Japan traffic law updates 2026 – what changed for drivers and test takers

Updated 7 October 2026

Japan’s Road Traffic Act (道路交通法) and the rules under it change almost every year. When the law changes, the answers to many old practice questions change too. This page sums up recent changes that can appear in the written test and directly affect how you drive.

This page only lists points ViMai has checked against official Japanese government and police sources. Road signs on the spot and guidance from your prefectural police always come first.

1 September 2026: 30 km/h on roads without a centre line

Until now, the legal speed limit (法定速度) for cars on ordinary roads without a speed sign was 60 km/h. From 1 September 2026 it is split in two:

Ordinary roads with no centre line, lane markings or median (usually narrow residential streets): the legal limit is 30 km/h for cars and motorcycles.
Roads with a centre line, lane markings or a median: still 60 km/h.
Where a speed sign is posted, the sign always applies.

In the test, read "the legal speed limit on ordinary roads is 60 km/h" carefully: unless the statement says the road has a centre line, it is no longer true in every case.

21 July 2026: new drunk-driving threshold

Japanese law has two levels of alcohol offence:

Driving with alcohol in the body (酒気帯び運転): from 0.15 mg of alcohol per litre of breath (or 0.3 mg per ml of blood). Up to 3 years in prison or a fine of up to 500,000 yen.
Drunk driving (酒酔い運転): previously judged only by the driver’s actual state, meaning unable to drive normally. From 21 July 2026, 0.5 mg per litre of breath (or 1.0 mg per ml of blood) or more also counts as drunk. Up to 5 years in prison or a fine of up to 1,000,000 yen.

Lending a car to someone who has been drinking is punished as heavily as the driver. People who serve the driver alcohol and passengers who ride knowing the driver has been drinking are also punished. Refusing an alcohol test can bring up to 3 months in prison or a fine of up to 500,000 yen. The simplest rule, for the test and for real life: if you have had a drink, do not drive.

Every question in the app has been checked against these changes. Learn the current rules from day one.

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1 April 2026: test age for an ordinary licence

From 1 April 2026, people aged 17 years and 6 months may take the tests for an ordinary car licence (普通免許) and a semi-medium licence (準中型免許). The licence itself is only issued from age 18. Large special, towing and large motorcycle licences still start at 18.

1 April 2026: cyclists and passing cyclists

Blue tickets for bicycles: cyclists aged 16 or over who commit certain offences can now receive a blue ticket (traffic violation notice) and pay a fine, much like minor offences by drivers.
Passing a cyclist on its right: when a car goes past a bicycle (or specified small motorized bicycle) travelling the same way on the roadway, on its right and without changing lanes to overtake, and the gap is not wide enough, the driver must slow to a safe speed that matches the gap. The cyclist must keep as far left as possible.

Since 1 April 2024: large trucks on expressways

On national expressway main lanes, the legal limit for large trucks and specified medium trucks rose from 80 km/h to 90 km/h. Ordinary cars remain at 100 km/h. Vehicles towing trailers, large special vehicles and three-wheelers stay at 80 km/h. Many older question sets still give 80 km/h for large trucks.

Why new rules matter when you study

Official tests follow the law in force. If you learn from questions written a few years ago, you can memorise an answer that is now wrong. With a 90% pass mark for Karimen, Honmen and licence conversion, a few such questions are enough to fail.

How ViMai Menkyo stays current

Whenever the law changes, ViMai reviews every affected question, lesson and mock exam: correcting answers, rewriting explanations and noting the date the rule took effect. Open the app and you are studying the latest rules, with nothing to download or reinstall.

Frequently asked questions

When did the 30 km/h limit on roads without a centre line start?

On 1 September 2026. On ordinary roads with no centre line, lane markings or median, the legal speed limit for cars and motorcycles is 30 km/h unless a sign says otherwise.

What alcohol level counts as drunk driving from 21 July 2026?

From 21 July 2026, 0.5 mg of alcohol per litre of breath (or 1.0 mg per ml of blood) or more counts as drunk driving, in addition to being unable to drive normally. Driving with alcohol in the body still starts at 0.15 mg per litre of breath.

How old do you need to be to take the ordinary licence test in Japan?

Since 1 April 2026 you may take the ordinary and semi-medium licence tests from 17 years and 6 months, but the licence is only issued from age 18.