test?

Yes. The process is sequential: document check and aptitude test first, then written test, then driving test. You cannot take the driving test until you've passed the written test.

How many questions can I get wrong?

Five. The test has 50 questions and you need 45 correct (90%). Getting 6 or more wrong means you fail.

Are the questions all true/false?

Yes. Every question is a statement that you mark as true (correct) or false (incorrect). There are no multiple-choice questions. But don't let the format fool you — the statements are carefully worded to test whether you truly understand the rule.

Related Articles

• Converting Your Driver's License in Osaka? What Changed After October 2025 (pillar article)
• Kadoma License Center: Everything You Need to Know for Gaimen Kirikae
• Komyoike License Center: The South Osaka Option for License Conversion

Struggling with Japanese Traffic Rules?

The written test isn't about whether you can drive — it's about whether you understand how Japan wants you to drive. If the practice tests are confusing, if the English translations don't make sense, or if you keep failing and aren't sure why, you don't have to figure it out alone.

On LO-PAL, you can post your question for free and a local Japanese person who drives every day on these roads can explain the rules in plain English. They can walk you through the tricky concepts — why the answer to that parking question is "false," what "temporary stop" actually means, how priority roads work at unmarked intersections. Real explanations from real drivers, not another translated textbook.