Driving in Japan: Everything You Need to Know
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Japan has one of the world’s most sophisticated rail networks, and for most itineraries it is the right way to travel. But there is a category of Japan that rail cannot reach: the mountain onsen with no bus service, the rural ryokan accessed by a single-lane road through cedar forest, the Hokkaido pastoral landscape where the interest is the emptiness itself, the Okinawan coast where the beach requires a car to find. Driving in Japan rewards the effort to understand the system.
Licenses and Legal Requirements
International Driving Permit (IDP)
Most foreign visitors need an International Driving Permit (IDP) in addition to their home-country license. The IDP must be issued in your home country before traveling — it cannot be obtained in Japan.
Countries whose licenses are accepted without IDP: Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco, Taiwan, and a small number of others under bilateral agreements. Check the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) website for the current list.
Countries requiring IDP: The United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, most of Asia and South America, and the majority of the world.
Where to get IDP: In the US, AAA and AAAMIDATLANTIC issue them (¥1 in US dollars = $20, requires passport photo and license). In the UK, Post Offices and AA/RAC. In Australia, AAA affiliates. Processing is usually same-day or next-day.
IDP validity in Japan: IDPs based on the 1949 Geneva Convention are valid for 1 year from issue date. IDPs based on the 1926 Paris Convention are NOT accepted in Japan (some countries still issue these).
Minimum Age and Requirements
- Minimum age: 18 years old to rent
- Most rental companies require a minimum of 1 year of license-holding
- Some companies require age 25+ or charge young driver fees under 25
Driving Side
Japan drives on the left side of the road. The steering wheel is on the right. For drivers from right-hand traffic countries, the first day requires active attention, particularly at intersections and when making turns.
Renting a Car
Rental Companies
The main rental chains in Japan are Toyota Rent a Car, Nippon Rent-A-Car, Orix Rent-a-Car, Times Car, and Nissan Rent-a-Car. All major international companies operate as well.
Booking in advance: Japanese domestic rental platforms (Toyota, Nippon) often have lower rates than international booking sites. Use Times Car or search through major Japanese travel sites like Jalan or Rakuten Travel for local deals.
At the counter: Bring your IDP (or Swiss/German/etc. license), passport, and credit card. Basic insurance is mandatory; upgrades to NOC (non-operation charge) coverage are recommended — ¥1,500–2,500/day eliminates the large out-of-pocket cost if you damage the car.
Car size: Japanese roads, particularly in rural areas, are narrow. A kei car (軽自動車 — small-displacement vehicles like Honda N-Box or Suzuki Jimny) is the most practical choice for mountain roads and country lanes. Full-size sedans are fine for highways; SUVs are useful for Hokkaido winter or rough rural access.
ETC Card
The ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) card is an IC card used at highway toll booths. Most rental cars have an ETC reader installed. Request an ETC card at the rental counter (¥500 deposit returned when card is returned) — it allows driving through toll gates without stopping to pay cash, and provides significant discounts on weekend and holiday highway tolls.
Without ETC, you pay cash at every toll booth. Japan’s highways are expensive: Tokyo to Osaka is approximately ¥8,000 in tolls each way.
Navigation
Google Maps and Apple Maps
Both work well in Japan and are accurate down to parking lot level. Japanese addresses have a specific format (prefecture → city → district → block number → building number) that can confuse foreign GPS inputs; searching by name or phone number is often more reliable than address.
Offline maps: Download Google Maps offline for your travel regions before departure.
Car Navigation (Carnaviゲーション)
All Japanese rental cars have built-in navigation systems. These are set to Japanese by default; English language option is usually available but coverage varies by brand. The most reliable input method: mapcode (マップコード) — a Japan-specific coordinate encoding used on tourist sites, restaurant websites, and attraction signage. Enter the mapcode directly into the navi and it navigates precisely.
Save mapcodes for all planned destinations before departure. They’re available on Google Maps Japan (using the ⋮ menu → “Share or embed map” → select location) and on most Japanese tourist websites.
Parking
On-street parking: Essentially unavailable in Japanese cities. Parking enforcement is strict and fines are significant. Urban parking is almost entirely in pay car parks (コインパーキング — coin parking, operated automatically).
Coin parking: Insert payment on entry or exit. Rates typically ¥300–600 per hour in cities, ¥100–200 in rural areas. The machine accepts cash and sometimes IC cards. The barrier (ロック板 — lock plate) rises from the ground under your car while parked; lower it by paying.
