Author: The Japan FAQ

Bike Classes and Vehicle Licensing

There are four classes of motorized two-wheeled vehicles in Japan, with different licensing requirements, rules, and such. The classes are demarked by engine size.

The Motor Vehicle Law (SHARYOUHOU, probably governs licencing and registration issues) demarks them into three classes, while the Road Traffic Law (DOUROKOUTSUU, probably governs the vehicle operation) into four.

Engine size: Up to 50cc

Motor Vehicle Law: 第一種原動機付き自転車 (第一種原原付き) DAI ISSHU GENDOUKITUKI JIDOUSHA (DAI ISSHU GENTSUKI)

Class 1 Engine-Attached Bicycle

Road Traffic Law: 原動機付き自転車 (原付き) GENDOUKITSUKI JIDOUSHA (GENTSUKI) Engine-Attached Bicycle

Common names: Scooter, gentsuki

Speed Limit: 30 km/h (but routinely ignored)

Passengers: Never allowed

Travel restrictions: Must stay to the left 1m of street (but often ignored). Not allowed on the expressways. See below about right turns.

License plate: Small, white

License: Easy paper-only test. Japanese car license includes this permission as well (but international endorsement of a foreign license does not).

Mandatory Insurance: 7850, 9800, 11600 yen for 1, 2, and 3 years

Engine size: Over 50cc up to 125cc

Motor Vehicle Law: 第二種原動機付き自転車 (第二種原原付き) DAI NISSHU GENDOUKITSUKI JIDOUSHA (DAI NISHU GENTSUKI)

Class 2 Engine-Attached Bicycle

Road Traffic Law: 小型自動二輪車 (KOGATA JIDOU NIRINSHA)

Small-Size Auto-Mobile Two-Wheeled Vehicle.

Common names: Small class, KOGATA (小形)

Speed Limit: 50 km/h or less, as posted

Passengers: May have a passenger

Travel restrictions: Not allowed on expressways.

License plate: Yellow, or pink with white triangle mark on mudguard

Mandatory Insurance: 7850, 9800, 11600 yen for 1, 2, and 3 years

Engine size: Over 125cc up to 400cc

Motor Vehicle Law: 自動二輪車 (JIDOU NIRINSHA)

Road Traffic Law: 中型自動二輪車 (CHUUGATA JIDOU NIRINSHA)

Mid-Size Auto-Mobile Two-Wheeled Vehicle.

Common names: Mid-class, CHUUGATA (中型)

Speed restrictions: 80 km/h on expressways, 50 km/h or less, as posted

Passengers: May have a passenger

Travel restrictions: May go onto expressways (w/o passenger)

License plate: White. Over 250cc has a green border

Mandatory Insurance: 13650, 21000, 28000 yen for 1, 2, and 3 years.

Engine size: 400cc and Over

Motor Vehicle Law: 自動二輪車 (JIDOU NIRINSHA)

Road Traffic Law: 大型自動二輪車 (OOGATA JIDOU NIRINSHA)

Large-Size Auto-Mobile Two-Wheeled Vehicle.

Common names: Large class, OOGATA (大型)

Speed restrictions: 80 km/h on expressways, 60 km/h or less, as posted

Passengers: May have a passenger

Travel restrictions: May go onto expressways (without passenger)

License plate: White with a green border.

Mandatory Insurance: 17100 yen for one year, 27800 yen for two.

Notes:

ENGINE SIZE: Technically, these are “up to, but not including” (so a scooter would be up to, BUT NOT INCLUDING, 50cc). However, all “50cc scooters” are really 49cc, “250cc bikes” are really 249cc, etc, so for the rest of this FAQ I’ll sloff over this technical point and just say that 50cc is a gentsuki class, etc.

“SCOOTER”: Most scooters are 50cc, so “scooter” and “gentsuki” are often used synonymously. However, they’re not exactly the same. Some vehicles which are scooters can have engines as large as 750cc, while some motorcycles have only 50cc engines.

“GENTSUKI”: The Japanese word “gentsuki” is short for what originally literally meant “bicycle with engine attached” (i.e. “moped”), and now technically means any motorized two-wheeled vehicle. However, now it’s generally used to mean that class of vehicle with engines smaller than 50cc (and again, most “50cc” vehicles are really 49cc, so they’re gentsuki as well).

