On a chilly autumn night in rural Japan, I stumbled upon a pair of boots and an old man snoring in the middle of the road during a late-night walk with my Shiba, Natsuko. After waking him and offering to walk him home, he fell asleep again beside a small shack. This encounter highlighted the quirks of Japan's drinking culture and reminded me that life here is full of unexpected surprises.

Navigating Japan’s driving license process is like a plot twist in a mystery novel, combining intense bureaucracy and high costs. After years of using public transport, marriage and an upcoming baby pushed me to tackle this challenge. Despite 18 years of driving experience, Japan’s driving test demands near-perfect performance, more akin to a driving dance than real-world skills. This journey involved costly driving schools, endless textbooks, and the final revelation: the “gaimen kirikae” license exchange, which turned out to be the real hack.