The National Police Agency's Traffic Bureau Driver's License Division has announced a public comment period on a proposed rule that would amend the detailed standards governing instruction at designated driving schools (shitei jidosha kyoshujo) across Japan ^[1]. The draft rule is formally titled a regulation to further revise the existing regulation on detailed standards for instruction at designated driving schools, which itself amended an earlier set of detailed standards rules ^[1].

According to the official notice, the draft was published on October 2, 2026, and the comment window opened the same day at 0:00, closing on November 1, 2026 at 0:00 ^[1]. This falls under procedures based on the Administrative Procedure Act ^[1]. The case number for this public comment solicitation is 120260028 ^[1].

The National Police Agency has made the text of the draft rule, along with a guide to the comment procedure that includes submission destinations, available as PDF documents ^[1]. Additional reference materials are also available, and the agency states that materials can be viewed in person at the National Police Agency's information disclosure room ^[1]. The notice urges anyone wishing to submit comments to first review both the full comment guide and the full text of the draft rule before submitting, in order to avoid submission errors ^[1].

For inquiries, the agency has listed the Traffic Bureau Driver's License Division, reachable by phone at 03-3581-0141, extension 5337 ^[1].

The source material does not specify exactly what substantive changes the revision would make to driving school instruction standards, nor does it detail how these changes might affect current students, instructors, or foreign residents seeking or holding Japanese driving licenses through designated driving schools ^[1]. Foreign residents who attend or plan to attend designated driving schools in Japan, or who have an interest in driver's license training standards, may wish to consult the full draft text and comment guide directly via the e-Gov public comment portal for complete details, including how to submit feedback ^[1]. As this is currently a draft open for public input rather than a finalized rule, any changes to instruction standards remain subject to revision based on the comments received during this period ^[1].

Source credit 出典：「「指定自動車教習所等の教習の基準の細目に関する規則及び指定自動車教習所等の教習の基準の細目に関する規則の一部を改正する規則の一部を改正する規則案」に対する意見の募集について」（e-Govパブリックコメント）（https://public-comment.e-gov.go.jp/servlet/Public?CLASSNAME=PCMMSTDETAIL&id=120260028&Mode=0）、PDL1.0（https://www.digital.go.jp/resources/open_data/public_data_license_v1.0）を加工してJapan News (j.apan.news)が作成 This article is Japan News's own English summary of the Japanese original. It has been translated and edited by Japan News; it is not an official translation, and the e-Gov Public Comment did not write or review it.