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The story
Comedian and acupuncturist Rakushingo, 47, revealed on X that his driver’s license had expired. According to his own account, “I couldn’t make it in to renew during my big breakout period, and it just lapsed.” For his next attempt, he says he’s considering a “license camp” (an intensive residential driving course), aiming for an automatic-only license this time. Reactions on 5ch split between posters suggesting he could just take the direct licensing exam at a testing center, and more experienced posters countering that the direct exam tends to fail people easily. Others questioned whether the timeline even adds up, given what he’s previously said about the cars he’s owned versus his claim that the license lapsed “during his big breakout.”
Fri, Nov 6, 12:28 PM
Comedian and acupuncturist Rakushingo (47) updated his X account by the 6th, revealing that his driver’s license had lapsed and explaining why. He also asked followers for recommendations on driving schools that offer intensive residential courses.
Rakushingo posted on X on the 5th: “Guess I’ll go get my license again. I used to have a gold license, but I couldn’t make it in to renew during my big breakout period, and it just lapsed…” — revealing that his license had expired.
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
Yeah, that's the normal way to do it
Wait, was he a paper license holder who never actually drove!?
If he's picked up weird self-taught habits, he'll probably get failed
Well, that's the trap right there
80% of people who take the direct exam are people who used to hold a license
They've picked up bad habits from everyday driving and have long forgotten whatever the driving school taught them lol
Unlike driving school instructors, the examiners are constantly nitpicking to fail you
So yeah, you don't pass
Speaking from experience
Though you do have to pay and sit through a course
If you've got a gold license it only takes half a day, so no matter how busy he is, he should be able to spare that much time
Apparently so
But he probably has no idea about that, right?
He just got to pose for a photo with it — the car belongs to someone else
If you've got years of driving experience, driving school won't teach you anything new — it's just a hassle
Those are perfect for Japan's narrow roads anyway
Get like 20,000 celebrities riding them around to make it trend
And if it's within six months, he can get it back with just an aptitude test
Background and Key Points of This Story
A driver’s license must be renewed within a roughly two-month window spanning one month before and one month after the holder’s birthday; miss that window and it lapses. Even so, Japan’s system allows reinstatement without retaking the written or practical exams if done within six months of expiry, and starting over from a learner’s permit if done within a year — meaning a full return to driving school isn’t always necessary. The debate on the thread centered on whether the “one-shot test” — taking the practical and written exams directly at a licensing center — would be enough, with experienced posters warning that examiners nitpick harder than driving instructors do, clashing with those recommending an intensive residential course instead. Some also pointed out a possible inconsistency: Rakushingo had publicly said in 2020 that he sold his Lexus, and in 2026 described himself as driving a kei car, which doesn’t line up neatly with his claim that the license lapsed “during his big breakout” — meaning the exact timing of the lapse can’t actually be confirmed from his X posts alone.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geisokuho+) thread “Rakushingo, license lapsed after missing renewal: “Guess I’ll go get it again,” “This time I’m thinking automatic-only, at a residential course”.”
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