Renting a car in Japan opens up destinations unreachable by train — rural onsen villages, remote peninsulas, ski resorts, Hokkaido’s open roads, and coastal routes that make Japan’s geography genuinely accessible. This guide covers everything foreign residents need to rent and drive confidently in Japan.
Requirements for Renting a Car in Japan
International Driving Permit (IDP): Foreign residents without a Japanese license must present a valid International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention alongside their home country license. Critical: Japan accepts only the 1949 Geneva Convention IDP format — not the 1968 Vienna Convention format. Australia, most of Europe, South Korea, and the USA issue the correct 1949 format through their respective automobile associations (AAA, RAC, JAF for Japan). Confirm the format before obtaining your IDP abroad.
Home country license: Must accompany the IDP at all times — the IDP is not valid without the original license. Both documents must be current and match.
Japanese license holders: If you have converted to a Japanese license, simply present it — no additional documents required.
Age restrictions: Minimum age is typically 18 (some companies 21). Maximum age restrictions vary — some companies require special conditions for drivers over 70.
Residence period: After living in Japan for over 1 year, some rental companies will not accept an IDP (rules vary by company). At this point, a Japanese license is required. This is company policy, not law — confirm when booking.
Major Rental Car Companies
- Toyota Rent a Car (トヨタレンタカー) — largest network, reliable, good English website booking system (rent.toyota.co.jp/en)
- Nippon Rent-A-Car (日本レンタカー) — widespread, competitive rates
- Times Car (タイムズカー) — strong in urban areas, carshare integration
- OTS Rent-A-Car (OTSレンタカー) — particularly competitive in Okinawa and Hokkaido
- Carvel/Skyticket — booking aggregators that compare prices across multiple companies
Book in advance — popular periods (Golden Week, Obon, New Year, ski season, cherry blossom) sell out weeks ahead. Major airports have rental counters; pickup from city locations requires a short transit.
Navigation Systems
All rental cars in Japan include a built-in navigation system (カーナビ). Enter destinations by:
- Phone number — the easiest method for businesses, hotels, and attractions
- Mapcode — a Japanese 10-digit coordinate code; many tourist sites and guesthouses list their mapcode
- Address — works but Japanese address entry order (prefecture, city, block, building number) differs from Western formats
Navigation system voice can typically be switched to English. Alternatively, use a phone holder and Google Maps or Yahoo! カーナビ via smartphone — both have excellent coverage. Download offline maps before heading to remote areas.
Insurance
Rental contracts include basic liability insurance (対人賠償) by law. Additional coverage options:
- CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) — reduces your liability for vehicle damage; typically ¥1,000–2,000/day
- NOC waiver (Non-Operation Charge) — covers the fee charged for lost rental revenue when a car is off-road due to damage; typically ¥500–1,500/day. Without this, an accident can result in a ¥20,000–50,000 fee even with CDW.
Taking both CDW and NOC waiver is strongly recommended — the combined cost is minor compared to potential out-of-pocket liability for even minor damage.
Winter Driving in Japan
Many rental cars in snowy regions (Hokkaido, Tohoku, Nagano, Niigata) automatically have winter tires (スタッドレスタイヤ) installed during winter months. Confirm this when booking if you are driving in a snow region between November and March. Tire chains (チェーン) may be required on specific mountain passes — expressway signs indicate chain requirements. If you have never driven on snow, start with light conditions and allow much longer stopping distances than on dry roads.
Fuel and Charging
Japanese fuel grades: レギュラー (regular, 89–91 octane), ハイオク (premium, 96–100 octane), 軽油 (kerosene/diesel). Most rental cars use regular (レギュラー). Full-service gas stations (スタンド) accept card or cash; self-service (セルフ) are common and operate similarly to Western self-service with Japanese instructions — select fuel grade, insert payment, fill. Return rental cars with a full tank. EV rental is available from some companies — confirm charging infrastructure for your route.