If your International Driving Permit (IDP) is expiring soon and you are planning to obtain a Japanese driver’s license, you will need to go through application procedures, and you might even have to take a driver’s test, depending on your country of origin.
For more detailed information on how to obtain your IDP in Fukuoka Prefecture, ex-Fukuoka JET Kelsie Stewart has prepared a wonderful guide to help you along the way (written in 2014).
*Update: As of March 2017, Fukuoka and Kitakyushu City Driver’s License Centers no longer administer driver’s license converstion practical skills test (driving test). They only handle license conversions that do not require a driving test. To take the test, you must go to Chikuho or Chikugo Driver’s License Centers. (See the Fukuoka Prefectural Police website for more information in Japanese)