Japan traffic rules and self driving car rental tips

Japan traffic rules and self driving car rental tips | QEEQ

The complete Japan driving and rental guide

Although Japan has prided itself as having the most efficient public transportation systems around large metropolitan areas around Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya, less known sceneries are definitely worth and handy exploring by car. Here is a brief guide aiming at helping you drive comfortably on Japanese roads.

Speed Limit and Traffic Signs
Driving is on the left-hand side of the road in Japan. Even though Japanese drivers are renowned for their respect of the driving rules, you should pay attention to cyclists, some of whom happen to ride on the wrong side of the road.
- Speed Limit
  The speed limits in Japan are between 80 and 100 km/h on expressways, 30 km/h in side streets, 40 km/h in urban areas, and between 50 and 60 km/h elsewhere unless states otherwise.
- Traffic Signs
  There are mainly four types of traffic signs in Japan: regulatory signs, warning signs, information and direction signs. For each type, you can find below several signs that you may not familiar with.
  
  A typical Japanese regulatory sign generally features a red circle with a white background and blue pictograms.
  
  Speed Limit (90 km/h)
  Minimum Speed Limit (50 km/h)
  No Overtaking
  Road Closed to Toll
  Road Closed to Vehicles
  Slow down (In Japanese and English)
  Japanese warning signs feature a diamond shape and yellow background.
  
  Crossroads
  Bumpy Road
  
  Wild Animals Crossing (Deer)
  Succession of More Than Two Curves to the Right
  Railroad Crossing Ahead
  Tram Crossing Ahead
  Japanese information signs feature a green background.
  
  Emergency Telephone
  
  Rest Area/Parking Fuel Stand, Etc.
  Direction signs in Japan feature a rectangular shape with a blue or green background.
  
  Expressway Entrance
  
  Destination & Direction
  To read more about Japanese road signs, here is a more detailed booklet.
Seatbelt and Child Safety
- Seatbelt Laws
  Drivers and all the passengers are required by law to wear a seatbelt. Failure to fasten your seatbelt may result in a fine.
- Booster Seat Laws
  Children under 6 years of age must be seated in child seats.
Parking, Fuel and Toll
- Parking
  · Permitted Parking
  
  In Japan, parking cost normally depends on the size of the city and the distance from the city centre. Parking in small towns and cities is usually free.
  
  Paid parking can be expensive in big cities, costing several hundreds of yen per hour. Parking lots in national parks or near tourist attractions sometimes charge a flat fee (typically 200 to 500 yen per use). Urban hotels usually provide parking for their guests at a flat rate (typically 1000 yen per night), while hotels outside the large cities usually offer free parking.
  
  · Forbidden Parking
  
  Please do not park your car indicated with the “No Parking” signs.
  
  Also do not park the rental vehicle in a place only allowed to use by renting on a monthly basis, marked by the “Kanji” of “月極 ” or “月極駐車場”.
  
  In addition, it is against the law to park a vehicle in the following places in Japan:
  
  - In a tunnel
  
  - On, or within five metres of the edge of an intersection
  
  - Within three metres of the automobile entrance of a garage, car-park or similar
  
  - On pedestrian or cycle crossings and railway lines
  
  - Within ten metres of a bus stop or a bus stop sign
  
  - Within five metres of the edge of an area of road works
  
  - Within five metres of a fire hydrant, water tank or other fire safety equipment
  
  Forbidden parking in Japan will lead to a hefty fine.
- Fuel Prices
  The average gasoline price in Japan in January 2018 was 141.50 Japanese Yen per litre, while the diesel price was 118.40 over the same period of time.
- Toll
  Most of the expressways in Japan are toll roads and you must pass through the automatic ETC (Electric Toll Collection) gate or manual gate with ticketing machine. It is highly common to rent an ETC system with the car hire company when taking a self-driving tour in Japan, and it allows you to drive through the ETC gate without stopping. ETC gate feature white “ETC 專用” characters on a purple background.5
  (Image from takingflights.com)
  (Image from demflyers.com)
  
  Alternative to ETC tolling, you may proceed to the manual gate, which is recognized by the“一般” characters written with a green background. Cash or bank cards can be used to pay the toll fee before entering the road.
Traffic Violation
- DUI Laws
  The alcohol limit in Japan is BAC 0.03%. Drink driving above the limit can result in a maximum prison sentence of 3 years or a fine of about $480,000 Japanese Yen.
- Traffic Fines
  Speed cameras and speed traps are used to monitor driving speed in Japan. Drivers who exceed the speed limits up to 40km/h over can be fined from 9000 Japanese Yen to 35,000 Japanese Yen, and a 50km/h excess or more over will be viewed as criminal infringement and can result in a prison sentence up to 6 months, or up to 100,000 Japanese Yen fine.
  
