Japan Top 10

There was a bump and a screech, and my son in the back seat was worried what mommy would say when we got home. But there was no visible marks. I had just driven into the concrete fundament of our neighbors airconditioner when I turned the corner.

It was night and I got distracted by the headlight switcing to full beam when I accidentally pulled the lever, but it should not have happened. I have taken that corner without incident literally hundreds of times.

So if it can happen to me, it can happen to you. Especially if you do not see the obstacles. And japanese streets are full of obstacles on the side of the road. There are ramps to make it easier to drive over the curb, stones weighing down the bird nets put over garbage, stones weighing down placards and posters, and fundaments for flags (containing, ironically, messages admonishing drivers to drive safely).

The streets of Japanese cities are hard enough to navigate without obstacles, narrow as they are. If you get into a residential area the speed limit will be 30 kilometers per hour. But locals are likely to drive faster, even at night. That, and cats running lose, are two more things to watch out carefully for.