EXPRESSWAYS: less than 125cc may not go onto expressways. Others may go, but there is an implied 80 km/h limit. Passengers are not allowed unless in a side-car.

RIGHT TURNS: Scooters doing right turns at large intersections (sometimes marked with a special sign) must do the two-step “Melbourne” right turn. This is called a NIDANKAIUSETSU (二段階右折). Rather than attempt to turn across a on-coming traffic, you rather pull mostly across the intersection and to the *left* (with right turn signal on!), waiting at what amounts to the very head of the waiting cross traffic. There will likely be a special box marked for you to wait in. When the cross-traffic light turns green, go across. That said, with few patrol cars around, many scooter riders just ignore the law unless the police are nearby. Don’t assume anything!

HELMETS: Helmets (of some form) are required for all classes and all passengers, with differing requirements according to class.

POPULAR SIZES: Because of these classes, there aren’t a wide variety of bike engine sizes on the market, as might be found in America. The most popular sizes (in order, by my guess): 50cc, 250cc, 400cc, 125cc, 750cc

VEHICLE LICENSING

Bike licensing, ownership transfers, license plate procurement, insurance, and such can all be rather complex affairs, requiring unbelievable amounts of paperwork. Thankfully, the bike shop will often take care of much of it for you.

LICENSE PLATES

License plate colors sometimes differ by location. However, small bikes (or big scooters) from 50-125cc (cf. BIKE CLASSES earlier) generally have a special color. Also, 125cc bikes have a white triangular mark painted somewhere on the rear body or mud guard. Motorcycles over 250cc (which require shaken) also have a green border on their license plates.

In summary:

up to 50cc: white small plate

then up to 90cc: yellow plate with triangular mark

then up to 125cc: pink plate with triangular mark

then up to 250cc: white regular plate

and over: white regular plate with green border

MANDATORY LIABILITY INSURANCE

All vehicles must carry some minimal amount of liability insurance. This is called JIBAISEKIHOKEN (自賠責保険). You can purchase it from a bike shop, or other insurance provider (I buy mine at my company). You get a small sticker that goes on your license plate to prove you’ve got it. You have no choice about this – you must buy it. There are discounts for multiple-year purchases. Penalties for riding or driving a vehicle without it are a penalty fine of up to 500,000 yen and a year in prison, not to mention immediate license suspension.

Costs (as of April, Heisei 5 [1993]):

12 mos. 24 mos. 36 mos.

250cc+ 17,100 yen 27,800 yen N/A

126-250cc 13,650 21,000 yen 28,000 yen

125cc or less 7850 yen 9800 yen 11,600 yen

The insurance applies to the bike, and transfers with the bike if it sold. If the bike is decomissioned (totaled or stolen) before the insurance runs out, you can go through all kinds of paperwork to get some of your money back. It’s a pain.

OTHER INSURANCE

Only an idiot would drive without extra insurance beyond the mandatory liability insurance. If you need some prompting, I have heard that the minimum legal compensational fine for causing a traffic death is on the order of 32,000,000 yen (about US$380,000). Rates (with Nippon Fire and Marine, at least, although I suspect it’s an industry standard) are based upon a number of factors (this info somewhat scratchy):

Age: less than 21; 21-25; 26 or over

size of bike: scooter, 50cc-250cc, 250cc or over

how long you’ve insured with them.

coverage you want

One data point:

I bought extra insurance from Nippon Fire and Marine.

Personal liability (if I hurt others): unlimited coverage

Bodily injury for passenger: 10,000,000 yen/accident

Bodily injury for me: 2,000,000 yen/accident (I have national health coverage, so coverage for me isn’t so important)

Cost: 3,960 yen/month.

Collision coverage would have been ridiculously expensive (on the order of 6,000 yen/month for minimal coverage).

SHAKEN

For vehicles larger than 250cc, a biyearly (every other year) inspection must be done. This is called SHAKEN (車検). The main cost components of shaken is the mandatory insurance (JIBAISEKI HOKEN) and weight tax (JYUURYOUZEI). These, plus a few miscellaneous fees can come to as low as about 35,000yen. However, in order to get the bike to pass the rather picky inspection, a lot of work might be required. Or at least required in the eyes of the bike shop (more work means more yen for them). It seems average costs are about 70,000 yen, but you can probably do it for much less by doing it yourself. See the section on SHAKEN below. Like the mandatory liability insurance, the shaken transfers with a vehicle (and is often a selling point: “comes with shaken good until next January”). Since a 250cc bike is the largest bike that doesn’t require this, 250cc is the most popular size.

