DriveKataRehearse the Samezu driving test before test day
The iPhone app for the practical test of foreign license conversion (gaimen kirikae). Drive the Samezu course in 3D, hear the examiner's instructions in Japanese, and get scored by deduction, like the real test: 100 points, 70 to pass.
Coming soon to the App Store
Free to start: one Practice lesson and one Easy exam. Free drive is always free.
Scored to the National Police Agency's criteria
Examiner voice in Japanese or English
Works offline, no account
13.1%
was the national pass rate for the license-conversion practical test in October–December 2025, the first three months of the stricter rules. In 2024 it was 30.4%.
Source: National Police Agency figures, reported by Nikkei (2 Mar 2026) and The Japan Times (3 Mar 2026).
Experienced drivers fail too, often on procedure rather than driving: a missed mirror, a late signal, a stop that wasn't a full stop.
They don't know what the examiner checks.
The official scoring list is a long police PDF in Japanese, and after a fail you rarely hear exactly why.
They have barely seen the course.
First-timers meet every turn, crossing and stop line on test day; retakers have driven it once, under pressure.
They can barely practise.
The real course opens to the public on some Saturdays and holidays, needs your own car and a licence holder of 3+ years beside you, and is booked by phone in Japanese.
Source: Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, course opening
The test, before the test
Drive
Samezu's course, before test day.
Course B is rebuilt from the real layout: every lane, corner and stop line, the S-curve, the crank, the slope and the railroad crossing. Courses A and C are in preparation.
Hear
the examiner, in Japanese.
Each instruction comes where it comes at Samezu, like 「5番を左」 (left at 5), with subtitles. Switch the voice to English any time.
Look
and the camera turns with you.
Mirrors, shoulder checks, signals, the window at the crossing, the shifter, POWER and the foot brake. Every check is a button, so you practise the routine, not just the route.
Learn
each check from a coach.
Before every checkpoint the coach says what to check and shows the buttons. After a mistake it says why, right away.
See
every point you lost.
100 points, 70 to pass. Each fault is listed with the points it cost and how to fix it.
Fix
the mistakes you repeat.
Your scores over time and the mistakes you make most, so the next run starts where you are weakest.
Drive
Samezu's course, before test day.
Course B is rebuilt from the real layout: every lane, corner and stop line, the S-curve, the crank, the slope and the railroad crossing. Courses A and C are in preparation.
Hear
the examiner, in Japanese.
Each instruction comes where it comes at Samezu, like 「5番を左」 (left at 5), with subtitles. Switch the voice to English any time.
Look
and the camera turns with you.
Mirrors, shoulder checks, signals, the window at the crossing, the shifter, POWER and the foot brake. Every check is a button, so you practise the routine, not just the route.
Learn
each check from a coach.
Before every checkpoint the coach says what to check and shows the buttons. After a mistake it says why, right away.
See
every point you lost.
100 points, 70 to pass. Each fault is listed with the points it cost and how to fix it.
Fix
the mistakes you repeat.
Your scores over time and the mistakes you make most, so the next run starts where you are weakest.
Everything the examiner watches
The examiner's voice
Japanese as it is spoken at Samezu, or English. Subtitles always.
5番を左
Left at 5
コーンの手前で止まってください
Stop before the cone
そのまま直進
Carry on
Mirror, signal, shoulder
The routine before every turn, until it is automatic.
100 points, 70 to pass
Scored by deduction, like the test.
75/100
Example run
Ends like the real one
In the Full exam, a mistake that would end the test ends the run.
Full exam · Course B
Every mistake explained
What you did, the points it cost, and how to fix it.
Coach
What happened
Didn't stop fully at the stop line
How to fix it
A full stop, behind the line.
Before the checkpoint
Stop line ahead: stop fully behind it, then look left and right.
Offline, no account
Practise on the train.
Every rule, in plain words
Railroad crossing 踏切
See every rule
Railroad crossing 踏切
- Stop before the stop line, every time.
- Open the window to listen for a train.
- Look left and right while stopped.
- Don't change gear on the tracks.
Crank クランク
- Slow right down before you go in.
- Keep every wheel inside the lines.
- A wheel over the kerb costs points; a big one ends the test.
- Look left and right at the exit.
Shoulder check 巻き込み確認
- Mirror, signal, then the shoulder.
- Before every turn and every lane change.
- Both shoulders before you move off.
- Turn your head so the examiner can see it.
