Driving in Japan as a tourist

We have now driven in Japan as tourists on three separate trips. Driving in Japan as a tourist is pretty straightforward but hopefully, our experiences will help you to decide if you should drive in Japan. I originally wrote this post after driving in Japan in 2013 and 2014 but I have recently updated it after driving in Japan in 2024.

The country has an excellent transport system and we take advantage of this most of the time. When travelling with a toddler, however, even some simple routes can seem challenging. We looked at driving in Japan as a chance to relax a little more. No checking timetables, rushing to meet trains, disturbing nap times or entertaining toddlers for long journeys.

Our toddler slept well in the back of the car, leaving us some quiet time to chat. On our most recent Japan trip, our kids were older and would have been fine on public transport but we still feel having a car gave us more flexibility.

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Booking a rental car in Japan

There are many car rental companies in Japan as well as third-party booking companies. One of them is Rentalcars.com, you enter the location and can view the available rental cars. For both of our previous driving in Japan trips, we chose Nissan rent-a-car. For our 2024 Japan driving trip, we rented a car from Budget. 

Things to know about renting a car in Japan

1. You will need an international driving permit.

You will need to obtain an international driving permit before coming to Japan. It is a little book with the details of your driver’s license translated into other languages. You will need a passport-style photo that will be stuck inside.

2. A fee will be charged for drop-off in a different location.

Choosing to drop off at a different location will incur a fee. For this reason, we have always planned a return trip.

3. Be mindful when choosing rental car size

One challenge of driving in Japan as a tourist is that you may come across some very narrow streets. Having a small car makes getting around cities and towns easier. Make sure the car will have enough space for your luggage. On our most recent Japan travels we rented a Kei-car which is a light automobile. These are the smallest expressway-legal cars in Japan.  While it was fantastic for driving around the city, it probably wasn’t the best choice for driving up mountains.

4. Add child car seats to your booking if needed.

At the time of booking, you can add a car seat as an extra. Some will only have booster seat options whereas others have more choices.

5. Have all your documents ready

When you arrive to pick up your rental car in Japan have all of your documents out ready. You will need a printout of your booking, passport and international driving permit. We were emailed by Budget Car Rental before our trip with a form they wanted us to print and fill out prior to pick up to save time.

Picking up the rental car

Find out where the outlet is and how to get there. On our earlier trips, the outlets were close to the Shinkansen exits of the station. I Google Street viewed the route so we knew which direction to walk in. In June 2024 we walked from Nagano Station to Budget Car Rentals which was a little challenging in the heat and with our luggage. We hadn’t read the email properly which had a phone number to call for a shuttle service. When we returned the car, we took the shuttle service back to the station. So, check if this is offered by your rental car company.

Have your booking, passport and international driving permit ready. After the paperwork is done, you will be taken to the car. First, the vehicle will be checked for any damage and a list checked off in front of you. If you have a child seat ordered you will be asked to check it. They will make sure your child is correctly fitted and show you how it works. Attendants will help load your luggage into the vehicle. On our first trip we over-packed and they were laughing as we made it all fit. Lastly, you will be asked to sit in the car as they explain some of the functions. Then you are free to go and explore Japan by car!

Driving in Japan as a tourist

In Japan, cars drive on the left side of the road. This made it easy for us because we also drive on the left in Australia. When driving in Japan as a tourist, we think it’s best to avoid driving around the major cities. It isn’t necessary as there are great connections via public transport.

We picked up our first rental car in Nagoya and had some trouble finding the entrance to the expressway. Luckily it was mid-morning so traffic was low. We find driving in Japan as a tourist to be quite easy. The roads are well maintained and signs are in English and Romaji (Japanese words spelled out in English letters).

Japanese drivers are polite and follow the road rules. The only exception to this is the speed limit. It seems as though nobody follows the speed limits which are set quite low even on the expressways. You are stuck with whether to follow the limit or go with the traffic flow. A driver tooted their horn at Tim as we came onto a country road and slowed down.