OTHER TAXES (YEARLY CITY TAX)

Every April, the city where you’re a resident taxes you for your bike (via mail). Bummer if you buy the bike in March.

Engine Size (cc) Tax/Year (yen)

under 50cc 1000 yen

51-90cc 1200 yen

91-125cc 1600 yen

126-250cc 2400 yen

250cc+ 4000 yen

REGISTRATION TAX

125cc and below: none

126cc – 250cc: one-time 6,300 yen fee when the bike is new

251cc and up: 5000 yen for 2 years, 2500 yen/year after 10 years.

NOTE: This page contains Japanese script–if your computer’s OS or browser is not set up to read it, many words will simply look like garbage. Try changing the way your browser reads the info – for example, using Firefox, click on “View”, then “Character Encoding”, then choose something like Japanese Shift_JIS.

A General Introduction

In his book “Japan — A Travel Survival Kit”, Ian McQueen gives a great introduction to driving and motorcycles in Japan. (3rd edition Feb 1989; published by Lonely Planet; ISBN 0 86442 045 5).

In the following excerpts, our added editorial comments are given in [brackets]. Also, we have adjusted the spelling to conform with the rest of this FAQ. His observations about dangers particular to Japan, because they are accurate, are to be taken very seriously. Probably the most important thing to point out to the new foreign driver is:

The amazing thing is that there are relatively few accidents. AS LONG AS EVERYONE HAS THE SAME HABITS AND EXPECTATIONS, A CERTAIN PATTERN OF DRIVING SEEMS TO DEVELOP AND IS EXPECTED.

The problem is that a new foreign driver WON’T KNOW THE PATTERN… the general Rules of the Road, and so won’t be prepared to defend himself properly. Be Careful.

Starting on page 149:

A person who likes motorcycles can have a very enjoyable time touring Japan by bike. The weather is favorable (or at least bearable) for at least eight months, there is the individual freedom afforded by any motor vehicle, plus the added advantage of being able to get through spaces that can stall a car for long periods when traffic gets snarled (which is quite often).

Except in metropolitan areas (where wealth is concentrated), bikes larger than 250cc are quite rare. Although many fire-breathing super bikes are built in Japan, most are exported. There are no new Japanese-made bikes for sale in Japan that are bigger than 750cc [this is one of the “voluntary restrictions” that the bike makers adhere to]. Any that you see have been exported, then re-imported, for there is no restriction on engine size for imported bikes.

The optimum size of a bike for touring Japan is 250cc. This is the smallest size allowed on expressways and the largest allowed on the major streets of Tokyo between 11pm and 6am [although I don’t know why anyone would want to be anywhere near Tokyo if they were _touring_]. An absurd law prohibits large bikes from using the major arteries between these hours. It penalizes law-abiding riders and is scoffed at by the Bosouzoku [groups of young assholes who steal motorcycles and rev the engines at 120 decibels plus] who intentionally ride on these streets, making as much noise as they can, to taunt the police [and everyone else, for that matter].

Best of all, a 250cc bike is the largest size that is not subject to SHAKEN [an expensive mandatory vehicle inspection]. Because of the low speed limits there is little sense buying anything bigger anyway. A lady friend of mine rode from one end of the country to another on a 50cc bike without problems. One thing you should be aware of, however, is that any bike of [50cc] or below is supposed to hug the side of the road an not ride in the lanes; a dangerous requirement in view of the way car drivers disregard space requirements of two-wheelers.

[…]

Honda has the largest dealer network in the country, followed by Yamaha then Suzuki. Kawasaki dealers seem comparatively rare. Remember that dealers in smaller centers don’t normally work on large bikes so spare parts will not likely be sitting on the shelf in such places.

[…]

Prices for used bikes have strange patterns. For example, a used 400cc bike won’t be much cheaper than a used 750cc (because the demand for the latter is less [because the license for the latter is so much more difficult to get]) and the price of bikes up to 250cc is also high because they escape the very high recurring cost of SHAKEN.

[…]

If buying a used bike in Tokyo, first check the _Tokyo_Weekender_. Since advertisers are usually other foreigners there should be no language problem in negotiating. You could even run an advertisement yourself, saying what size bike you want (and the date of your arrival in Japan if you’re doing it from another country). Write to: Tokyo Weekender, 55-11 Yayoi-cho 1-chome, Nakano-ku, Tokyo 164.

