Waste Disposal

Japan has strict rules about throwing out trash.

• Put out your trash at the designated collection point.
• Please adhere to the designated days and times to put out your trash, and have your trash out by 8:30 am. Check the collection schedule in "Koho Morioka." Trash put out on non-collection days or put out too late will not be collected.
• Please separate your trash carefully, and put it out in clear or semi-clear plastic bags. You must separate burnable and non-burnable trash, plastic containers and wrapping, glass bottles, cans, and PET bottles, and used paper. Trash not properly separated will not be collected.

For more information,please access the QR code and check the video.

Inquiries: Morioka City Resource Circulation Promotion Department (Tel: 019-626-3733)

Driving a Car in Japan

In Japan vehicles are driven on the left side of the road and pedestrians walk on the right. If you are driving and cause an accident, you must take responsibility for any compensation for damages. Therefore, we recommend that you do not own or drive a vehicle if at all possible. If you desire to do so, you must have compulsory automobile liability car insurance and voluntary insurance, and submit a copy of these to the International Office. In addition, to drive a vehicle in Japan you must fall under one of the following categories:

• You have changed a foreign driver's license into a Japanese one
• You have a valid Japanese driver's license
• You have a valid international driver's license (valid for one year from entry into Japan or from the date of issue)
• You have a valid driver's license from Germany, France, or Switzerland (valid for one year from the day you land in Japan)

• A. How to Change a Driver's License
  Please carry out the procedures at the Morioka Driving License Center (http://www2.pref.iwate.jp/~hp0802/oshirase/menkyo/menkyo/01_1morioka.html) to change a foreign or international driver's license to a Japanese one.
• B. Iwate University Driving Regulations
  It is prohibited to enter Iwate University's campus in a student's vehicle. However, you can receive permission to enter and park on campus for physical or special reasons by carrying out the required procedures. If you own a vehicle, you must also have a parking space for it. Please do not park without permission or leave your car on campus or in the city.
• C. Traffic Accidents
  Please be careful not to cause or become involved in a traffic accident when using a bicycle, motorcycle, or car. If you are involved in an accident, even if you are responsible, you must contact the police (dial 110 or push the red button when using a public telephone) regardless of the scale of the accident. If someone is injured in the accident, please call an ambulance as well (dial 119). In addition, please contact the university.

Riding a Bicycle in Japan

Many of you will likely use a bicycle while living in Japan. If you are riding a bicycle, please make sure that you observe the rules, and do not cause or become involved in any traffic accidents.

• Crime Prevention Registration
  If you use a bicycle, you have a legal obligation to register it under the crime prevention registration system. Once registered, if the bicycle is stolen, the police will search for it by the registration number. You can register at any bicycle shop; the fee is around 500 yen and the registration is valid for 10 years. If you receive a bicycle from a friend or acquaintance, you must register it again, even if it has already been registered by the previous owner. If you do not do so, the police may believe that you have stolen someone else's bicycle, so please exercise caution. You also may not ride an abandoned bicycle without permission.
• Using Lights at Night
  If you ride a bicycle at night, please make sure to turn on your headlight. It is prohibited by law to ride a bicycle without a light at night. If the light is not working, please have it repaired at a bicycle shop or buy a detachable bicycle light at a home center or a similar store and attach it to your bicycle.
• Do Not Park Your Bicycle in a Non-parking Area
  Please make sure that you park your bicycle in a parking area. You may not park anywhere you wish on the road. If you park your bicycle in a no-parking area and leave it for a long time, it will be removed by the city hall. In order to take it back, you will need to show your ID (student card, etc.), and pay 2,000 yen; you will also have to retrieve the bicycle yourself.
• Do not ride a bicycle while using an umbrella or with more than one person. Do not ride a bicycle while talking on a cell phone, or listening to music through earphones.
• Do not ride a bicycle if you have been drinking alcohol.