A Legend in His Time

Elder Hinton is now the proud owner of a Japanese driver's license.  Since before we came, we've heard the stories of how difficult it is to get one of these.  We both came with International Driver's licenses, but they are only good for a year, so, in order to complete the mission, he needed to get a Japanese one.  I will spare you all of the morbid details, but just share the low- and high-lights of that ordeal.
Japan is the king of red tape.  We love Japan, but this is a huge flaw.  Every detail has to be perfect.  So he had to get all of the details in order to even be able to take the tests.  That took many hours and lots of mailings, etc.  One day he was at city hall (not air conditioned) for 5 1/2 hours.  Finally, he got everything arranged so he could even take the tests.  A written, verbal, and driving test are all required.  The closest tests are administered in Yamagata- a one-and-a-half hour drive.
  So, a couple of weeks ago, he left early in the morning to go and give it a try.  We have heard so many stories of how many tries it takes to pass the driving portion.  Most people take several tries.  The most we've heard is 11 tries.  So, he went in with fear and trembling.  Each time you take it requires a large fee, so there is financial motivation to pass, too.  Not to mention the $40 in tolls to drive there plus gas.  It was an all- day process.  He passed the written test first.  He did miss one, and I wasn't going to say anything, but the question he missed had to do with yellow lights.  Evidently you don't put the pedal to the metal when you see a yellow light!  I've been telling him . . . .  He passed the oral part and the eye test.  Then it was time for the driving test.  They have a course that you have to drive through with an instructor with you:

You can see candidates out walking the course, which they allow you to do before you drive it.

When Ken finished the course, the proctor looked at him and said, "Jouzo desu!"  Sweeter words have ne'r been spoken!  They mean "You're good!" and that meant he passed!  They told him that no one passed it on their first try in all of 2015!  Wahoo!!!!  All those prayers were heard!
But, they informed him that they couldn't give him the license that day.  He would need to come back.  So, yesterday, we went back.  He had to be there at 8:30am to stand in a line to show them his documents.  Then we had to wait (with about 20 other candidates) in an extremely hot room until 9:45 am to wait in another line to get his picture taken. 

By now it was really hot.  In fact, a lady got so hot she threw up.  They have air conditioning, but they sure don't turn it low enough.  Then we had to wait until 11:00 to wait in another line to actually get issued the license. 

And finally, finally he was given the license.  It was an ordeal, but now it's done.  He made many friends along the way.  One was this man- the one who conducted the oral, written, and eye tests with him:

They ran into each other as we were leaving.

Here they are, bowing goodbye to each other.  The day after he took the test, some friends from here happened to go for their daughters to take the test.  The father mentioned that his friend had come the day before.  When he described him, they all knew him.  "Oh, the Christian!" they said.  Yes, the Christian with a Japanese driver's license.  Yoshi!!!!!