Driving in Japan

Driving in Japan is very disorientating. Everything in backwards. You drive on the left, always park by backing into a parking spot, and ignore a police car with flashing lights. Even the turn signal and windshield wiper levers are on opposite sides.

The roads are very narrow...sometimes their two lanes are only as big as one lane in the US. This becomes a problem for me sometimes because I am driving a van bigger than a US sized minivan.

The way the signs are interpreted is also very interesting. All the speed signs are in kilometers and these are more like suggestions. Then there are signs that say no stopping on the side of the road, but if you leave your car for only 5 minutes or so, that's ok. It also doesn't help that I can't read the signs that tell you what city the road goes too, but hopefully I'll get better at that. There are no street signs, so when going places you have to remember landmarks such as turn right after the McDonalds. But I am getting better at figuring my way around Tsuchiura.