Car rental in Japan
More flexibility, better prices, and a simpler way to book.
★★★★★ 4.5 / 8,764 reviews
Popular cities in Japan
Why drive in Japan
Hit the expressways from Tokyo to Hakone or Fuji Five Lakes for mountain views and onsen towns. With a car, you can pull over at small shrines, viewpoints and roadside diners that trains glide past.
Drive the coastal routes of Izu Peninsula, or explore Hokkaidos wide open roads between Sapporo, Furano and Asahikawa. A rental car lets you reach alpine villages, remote temples and quiet bays on your own schedule.
Good to know before you drive
The essentials for a smooth, ticket-free trip.
Speed limits
Parking
Paid short-stay zones in city centres — buy a ticket and display it.
Alcohol limit
Typically 0.05% blood-alcohol limit; lower for new drivers.
Vignette / tolls
Check whether a motorway vignette or tolls apply — many rentals include one.
Watch this video first
Why book with us
Practical Information for Drivers
Traffic Laws
- In Japan, vehicles drive on the left-hand side;
- Overtake only on the right;
- The minimum age for driving a car is 18;
- To drive, you must exchange the appropriate type of international licence for a local one;
- It is forbidden to drink alcoholic beverages while driving;
- It is forbidden to park in no-parking zones;
- It is forbidden to drive through a red light;
- It is not allowed to exceed the permitted speed limit.
Car rental terms in Japan: penalties for traffic violations
As in all developed countries, in Japan there is a rather strict attitude towards drivers who break traffic rules.
Offences | Penalties (USD) |
Exceeding the speed limit by more than 60 km/h | From 800 |
Driving a vehicle while intoxicated | 8700 |
Failing to stop at a red light | 417 |
Not wearing seat belts | 450 |
Parking in the wrong place | 835 |
Driving a vehicle that is in poor condition | Imprisonment for up to 3 months |
Parking
In Japan, parking is quite a serious problem, especially in large cities. For example, in Tokyo you can only buy a car if you have your own parking space within 2 kilometres of your home.
In big cities there is plenty of paid hourly parking, which can be found by following special road signs and markings on the carriageway. It should be borne in mind that fines for parking are still quite high.
Speed Limits
The maximum permitted speed depends on what type of vehicle you are driving and in which areas:
- In large cities, the limit is set at around 40 km/h;
- The top speed on the motorway is 80 km/h;
- On side streets drivers are allowed to drive at a speed of 30 km/h.
In urban areas and large cities, congestion and traffic density are a major problem. Drivers must also bear in mind that in Japan there are severe penalties for speeding.
Allowable alcohol
In Japan, the permitted level of alcohol in a driver's body is 0.0 per mille. Drivers in the country must observe a "zero alcohol" rule. Punishment awaits not only drivers who drink alcohol, but also passengers in their car. Passenger offenders will be fined 3000 dollars. The same applies to passengers on both tourist and regular bus routes. Even in Japanese bars a bartender will not sell a drink to a guest if they know that person will be driving.
The cost of fuel
In Japan, there are many petrol stations. Unleaded petrol and diesel are sold. Leaded fuel is not used for refuelling vehicles.
- The average price of petrol is $ 1.15 per litre;
- The cost of diesel fuel at filling stations in Japan is about 0.96 dollars per litre.
Most petrol stations do not operate around the clock, but only until a certain time. However, you can find many convenience stores.
What drivers say about Japan
"I was travelling with a friend and the car was spotless and almost new. Pickup was smooth, staff spoke enough English. Only small downside: return signs at the airport were a bit confusing."
"We travelled as a family with two kids and the car made exploring Japan much easier. Child seats were clean and comfortable, and fuel economy was great. Check‑in took longer than expected, but staff were kind and apologised, so overall we were happy."
"We booked a compact car as a couple and it was perfect for city driving and narrow roads. Staff explained ETC and navigation clearly, which helped a lot. Only issue was that the GPS maps felt slightly outdated in some new areas, but it did not really affect our trip."
Renting in Japan — FAQ
Ready to explore Japan?
Compare live prices across Japan.