The roads through the Japanese Alps include many tunnels going through mountains. One we went through stretched for 11km. When not passing through tunnels the roads usually offer great scenery of little towns and farms below. 

On our most recent Japan trip, we drove around the mountains and past rice fields. We were able to make little detours to see other areas while driving to our destinations.

Navigation for driving in Japan

When booking our first rental car in Japan we paid the extra fee for an English GPS. The map remains in Japanese but the menu and sound guidance are in English. We input phone numbers for our destinations. Most of the time this was easy to do.  For our recent Japan driving trip, we used Google Maps on our phone. This worked well for each place we wanted to go. I also liked being able to look ahead on our journey and find any interesting stops along the way.

Japan toll roads

Most of the driving between towns is on expressways which are tolled. The toll gates are marked overhead with cash, ETC or both. ETC is an Electronic Toll Collection card. The cards allow drivers to pass through the toll gates without stopping. Some Japanese rental car companies have started renting out the cards to foreign customers. Update: it seems this is common practice now. For a small fee, you can add on an ETC as an extra when booking a rental car. 

We didn’t add one to our booking so, had to pay cash. Paying cash is simple. Take a ticket at the first toll gate and then at the end, the amount will show on a screen in front of you and you hand your money over to the attendant. It does mean that you have to make sure you go through the cash toll booth. We have never had to wait at Japanese toll booths. 

One problem we came across while driving in Japan was that Google Maps told us to take an exit and we did see overhead signs that said ETC but it was ONLY for ETC. The toll booth was unmanned so cash was not an option. Luckily, we were able to enter back onto the expressway.

Google Maps now shows the toll road cost for a journey. 

Getting fuel in Japan

The fuel in the little Japanese cars lasts incredibly well. When we rented a car in Nagoya, it didn’t need refilling during our time driving it. Tim wasn’t keen on driving around the city to find fuel. We decided to skip the stress, return the car and cop whatever the surcharge was for not returning with a full tank. It turned out to be a very reasonable $40 (AUD), which is what it would have cost us to fill up anyway. However, on our second trip, we dropped off in Shizuoka. We were lazy and opted for the surcharge again. It was a lot more this time and we could have easily gone to a fuel station in the smaller city.

In 2024 we found most of the fuel stations to be self-service, with a touch screen at the pump. We ended up finding a station with full service. We simply pulled in and said unleaded and full tank and an attendant filled the car while someone else washed the windscreen.

Parking in Japan

Parking in Japan can vary depending on location. In most smaller towns we found parking was free, with large parking lots at most places. In the cities, parking is usually paid for at a machine. parking rates are charged per hour or for a designated time eg. 6 hours. One hotel we almost booked said you had to call them to book a parking spot and if there were no spaces available you would have to park in a nearby paid parking area. Having a rental car means you need to check if hotels have parking and if they charge a fee.

The only time we paid for parking was at a tourist sight in Nagano. An elderly man was attending the parking area. We paid a small fee and he gave us a ticket.

Tips for driving in Japan as a tourist

• Pay attention to enter the correct toll gate.
• Have cash ready for the toll booth.
•  Be aware that most drivers don’t follow the speed limits.
• Check the road rules and road signs before you drive.
• One road rule that was different for us was that you must make a full stop at the railways.
• Don’t rent an over-sized car, unless you’re comfortable driving it down narrow roads.
• Enjoy, it’s a great experience.

Our Japan road trip blog posts 

• Self-drive to Shirakawa-go
• Driving around the Fuji Five Lakes
• Day trips from Matsumoto
•  Kiso Valley with kids

We love having a rental car in Japan and the flexibility it allows. Driving in Japan as a tourist is not at all scary.  It is a great way to get to places that may be a little difficult with public transport. Renting a car in Japan has also meant we can stop off in places along the way to our destination.