Driving in Japan
Renting a car in Japan: the complete guide
Rural Japan — the onsen villages, the coastal roads, the michi-no-eki full of same-morning produce — barely appears on train maps. A rental car unlocks all of it, and renting here is easier than most visitors expect: cars are new, automatic, immaculately maintained, and bookable in English. Here's what it costs and the handful of things worth knowing before you book.
What you need to rent
- Your passport
- Your home-country license
- An International Driving Permit (1949 Geneva Convention) — or an official Japanese translation if your license is from Taiwan, Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Monaco or Estonia. Not sure which group you're in? Read our license rules by country first — visitors from mainland China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Brazil cannot rent.
Minimum age is 18. Bring all three documents to the counter — staff will photocopy them, and no company will hand over keys without the full set.
What it costs per day
| Class | Seats | Typical price / 24h |
|---|---|---|
| Kei car (Suzuki Hustler, Daihatsu Move) | 4 | ¥5,500–7,500 |
| Compact (Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit) | 5 | ¥7,000–10,000 |
| Mid-size / hybrid (Corolla, Prius) | 5 | ¥9,000–14,000 |
| SUV (RAV4, Extrail) | 5 | ¥13,000–20,000 |
| Minivan (Serena, Noah, Alphard) | 7–8 | ¥15,000–30,000 |
| Campervan | 2–6 (sleeps 2–4) | ¥15,000–35,000 |
Ballpark 2026 rates including tax, before insurance upgrades. Prices rise 20–50% during Golden Week (late April–early May), Obon (mid-August), and Hokkaido's summer and ski seasons — book 1–3 months ahead for those windows.
Insurance: the one upgrade that matters
Every rental includes basic liability cover, and CDW (collision damage waiver) is cheap or bundled. The trap is the NOC — Non-Operation Charge: if the car is damaged at all, you owe ¥20,000 (drivable) to ¥50,000 (towed) for the company's lost business, on top of anything CDW covers. Every major company sells a full-protection package (¥500–1,500/day) that waives NOC. Take it. A single scraped bumper in a tight michi-no-eki car park pays for the whole trip's premium.
Tolls, ETC cards and expressway passes
Japanese expressways are excellent and expensive — Tokyo to Kyoto runs about ¥10,000 in tolls one way. Rent an ETC card (¥300–500) so you glide through toll gates, then check whether a visitor-only unlimited pass covers your route:
- Japan Expressway Pass (JEP): nationwide NEXCO network, 7 or 14 days.
- Hokkaido Expressway Pass (HEP): the classic for Hokkaido road trips, 2–14 days.
- Regional passes for Tohoku, Chubu (Dragon Route), Kansai, San'in–Setouchi–Shikoku and Kyushu.
These passes require a foreign passport and a rented ETC card, and often pay for themselves in two days of driving. If you're not in a hurry, the free national routes are exactly where the michi-no-eki are — many of the best drives in Japan cost ¥0 in tolls.
Fuel, navigation and the small stuff
- Fuel: regular gasoline is roughly ¥170–185/L. "Full service" stations fill for you (say "regular, mantan" — fill it up); self-service pumps have English menus. Return the car full.
- Navigation: set the car's GPS to English, or enter destinations by phone number or mapcode — every station page on MichiStops opens directly in Google Maps.
- Child seats are legally required under age 6 — reserve when booking (¥500–1,100/day).
- Winter: studless snow tires are mandatory equipment in Hokkaido, Tohoku and mountain regions roughly November–April; they're included there but confirm when booking elsewhere.
- Parking: city hotels charge ¥1,000–3,000/night; michi-no-eki parking is always free — one more reason to route through them.
Where to book in English
The majors — Toyota Rent a Car, Nippon, Times, Nissan, Orix — all have English sites, and comparison
platforms let you check them against each other in one search, usually with the full-protection
insurance and ETC card selectable at checkout. Airport branches carry the widest English support;
train-station branches are handy for one-way, city-to-countryside itineraries. If you already know
you want one of the majors, a
Nippon Rent-A-Car discount coupon (via KKday)
is an easy way to cut the counter price at one of the biggest nationwide chains.
FAQ
How much does it cost to rent a car in Japan for a week?
A compact car typically costs ¥50,000–70,000 for 7 days including full insurance cover. Add roughly ¥5,000–10,000 for fuel per 500 km and expressway tolls if you use them (Tokyo to Kyoto one way is around ¥10,000 in tolls). Regional expressway passes for foreign visitors can cap toll costs.
Do rental cars in Japan have automatic transmission?
Yes — almost every rental car in Japan is automatic. Automatic is the default, so you don’t need to request it, and English-language car navigation is available from all major companies.
What is an ETC card and do I need one?
ETC is Japan’s electronic toll system. Renting an ETC card (¥300–500 per rental) lets you drive through toll gates without stopping and is required to use the unlimited-ride expressway passes for visitors, such as the Japan Expressway Pass or Hokkaido Expressway Pass.
What insurance should I choose for a rental car in Japan?
Basic cover (CDW) is usually included or a small daily fee, but it does NOT cover the Non-Operation Charge (NOC) — a ¥20,000–50,000 penalty you owe the company while a damaged car is out of service, even for a scratch. Choose the full-protection package that waives NOC; it typically costs ¥500–1,500 per day and is the single best money-saver if anything goes wrong.
Can I return a rental car in a different city in Japan?
Yes, one-way rentals (norisute) are common between major cities and airports. The drop-off fee depends on distance — often free within the same prefecture, and roughly ¥5,000–30,000 for longer legs like Osaka to Fukuoka. Hokkaido and Okinawa cars generally cannot leave the island.
Next: What is a michi-no-eki? Japan's roadside stations explained →