Hill start 坂道発進
- Stop before the cone when you're told.
- Hold the brake, then move off without rolling back.
- Rolling back costs points; rolling back far ends the test.
Stop line 一時停止
- A full stop, behind the line.
- Look left and right before you go.
- Not stopping where you must ends the test.
Use it between lessons
DriveKata doesn't replace a real car. It makes every hour in one count.
| Official course practice | Driving-school lesson | DriveKata | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where | The Samezu or Fuchu course | The Samezu or Fuchu course (some schools use their own or a partner course) | Your iPhone, anywhere |
| When | Some Saturdays and holidays, 1-hour slots | Booked ahead | Any time, as often as you like |
| What you need | Your own car, a licence holder of 3+ years beside you, a phone booking in Japanese | A booking | An iPhone |
| Cost | ¥2,000 + ¥200 insurance per hour, plus the car and the driver | About ¥11,000–¥27,700 for an hour on the test course, course fee included | Free to start |
| A real car | Yes | Yes | No. You rehearse the route and the checks |
| Feedback | From whoever sits beside you | From the instructor | Every fault, with its points and the fix |
“I failed this test three times and passed on the fourth. DriveKata is the app I wished I had.”
Coming soon to the App Store
100 → 70
Every run starts at 100 points. Finish with 70 or more to pass.
Oct 2025
A crosswalk task was added, and failing to signal (合図不履行) and improper turning (右左折方法違反) are now scored as strictly as on a new-licence test.
1 hour
The longest practice you can book on the real course, on some Saturdays and holidays.
What everyone asks before Samezu
Can I pass if I just memorise the course?
Read the answer
I drove perfectly. Why did I fail?
Read the answer
Where can I practise on a course like Samezu?
Read the answer
What does the examiner say, in Japanese?
Read the answer
What ends the test on the spot?
Read the answer
What changed in October 2025?
Read the answer
Still on the paperwork?
The whole conversion, stop by stop.
- 1
Documents and JAF translation
書類とJAF翻訳文
- 2
Book your test
試験の予約
- 3
Written test
知識確認（筆記）
- 4You are here
Practical test
技能確認（実技）
- 5
Your Japanese license
日本の免許
Stops 1 to 3 are on MenkyoHub.jp, made by the same founder: guides, mock tests and exam-slot alerts.
Open MenkyoHub.jpGuides to the practical test
All guidesThe gaimen kirikae practical test, explained (2026)
What the practical test for foreign license conversion in Japan is, what is on the course at Samezu, how the examiner scores you, which mistakes end the test, and what changed in October 2025.
7 min read
How to practise for the practical test in Tokyo
Every way to practise for the gaimen kirikae practical test at Samezu or Fuchu: the official course opening, driving schools on the test course, and practising on your phone. Costs, catches and sources.
4 min read
Failed the practical test? What to do before the next attempt
Why people fail the gaimen kirikae practical test even when they drive well, what the retake rules are, and how to use the weeks before your next slot. From someone who failed it three times.
4 min read
Questions
What is DriveKata?
An iPhone app that rehearses the practical driving test taken by people converting a foreign driver's license in Japan. It recreates Course B of the Samezu Driver's License Center test course in 3D (Courses A and C are in preparation), plays the examiner's instructions in Japanese or English, and scores each run by deduction: 100 points, 70 to pass.
Is it the official test?
No. DriveKata is an independent practice app, built from the real course layout and the real scoring method. It is not affiliated with the test center or the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, the real test may differ, and no app can guarantee a pass.
Which courses can I drive?
Samezu Course B today. Courses A and C are in preparation. The letters are the app's names for the routes; the test center doesn't publish official names.
Is the examiner's voice in Japanese?
Yes, as it is spoken at Samezu, with subtitles. You can switch it to English.
How is it scored?
Every run starts at 100 points and faults cost points. 70 or more passes. In the Full exam, the big mistakes end the run, as they would on the day. The method matches the real test; some point values are set for practice and can differ from the official table.
How much does it cost?
Free to download. One Practice lesson and one Easy exam are free, and free drive is always free. After that, choose Until you pass (one payment) or Monthly. Prices are shown in the app.
DriveKata is an independent practice app. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Samezu Driver's License Center or the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. The real test may differ.
All questionsWalk into Samezu having driven it before.
Coming soon to the App Store
Free to start: one Practice lesson and one Easy exam. Free drive is always free.