  Parking in the prohibitive areas will usually cause a fine from 10,000 to 20,000 Japanese Yen.
Driving Licence and Age Requirements
Japanese law requires that all drivers who do not hold a Japanese driver’s license must hold a country of origin driver's license and an International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 Convention on International Road Traffic. Driver’s licence must be held for at least 1 or 2 years (according to different car hire company).

The minimum driver age for renting a car at a Japanese rental office is 18 years old. This age may vary according to the state and car category rented.
Read more details

*Please be aware that rules are subject to change. QEEQ.COM will try the best to maintain the accuracy of this information.

Guest reviews

Adati
6.3 - "The condition of the car brought the general experience down a quite a bit. The cleanliness is quite poor and it didn't seem it has been cleaned before handing it to me. Quite a numerous function of the car isn't working, including rear camera, GPS, function keys on the steering wheel, etc."
Car Rental Hokkaido
9.3 - "couldve been quicker"
Times
8 - "Booked Mazda 3 (compact) but was given Honda Fit (sub compact); a size smaller than what I booked. "
Nissan
10 - "Very good from start to finish."
Flight
8 - "Easy and convenience. Waiting time for pick up from airport is around 10 mins. Pick up car procedure is completed in 15 mins. Thus, spend 30- 40mins in total to pick up car. The Toyota raize ( small suv) is just nice to fit 4 handcarry luggage."
Alamo
5.7 - "Problemas habituales; mala o muy mala definición del seguro contratado y de las condiciones contratadas. Falta de conexión entre el proveedor y la agencia local. Vehículo por debajo de las especificaciones iniciales contratadas."
Budget
8.7 - "일본은 고속도로 통행료가 한국에 비해 비싸니 넉넉하게 예산 생각하고 렌트하세요."
Katsuta Auto
4.7 - "When picking up the car, they asked us on the spot for an additional AU$500 deposit which they would return after 30 days. Their card machines didn’t work with our travel cards which hadn’t had any issues for the entire trip, so we had to go to a 7/11 to get cash. We exchanged bank info to facilitate our refund. After 30 days, we received nothing back, so I reached out, and after 3 weeks and many lengthy exchanges of information, we received our deposit back. Except it was AU$380, as we incurred all the transfer fees which seem to be exorbitantly high. No doubt they would have happily refunded us nothing if we hadn’t reached out. I would not recommend renting with this company. "
HACHIIRO
9.3 - "The car was excellent and the service was great. They were real eager to please and went out of their way to pick up and return me to the airport. "
M7 rent a car
6.3 - "Car was old and no water in windshield wipers.we had a replacement car when it got a flat tire.which was newer but the headlight were not adajusted properly."
Nissan
9.3 - "I wanted to get ETC card and Hokkaido Pass, but the communication was not so smoothly gone through. However, overall, it was a pleasant business with them."
3723rentacar
7.3 - "the counter staff tried his best. I tried to understand from his point of view. The only problem i had was the battery failure to solve it promptly or give us adequate time to continue our journey . Thankfully , we have full insurance coverage against battery issue and rescue service."
Misengaku
8.7 - "Very responsive. End of rental, the operator offered to pickup the car and sent us to the airport due to early flight departure. Thank you."
Europcar
8.7 - "Very detailed explanation when pick up at check in. Car is very clean as Japanese standard."
3723rentacar
7.3 - "- Customer service was very proactive in reaching out once the booking is confirmed. Along the way till the collection, there was regular touch point to finalise my booking to add snow tyres, etc rental etc - Pick up at Airport which is very helpful. They were in contact to help me locate them - No counter at the airport, handover was carried out at the carpark - Handover was in Tokyo at my hotel which is very convenient - Rather surprised and disappointed with the condition of the car. Rather old, lots of scratches and just look unappealing - Performance of the car was average. The car lacks power and it is especially challenging in Japan's hilly condition"
Flight