[…]

If you’re touring Japan by bike it is advisable to carry a tire repair kit and pump. There is nothing worse than getting a flat high up on a mountain road. [I can say, from experience, that popping the chain while coming out a major twistie can give a flat tire a run for its money. As for flat tires, I *highly* recommend tubeless tires. I once ran for 100km on a 100% “flat” tubeless tire, through both city and mountain roads, before I really noticed anything was amiss. Besides saying something about my powers of observation, it does say something very good about tubeless tires.]

[…]

Road Dangers — Japan is no more dangerous than other countries for motorcyclists – possibly less so because the speed limits are so low – but you must be aware of a few idiocies that persist.

Car and truck drivers have no appreciation of the space needs of bikes [or any other vehicles, for that matter] and drive close behind, unable to tolerate the sight of a clear space ahead of the vehicle in front. They will also go to ridiculous extremes to squeeze past a motorcycle, even if there is no space in front of it. It is not at all uncommon in city driving for a car to pass shortly before a corner, then abruptly cut across in front and make a left turn at the corner, instead of waiting a couple of seconds, pulling in behind, and making the turn leisurely. [Taxis are especially notorious for this].

Many car drivers simply don’t know the law regarding motorcycles. Small bikes are required to hug the edge of the road and not exceed 50 km/h [30km/h for 50cc scooters, 50 for others (see the “BIKE CLASSES” section), but virtually everyone exceeds the speed limit wherever possible]. Ignorant motorists — found in large numbers in small towns and remote areas — rarely see a bike bigger than 50cc and just don’t know that larger bikes have the same right to travel down the middle of the lane as a car does.

The necessity to stay by the edge of the road leaves you exposed to danger from another source – the road surface is often uneven due to deformation of the asphalt caused by heavy trucks and the heat. These ragged edges, along with uncertain shapes and slope of the gutter [as well as poor drainage], can making riding hazardous.

Another road surface danger is the fact that many curves on mountain roads are cambered *toward* the edge, not (safely) toward the hillside. Also, riders must always beware of taxis. Without warning they will cut across to the curb to pick up a fare, no matter how many lanes of traffic they have to cross. You must be on the watch for prospective passengers as much as the taxi drivers.

Another type of problem too-often encountered is the driver who pulls out from the curb or from a side road right in front of a motorcycle, even if the bike has the right of way and the road is completely clear once it has passed. It is also necessary to watch out for car doors opening in front of you, for few drivers look back to see if anything is coming. [In most cilvilized countries, drivers will check to see if the lane is clear. In Japan though many drivers just enter a lane whenever they want, expecting the whole world to stop for them. Feeling your bike tip over and shredding your clothes and skin to stop is NO fun].

The worst danger, however, is probably the riders of motor scooters [GENTSUKI] as they cut in with no regard for others [or themselves]. Among other things, they have no concept of the space needed for their own safety or that of other cyclists (both motor and pedal variety) nor of good road manners, stopping directly in front of other motorcycles at traffic lights. [Another hazard is after stopping for a light and waiting in the turn lane, many recklesly gun the engine as soon as the light turns green assuming they can turn through the intersection before oncoming traffic approaches. Buses and bicyclists can also be a danger. Buses are often road-slugs which completely fill the lane, making passing on either side impossible. They also have their exhaust pipes pointed right in your face (by law, for whatever God-forsaken reason) and will blast toxic diesel smoke at you for as long as you’re behind them. As for bicyclists, in other countries there are laws as well as common sense which dictate that they should go with the flow of traffic. But in Japanese cities it’s common for them to go on the street against traffic, coming directly at you.]

From the section on general driving habits, starting on page 143:

The main problem with drivers in Japan is lack of foresight. Too many do not think ahead to predict what might happen and consequently have to slam on the brakes to avoid a collision. In this they are not always successful. Many drive so they are almost touching the vehicle ahead, relying solely on their reflexes to save them if a sudden stop is called for. This is probably a problem common to many countries but it seems to be a national characteristic in Japan… When moving away from the curb, many drivers pull a meter into the road before looking behind them to see if anything is coming. Going around corners in the city at quite high speed, without that there might be a pedestrian or car in the way, is all to common. Too many drivers change lanes without looking, and, once a vehicle they are passing is out of peripheral vision, many drivers immediately begin to cut over, forcing the other driver to brake abruptly.

