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Boating schools in Japan
In short
Boats under 20 gross tons need the state small vessel licence in three classes. Only boats under 3 metres with less than 1.5 kW and a propeller safeguard are exempt.
When a certificate is required
Required for boats under 20 gross tons, personal watercraft included. Exempt only are boats meeting all three conditions: under 3 metres registered length, under 1.5 kW and a device that stops or shields the propeller at once.
Duration and minimum age
Either the state examination with a physical check, theory and practical, or a course at a registered boating school whose final test replaces the theory and practical parts of the state examination. 18 for first and second class; at 16 and 17 second class only for boats under 5 tons. 16 for personal watercraft.
Who issues the certificate
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), examinations through the Japan Marine Recreation Association, www.mlit.go.jp/maritime/maritime_mn10_000002.html
Finding a school
Where the boating schools in Japan are listed
No list of single schools, it dates within a season. We name the bodies that keep the registers.
Authority
Registrierte Bootsschulen (MLIT)
Every registered boating school by region from Hokkaido to Okinawa, with address and the licence classes it teaches.
www.mlit.go.jp/maritime/maritime_fr10_000013.htmlExamination body
Japan Marine Recreation Association
The designated body that holds the state examinations.
www.jmra.or.jpThe certificates
What each certificate covers
Ikkyū (erstes Grad)
Boats under 20 gross tons with no limit on cruising area, not personal watercraft
Nikyū (zweites Grad)
Boats under 20 gross tons in smooth waters and up to 5 nautical miles off the coast, not personal watercraft
Tokushu (Sonderschein)
Personal watercraft, which may not be operated on a first or second class licence alone
Context
How training works in Japan
Japan runs a strictly state system. Every boat under 20 gross tons needs a licence, and the exemptions are narrow: under 3 metres, under 1.5 kW and with a propeller guard or kill switch, all at once. There are three classes: first class with no area limit, second class for smooth waters and up to 5 nautical miles off the coast, and a special licence for personal watercraft, which the other two do not cover.
There are two routes to the licence. The Japan Marine Recreation Association holds the state examination. The other route is a registered boating school whose final test replaces the theory and practical parts of the state examination. The ministry lists these schools by region, together with the classes each one teaches.
Recognition, charter, cover
What the certificate means outside the classroom
Recognition abroad
The ministry's pages say nothing on whether a foreign licence is valid in Japan. The regional transport bureaus give the binding answer.
What the charter base asks for
Rental companies set their own requirements. Check before you book whether a Japanese licence is expected.
All countries at a glanceWhat matters for cover
Whether Japanese waters fall within the cruising area of a policy is a question for the policy wording, not the certificate. Check before the passage.
All countries at a glanceQuestions and answers
Common questions about boating in Japan
Do I need a boating licence in Japan?
For almost every boat under 20 gross tons, yes. Only boats under 3 metres with less than 1.5 kW and a propeller safeguard are exempt.
What is the minimum age?
18 for first and second class, with second class at 16 and 17 limited to boats under 5 tons. 16 for personal watercraft.
Where do I find boating schools in Japan?
In the ministry's list of registered boating schools, by region from Hokkaido to Okinawa.
Last reviewed: 08 November 2026. The authority of the country you boat in has the final word.
We insure boats whose owner or flag is in Germany, Austria or Spain.
Other countries
Do you run a boating school?
A training boat runs commercially, with a liable instructor: that needs its own arrangement.
