Why does Japan drive on the left, even though they have never been a part of the British Empire?

Question

Why does Japan drive on the left, even though they have never been a part of the British Empire?

In: 9363

Answer 1

Thailand, a country that has never been colonized also drives on the left.

The reasoning is similar to Japan as well. Many Thai elites in the early 19th century got a lot of influence from the British. There is a myth that the first car in Thailand was British, but really we don’t know. The more accurate reason is that the first Thai drivers were educated in Britain and simply learned how to drive the British way before bringing it back home.