At tourist sites: Most major tourist attractions, national parks, and ryokan have associated parking. In peak season (cherry blossom, autumn foliage, Golden Week) parking fills early — arrive before 9am or use alternate parking with walking distance.
The Road System
Expressways (高速道路)
The expressway network (shinkansen of roads) covers most of Japan. Entered via interchanges (IC), with exits spaced roughly every 10–20km. Each stretch between toll plazas costs ¥25–29 per kilometer. Major arteries:
- Tōmei Expressway (東名): Tokyo → Nagoya → Osaka
- Chūgoku Expressway (中国): Osaka → Hiroshima → Kitakyushu
- Tōhoku Expressway (東北): Tokyo → Sendai → Aomori
- Hokkaido Expressway system: Various routes across Hokkaido
Weekend discount: ETC users receive 30% expressway discount on weekends and holidays. Significant savings for road trips timed to weekends.
National Roads (国道)
Free routes running parallel to many expressways. Slower but often more interesting — they pass through town centers, have roadside restaurants and shops, and provide more direct engagement with the landscape. Route 1 (Tokyo–Osaka) is the historical Tōkaidō.
Rural Roads
Mountain access roads and island roads are often one lane with passing places (待避所 — taihi-sho). Protocol: the vehicle traveling uphill has priority; the one going downhill reverses to the nearest passing place. This is a real skill that requires practice.
The Best Roads to Drive
Hokkaido
Japan’s northernmost island is the country’s primary road trip destination. The landscape is continental — rolling farmland, dairy country, volcanic mountains, and coastline — and the distances between towns create actual emptiness, a sensation almost unavailable elsewhere in Japan.
Biei and Furano (Daisetsuzan area): The patchwork quilt roads of Biei — used in countless Japanese advertising photography — run through flower fields and wheat farms with the Tokachidake range behind. Route 237 between Furano and Biei is the scenic core.
Shiretoko Peninsula: A UNESCO World Heritage wilderness with one of Japan’s few remaining populations of brown bears, accessible only by road and boat. The peninsula road ends at a car park; beyond is wilderness. Shiretoko Goko (five lakes) requires a guided walk in brown bear season.
Cape Erimo (襟裳岬): The southeastern tip of Hokkaido, famous for its winds (averaging 10m/s) and minimalist landscape of grass and Pacific. The road from Samani follows the coast south.
Nakasendo-style touring: Central Hokkaido has grid roads through farmland that reward aimless driving — turn when it looks interesting.
Okinawa
The main island is compact enough to drive in a day, but the real reason to rent is the northern Yanbaru forest (UNESCO listed) and the Motobu Peninsula. The Onna coastline south of Nago has cliff roads above turquoise water.
Niraikanai Bridge on the east coast: A 1.5km curved bridge descending from the plateau to sea level, one of the most photographed road sections in Okinawa.
Izu Peninsula
The coastal road south from Atami toward Shimoda has Pacific views, fishing harbors, and enough switchbacks to be interesting. The interior mountain routes are even better in autumn foliage.
Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route
Technically not a car route (private vehicles prohibited on the high sections), but cars reach Ōmachi and Shinano-Ōmachi as the entry and exit points for the route across the Northern Alps.
Fuel and Practical Notes
Fuel: Japan uses regular gasoline (レギュラー — regular), premium (ハイオク — high octane), and diesel (軽油 — keiyū). Kei cars use regular. Self-service stations are common; attendant-operated stations still exist in rural areas.
Fuel price: Approximately ¥170–190 per liter (regular, 2024 prices).
Convenience stores (コンビニ) function as de facto rest stops: clean toilets, coffee, hot food, ATMs (with international card access), and seating. On long drives, the kombini pull-off every 30–60 minutes on national roads is the rhythm of Japanese road travel.
Driving and alcohol: Zero tolerance for alcohol — Japan’s BAC limit is 0.03% (essentially zero). Penalties are severe. If you are drinking, do not drive.
Speed limits: 60km/h general roads, 80–100km/h expressways (some 120km/h sections). Enforcement through speed cameras and police. Exceeding limits by significant margins results in license confiscation and large fines.
Emergency: Dial 110 for police, 119 for fire/ambulance. Most highways have emergency phones every 1km.
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