Daily Living Information

Waste Disposal

Waste must be separated per type, and disposed of in the designated site by 8:00 am on the predetermined collection dates.
Only waste disposed of in accordance with the following rules is collected.
Contact for inquiries: Environmental Division *English is available.
TEL: 098-939-1212

■ How to correctly separate and dispose of domestic waste
Japanese（PDF：3,502KB）
English（PDF：3,153KB）

Keeping Dogs

Please comply with the following (1) to (6).

• (1) Dog registration and rabies vaccination
  All dogs aged 91 days or older must be registered and vaccinated against rabies.
  • Dog registration fee: ¥3,000
  • Issuance fee for rabies vaccination certificate: ¥550
    *All of the vaccination, dog registration, and dog license to be attached to the collar can be done at certain vets in the city.
    *Centralized rabies vaccinations are scheduled to be held at a venue in the city through May and June. Details will be advised in the Okinawa City News.
• (2) Do not let dogs run loose.
• (3) Do not abandon dogs or cats.
• (4) Please bag up and take home any dog poop when walking the dog.
• (5) Allow dogs or cats to have moderate exercise for their good health, and maintain a clean environment.
• (6) Please have them sterilized.

Contact for inquiries: Environment Section *English is available.
TEL: 098-939-1212 (Extension No. 2222)

Bus Lane Restrictions

Some roads are reserved for buses only in Okinawa City in the early morning and early evening.
Driving on bus-only roads during the following times constitutes a traffic violation. Please be careful.

• (1) Early morning: 7:30 am to 9:00 am
• (2) Early evening: 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm

*Excluding weekends, national holidays, and January 1 to 3

■ Roads with restrictions

• Japanese（PDF：115KB）
• English（PDF：438KB）
• Chinese（PDF：101KB）
• Korean（PDF：131KB）

Contact for inquiries: Okinawa Prefectural Police Department, Traffic Control Division
TEL: 098-862-0110 (Extension No. 5172)

Stickers to be Attached to Vehicles

Attaching the following stickers to vehicles is obligatory in Japan.
When you see vehicles with these stickers on, please give extra consideration to their drivers to ensure safe driving.
Older driver sticker: Driver aged 70 or older
Disabled driver sticker: Physically disabled driver
Driver with hearing disabilities sticker: Driver has visual or hearing disabilities
Newly licensed driver sticker: Driver obtained their license within the last year

Driver's License

Those who have a driver's license issued in another country can switch it to a Japanese driver's license provided the following three conditions are met.

• (1) Resident of Okinawa prefecture
• (2) Remained in the country of issuance for at least three months after issuance of the foreign driver's license
• (3) The foreign driver's license remains valid

International driver's licenses become invalid in Japan one year after arriving in Japan.Please convert it to a Japanese driver's license at the Okinawa Prefectural Police Driver's License Center.

Getting a driver's license in Japan

In order to obtain a driver's license in Japan, you must be tested on your driving skills and understanding of the traffic regulations. The traffic regulations test is basically conducted in Japanese, but if requested, kana printed beside the kanji characters or English can be provided.

Renewal of driver's license

Japanese driver's licenses have limited validity. When the validity period Is close to expiry, a postcard describing the requirements to renew the driver's license is sent out to the holder. Please ensure you renew the license by the deadline.

Inquiries

Okinawa Prefectural Police Driver's License Center
Address: 3-22 Aza-toyosaki, Tomigusuku City 901-0225
TEL: 098-851-1000

Chubu(Central) branch
Address: 4-27-22 Minami-toubaru, Okinawa City 904-0035
TEL: 098-933-0442