Trick Questions on the Japanese Driving Test: The 10 Patterns
True/false questions on the written test are built to catch you on a single word rather than on what you know. The ten patterns below are wording that actually appears in this app’s questions. Every example is a free question, shown with its answer and explanation.
Trick wording
1. Absolute wording 断定表現
Wording in the question (Japanese)
「必ず」「絶対」「いかなる」「どんな場合でも」「すべて」「常に」「一切」
Traffic rules almost always have exceptions. If you see "always" or "all", hunt for the one exception.
Practice questions with this wording Appears in 6 free questions
- On a green light, a car may go straight, turn left or turn right in any case whatsoever.
青色の灯火の信号では、自動車はどんな場合でも直進、左折、右折をすることができる。✕ False — Even on green you cannot turn right where a "no right turn" sign is posted. "In any case" makes this wrong.
- You must stop just before every railway crossing and check it is safe.
踏切の直前では、必ず一時停止して安全を確認しなければならない。○ True — Unless a traffic light there is green. Many countries have no such rule.
- At a flashing yellow signal a car must always come to a complete stop.
黄色の灯火の点滅信号では、車は必ず一時停止しなければならない。✕ False — A flashing yellow means "you may proceed with care". There is no duty to stop.
Trick wording
2. Only / just 限定表現（〜だけ・のみ）
Wording in the question (Japanese)
「だけ」「のみ」
If it says "only", check whether something else is also covered.
Practice questions with this wording Appears in 2 free questions
- Your following distance must be enough to avoid hitting the car ahead even if it brakes hard.
車間距離は、前車が急ブレーキをかけても追突しないだけの距離をとる必要がある。○ True — Allow for the car ahead's braking distance plus your own reaction distance.
- Everyone in the car, not just the driver, must wear a seat belt.
運転者だけでなく、同乗者全員がシートベルトを着用しなければならない。○ True — Including rear-seat passengers.
Trick wording
3. Exemption wording 免除表現（〜しなくてよい）
Wording in the question (Japanese)
「しなくてもよい」「しなくともよい」「必要はない」「必要ない」「差し支えない」「問われない」
Wording that removes a duty. Check the duty really is waived, and not only under conditions.
Practice questions with this wording Appears in 2 free questions
- If you splash a pedestrian with mud or water from a puddle, the driver bears no responsibility.
ぬかるみや水たまりを通るとき、歩行者に泥や水をはねてしまっても、運転者の責任は問われない。✕ False — Splashing pedestrians breaks the Road Traffic Act. You must slow down to prevent it.
- On a quiet road it does not matter much if you bend the traffic rules a little.
交通量の少ない道路では、多少交通規則を守らなくても差し支えない。✕ False — The rules only work because everyone follows them, however quiet the road.
Trick wording
4. Permission wording 許可表現（〜してもよい）
Wording in the question (Japanese)
「してもよい」「してよい」「認められ」「よいことになっている」「ことができる」
Check you have not mixed it up with a prohibition — especially "parking" vs "stopping".
Practice questions with this wording Appears in 16 free questions
- On a green light, a car may go straight, turn left or turn right in any case whatsoever.
青色の灯火の信号では、自動車はどんな場合でも直進、左折、右折をすることができる。✕ False — Even on green you cannot turn right where a "no right turn" sign is posted. "In any case" makes this wrong.
- On a yellow light a car must not go past the stop line, but if it is too close to stop safely it may continue.
黄色の灯火の信号では、車は停止位置から先へ進んではいけないが、停止位置に近づいていて安全に停止できないときは、そのまま進むことができる。○ True — Yellow means stop in principle, but if stopping would need heavy braking you may proceed.
- At a flashing red signal a car may proceed slowly.
赤色の灯火の点滅信号では、車は徐行して進行することができる。✕ False — A flashing red means the same as a stop sign. You must stop completely, then go when it is safe. Slowing is not enough.
Trick wording
5. Ignoring conditions 条件を無視する表現
Wording in the question (Japanese)
「関係なく」「かかわらず」「拘らず」「問わず」
Wording that deletes a condition. Some rules really have no condition (e.g. tunnels), so reason it out.
Practice questions with this wording Appears in 4 free questions
- Reaction distance stays the same no matter how tired or drowsy the driver is.
空走距離は、運転者の疲れや眠気には関係なく、常に一定である。✕ False — It is proportional to reaction time, so fatigue, drowsiness and distraction all lengthen it.
- Parking and stopping are banned in a tunnel whether or not there are marked lanes.
トンネル内は、車両通行帯があるかどうかに関係なく駐停車禁止である。○ True — Overtaking is allowed with marked lanes, but parking and stopping are banned regardless.
- As long as you stay under the posted speed limit you are safe regardless of the weather or road conditions.
最高速度が指定されている道路では、その速度以下で走っていれば、天候や道路の状況にかかわらず安全である。✕ False — Rain, snow, darkness and traffic all require you to slow further, even below the limit.
Trick wording
6. Distances & times 距離・時間などの数値
Wording in the question (Japanese)
Numbers for distance, time or weight, such as “5 meters” or “30 minutes”
Key numbers: 5 m (intersections, crossings), 10 m (railway crossings, bus stops), 30 m (overtaking bans, signalling), 3.5 m (parking clearance).
Practice questions with this wording Appears in 27 free questions
- You signal for a right or left turn about three seconds before the maneuver.
