A Complete Guide To Renting A Car In Japan
- Ollie Toth
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
An expert overview to help foreign visitors rent a car in Japan
Image Copyright: Ollie Ronin
Overview
Car rental in Japan can be a bit confusing for foreign visitors. Although most well-known attractions are easily accessible with public transport, renting a car gives you freedom and allows you to escape some of the overcrowded destinations. Driving in Japan is also a thoroughly enjoyable experience thanks to the well-maintained highways, beautiful mountain scenery, and courteous local drivers. But many questions often arise. Is renting a car worth it? Where should you go? And which company or booking platform is the best? We'll clarify everything in this article to help plan your trip.
Table of Contents
Is it worth renting a car for a trip to Japan?
Photo Source: Anne Laure
For most people spending 2 weeks on their first trip to Japan, visiting all the main destinations such as Tokyo, Kyoto, and Hiroshima, a car is not worth it.
However, a car will provide you with the freedom to explore Japan's lesser-known attractions and hidden gems, enabling you to get away from the main tourist areas, so it's 100% worth it depending on your goals and itinerary. Moreover, some regions of Japan are ideally suited for driving and have very inconvenient public transport systems, such as Kyushu and Hokkaido, and especially Shikoku and Okinawa. These regions offer some of the best experiences in Japan, especially if you're looking to get closer to nature and the unique geography the country has to offer.
Driving is a great way to access stunning regional areas like Ine, Hakone, and Nikko. Although they have public transport, driving will allow you to spend extra time here and explore beyond the busy main attractions.
Driving in Japan is also just a wonderfully enjoyable experience - the scenic highways, the beautiful environment, and the polite local drivers all combine to create something truly special.
What's the best, and cheapest, booking platform?
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I've compared all the booking platforms including Kayak, Expedia, Skyscanner, and Japan's own Rakuten, and found Klook to offer the best prices in most cases. Early bookings are recommended.
How much are the toll roads?
Express freeways, also known as expressways, are located all over Japan and connect all the major cities in the country. All the expressways are toll roads, and they're quite expensive. Their high price is the only downside to driving in Japan, however, they're well maintained and make travelling long distances very easy. When you rent a car, you'll have the option to include an ETC device, this will cost extra but is well worth it to save the hassle of having to stop and pay cash whenever you enter and exit an expressway. It's worth noting that the expressways are not the only option, you can take local roads or local highways if you don't mind spending some extra time on the road. Below is a table that shows the approximate cost of travel between major cities on expressways.
Approximate Tolls
Where are the best places to drive?
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There are heaps of amazing regional destinations, near the major cities like Tokyo and Kyoto, which are awesome for driving. Some of the most notable places include the town of Ine in northern Kyoto, Lake Kawaguchiko near Mt. Fuji, and Nikko National Park two hours north of Tokyo. A car also becomes much more valuable in regions without a robust public transport system, which mainly refers to Hokkaido, Okinawa, Shikoku, and Kyushu.
Where should I avoid driving?
Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. There is absolutely no point in driving yourself around these cities if you're visiting the local attractions. The traffic is heavy, the parking is inconvenient, and it's usually slower than catching the trains.
Do I need an international license?
Yes, every country needs an International Driving Permit to rent a car and drive in Japan, it's basically just a translation of your driver's license. They're pretty easy to get in most countries.
Is it okay if I don't speak Japanese?
For locations that receive a lot of foreign customers, such as airports, they will usually have an English-speaking staff member available. But in general, most car rental staff won't speak English, however, they'll still be happy to help so long as you're polite, friendly, and respectful. They'll typically use a translation device or something similar.
For fuel stations, they usually won't speak English, so prepare Google Translate on your phone and apologise for the language barrier.
What about the gas stations?
Most of the gas stations in Japan are 'full service', meaning they have attendants to take care of everything, so you won't need to exit your vehicle. They will direct you to a fuel pump, ask you how much you want, and clean your windows for you. It's quite nice, but the price per litre is a little higher than self-service stations.
If you're worried about the language barrier or trying to save money, aim for the self-service stations, you should be able to identify them on Google Maps. There will be a touch panel to select your fuel and how much you would like, you'll usually need to use Google Translate the navigate through these.
Two important things to note: 1. Always carry cash, and 2. Always plan to get fuel before 8pm. Sometimes the card readers don't work with foreign credit cards, and most fuel stations close by 8/9pm.
How are the road rules different?
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Although they're mostly similar to other developed countries, there are some key differences with road rules in Japan.
No right turn on red
In the USA, Canada, and some other countries that drive on the right side of the road, you can turn right on a red light so long as it's safe to do so. Although this rule is logical and efficient, it doesn't apply for the relevant left turns in Japan.
Strict alcohol tolerance
The legal limit for alcohol while driving in Japan is .03, and there is zero tolerance and severe penalties if you're over this limit. It's essentially so strict that you can't have any drinks and be safe to drive, unless you have a breathalyser to confirm you're within the .03 limit.
Stop required at train crossings
This one slows down traffic a lot, but Japanese laws require drivers to come to a complete stop at all level crossings, even if the gates are up. It's perhaps an outdated law to protect against potential signal failures with Japan's high-speed trains. You'll receive a small fine if you're caught breaking this rule.