Beware of cars coming through the red lights. A large percentage of Japanese drivers seem to hold the belief that if a light they are approaching has been green at any time while in their view, they have the right to continue through it even if it has been red for several seconds. This makes things interesting when one road has the green light, yet cars from the cross-street continue to stream across in front.

[We might add two observations ourselves: one is that drivers floor it the nano-second their light turns green. Secondly, If there is an oncoming car waiting to turn across your path, more than the slightest gap between you and the car in front of you will invite the waiting car to try to pull in front of you. This is probably the same as in many countries, and involves many of the same considerations for you as it would elsewhere. If you follow too close to the car in front, you risk rear-ending him if he slows suddenly. If you allow too large a gap, you risk both being rear-ended by the impatient car following you, as well as inviting the oncoming car to turn across your path. I have found that placing myself more towards the inside of the lane (to be closer to the oncoming lane) will help make me more visible to the waiting car and help me to “claim” my lane. A flash of the high beams is also helpful. ANYWAY, all this probably applies to most countries. One thing I have noticed about Japan is that if a waiting oncoming car does pull across your path, the car waiting right behind it will simultaneously (and blindly) pull into your lane as well, using the first car as a “shield”. Of course, since the first car is still actually there, there’s no place for the second car to go until the first has finished pulling across your lane, off the roadway, and out of the way. So the second car ends up just sitting in your lane for a few moments while waiting for the path to clear. What starts out as a chancy move by the first car ends up being a very dangerous hazard by the second driver. Of course, now that he’s in your lane, and he’s bigger anyway, it’s your problem and your responsibility to deal with it.]

Vestiges of the old days [in the 60s when personal car ownership was becoming popular, and the roads were a anarchic free-for-all] can be found on almost any mountain road, where every Japanese male driver seems to go silly, thinking himself highly skilled with the trained reflexes of a racing driver. The fact is that the low speed limits throughout Japan [though often ignored] prevent them from gaining any experience at high speeds on any kind of road, let alone twisty mountain ones. ALMOST EVERY DRIVER CUTS STRAIGHT THROUGH CURVES [emphasis added], so it is advisable to sound your horn at every blind corner [not that it will help]. Evidence of the bad driving is that there is scarcely a meter of guard rail in all Japan that isn’t scraped or bent. Containers of flowers by the roadside, often with some personal possessions and a flat stick with a name written on it, are mute testimony to a fatal accident, and are a common sight.

[…]

Although most truck drivers are careful and sane, their numbers include some of the most dangerous drivers in the country. Too many drive irresponsibly, indulging in games of chase, driving almost touching the vehicle ahead and unmindful of the mass [and/or length] of their vehicle. I have seen a multi-ton concrete mixer being put through maneuvers in heavy traffic that I would hesitate to perform in a sports car on an open track. One of the worst smashups in Japanese road history is believed to have been caused by the driver of a large truck loaded with chemicals playing “tag” with other drivers. The rear-end collision that he caused in a tunnel of the Tomei Expressway (Tokyo-Nagoya) killed seven people and destroyed 173 cars in the pile-up [whose drivers themselves apparently followed too close to be able to stop] and ensuing fire.

[…]

The amazing thing is that there are relatively few accidents. AS LONG AS EVERYONE HAS THE SAME HABITS AND EXPECTATIONS, A CERTAIN PATTERN OF DRIVING SEEMS TO DEVELOP AND IS EXPECTED [emphasis added] It would appear that other drivers just assume that it is up to them to allow for the problems caused by others.

A FEW ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS

The biking season in Japan varies according to the region you’re in. Japan has different climates according to where you are at. About 70% of the country is mountainous (hence a motorcyclist’s paradise) with lots of winding roads, valleys, waterfalls, out-of-the-way scenic places, etc. The Tohoku (northeast) area and the island of Hokkaido have very frigid, long winters with lots of snow. Summers are rather mild though, compared with the rest of the nation, where the summers are crushingly humid. Winter in the southern half (the Japanese call it the western half) of the country gets cold too, going down to about zero Celsius (32 F) in January and February in the cities, and colder naturally in the mountains.

ABOVE ALL, ALWAYS REMEMBER THE GOLDEN RULE OF RIDING MOTORCYCLES–

Never, but NEVER underestimate the stupidity of the drivers around you!