交差点で右折や左折をするときの合図は、その行為をしようとする約3秒前に行う。✕ False — Three seconds is for a lane change. For turns and U-turns you signal 30 m beforehand.
- On an ordinary road with no posted speed limit, the maximum speed for a standard car is 60 km/h.
標識や標示で最高速度が指定されていない一般道路では、普通自動車の最高速度は時速60キロメートルである。○ True — 60 km/h is the statutory maximum for cars on ordinary roads.
- Parking and stopping are banned within 5 m before a pedestrian crossing, but are allowed just after it.
横断歩道の手前5メートル以内は駐停車禁止だが、横断歩道を過ぎた側であれば駐停車することができる。✕ False — The ban covers 5 m on BOTH sides of a pedestrian or cycle crossing.
Easily confused terms
7. "Parking" vs "stopping" 「駐車」と「停車」
Wording in the question (Japanese)
「駐車」「停車」
Parking = driver gone / over 5 min loading. Stopping = anything shorter; letting people in or out is always stopping.
Practice questions with this wording Appears in 17 free questions
- Where a "no parking" sign is posted, you may not even stop to let people in or out.
「駐車禁止」の標識がある場所では、人の乗り降りのために車を止めることもできない。✕ False — "Stopping" (letting people in or out) is still allowed in a no-parking area.
- Parking and stopping are both banned at an intersection and within 5 m of its edge.
交差点とその側端から5メートル以内の場所は、駐車も停車もしてはならない。○ True — Within 5 m of an intersection or a road bend, both are banned.
- Parking and stopping are banned within 5 m before a pedestrian crossing, but are allowed just after it.
横断歩道の手前5メートル以内は駐停車禁止だが、横断歩道を過ぎた側であれば駐停車することができる。✕ False — The ban covers 5 m on BOTH sides of a pedestrian or cycle crossing.
Easily confused terms
8. "Overtaking" vs "passing" 「追い越し」と「追い抜き」
Wording in the question (Japanese)
「追い越し」「追越し」「追い抜き」「追い越そう」
Overtaking changes your line; passing does not. Within 30 m of a crossing BOTH are banned.
Practice questions with this wording Appears in 12 free questions
- "Overtaking" means passing the vehicle ahead WITHOUT changing your course.
追い越しとは、進路を変えないで、進行中の前の車の前方に出ることをいう。✕ False — That is "passing" (oinuki). Overtaking means changing course to get in front.
- Where the center line is a solid yellow line, you must not cross to the right side to overtake.
中央線が黄色の実線で示されている道路では、追い越しのために右側部分にはみ出して通行してはならない。○ True — A solid yellow center line means "no crossing to the right side to overtake".
- Overtaking in a tunnel is banned whether or not there are marked lanes.
トンネル内では、車両通行帯があるかどうかに関係なく追い越しをしてはならない。✕ False — In a tunnel with marked lanes you may overtake. (Parking/stopping is banned regardless of lanes.)
Easily confused terms
9. "Slow down" vs "stop" 「徐行」と「一時停止」
Wording in the question (Japanese)
「徐行」「一時停止」
Flashing red = full stop. Flashing yellow = you may go on with care (no stop needed).
Practice questions with this wording Appears in 19 free questions
- At a flashing red signal a car may proceed slowly.
赤色の灯火の点滅信号では、車は徐行して進行することができる。✕ False — A flashing red means the same as a stop sign. You must stop completely, then go when it is safe. Slowing is not enough.
- "Proceeding slowly" (jokou) means going at a speed from which you can stop at once — roughly 10 km/h or less.
徐行とは、車がすぐに停止できるような速度で進行することをいい、おおむね時速10キロメートル以下の速度である。○ True — The guide is being able to stop within about one meter of braking.
- At a flashing yellow signal a car must always come to a complete stop.
黄色の灯火の点滅信号では、車は必ず一時停止しなければならない。✕ False — A flashing yellow means "you may proceed with care". There is no duty to stop.
Easily confused terms
10. Uphill vs downhill 上り坂と下り坂
Wording in the question (Japanese)
「上り坂」「下り坂」「頂上」「こう配」
No overtaking / must slow: crest of an UPHILL and a steep DOWNHILL. No parking: crest and any steep slope.
Practice questions with this wording Appears in 3 free questions
- A steep uphill slope is a place where overtaking is banned.
こう配の急な上り坂は、追い越しが禁止されている場所である。✕ False — The banned places are "near the crest of an uphill" and "a steep downhill". A steep uphill itself is not one.
- Overtaking is banned near the crest of an uphill slope and on a steep downhill slope.
上り坂の頂上付近やこう配の急な下り坂では、追い越しをしてはならない。○ True — These are dangerous places — poor visibility, or speed builds easily.
- The crest of a slope and any steep slope are no-parking, no-stopping places.
坂の頂上付近やこう配の急な坂は、駐停車禁止場所である。○ True — For parking/stopping there is no uphill/downhill distinction — any steep slope counts.
Karimen vs honmen vs gaimen kirikae
Practice questions with answers (provisional, full license & conversion)Every free question from the provisional and full-license written tests and the license conversion knowledge check, one page each with the answer, explanation and trick wording.Exam-Day Cheat SheetSignal timing, speeds, parking distances and trick wording on one page. Print it or save as PDF.Key Numbers to MemorizeThe distances, speeds and time limits the written test asks about, grouped by topic so you don't mix up the similar ones.