9.3 - "+good communications also via WhatsApp +friendly staff showing in details all the things taht are off with the car - there was some dirt on the ceiling in the interior that we did not notice for a long time +/-we got upgraded to a bigger car (+ cause its bigger, -as we didn't need the space and driving in a smaller one would be more than ok)"
Car Rental Hokkaido
10 - "Staff were very helpful. They speak English and mandarin also"
Hello Rent a Car
9.7 - "The counter staff were fantastic & went over & above. One of the young ladies helped set up the car navigation system in English for me so that I could easily get to our accommodation. "
Budget
10 - "새차라서 깨끗하고 연비도 좋은차였고 예상보다 실내공간이 넓어서 좋았어요. 한국어 네비도 사용하기 편했고 모든 게 만족스러웠습니다. 다음에도 같은 조건으로 렌트할 수 있었으면 좋겠습니다."
3723rentacar
8.7 - "The car given is spacious however it is an old car. The car front car lights are not bright enough, wiper water is not refill and the car body is full of dims. Luckily, I took the video before we took over the car to prove we didn’t damage the car. The service crew in Tokyo is excellent and he gained most respect from us. "
Alamo
10 - "Excellent experience !"
Nissan
10 - "Easy pick up and check in process. The shuttle is super easy to use at New Chitose Airport to the car rental location! "
Orix
10 - "The cars are not at airport and we had to take shuttle bus for 15 mins. Waiting time for shuttle meant that total 30 mins was spent getting to counter and keys "
Flight
10 - "First off, Flight noticed that my pick up date did not match my arrival in Okinawa and messaged to confirm date the car was needed. Next, they agreed to pick me up at a convenient rail stop and take me to the car, saving me from having to navigate the airport and my way to the rental office on my first visit to Okinawa. The car was an upgrade over the typical American economy car - very nice! Drop-off was a cinch as well. I drove to the office and the staff took us directly to the airport! Excellent customer service.. would definitely recommend. "
3723rentacar
10 - "Service staff is very helpful, and provides complete necessary information we need. Appreciated!!!"
SOLO RENTACAR
10 - "This is the only rental i could find that allows me to return the car before 8 am at the airport with no fuss. Everything was clearly explained. Whatsapp was possible with mandarin. The car pumps diesel and is very fuel economy. "
Flight
10 - "셔틀버스까지 조금 멀고 안내하는 분의 걸음이 빨라서 노인과 아이 데리고 따라가는게 조금 힘들었지만, 전반적으로 친절하고 차량 상태 좋아서 만족했습니다"
3723rentacar
3.3 - "The car is very old and we pay the high price and expecting me to write good review not anymore "
Europcar
9.7 - "Location codes in the car navigation system did not work, and overall the navigation system was not useful because it did not find POIs."
Nissan
8.7 - "The only issue is you have to find their shuttle van service to the pick up location. Regarding the rides I do not like the electronic rear mirror. Totally not use to it, sometimes the screen brightness gets dim and it’s very unsafe. "
3723rentacar
10 - "They were very efficient, even return me parking fee for the pick up car parking fee. They were friendly and easy to communicate. "
Hertz
10 - "The pick up should indicate “Toyota centre”, because didn’t see any “Hertz” logo."
3723rentacar
10 - "บริการดีมากก ไม่ยุ่งยาก ตอบแชทเร็ว"
Budget
8.7 - "시에나를 빌렸지만 동급차인 오딧세이가 아닌 더 작은차인 프리드를 줬다"
3723rentacar
9.7 - "The car rental company service staff is very helpful and accommodating. Seeing that they weather is cold, he continuously looked after my well-being and asked me to wait in a car when he settled the handover procedures. The process was smooth and the staff was caring and thoughtful. Definitely will hire their services when I am back in Japan."
Car Rental Hokkaido
10 - "Excellent "
3723rentacar
9 - "Mr Wang was very helpful and he can speak Mandarin which was very convenient. I strongly recommend my friend to engage him again. "
Hertz
8 - "The rental experience was smooth and easy for me as first timer. The only feedback which I need to provide is how the responsibility of the staff to help first time customer to understand more like where is the car key placed in car. "
3723rentacar
9.3 - "-"
3723rentacar
9.7 - "Everything was a breeze. Flexibility to arrange to return the car at our preferred location instead of the designated point for a fee."
Times
10 - "nice, make sure go to FUK international terminal"
Car Rental Hokkaido
10 - "easy flexible, staff can speak mandarin"
Times
10 - "New car. Service very nice for all. "
3723rentacar
9.3 - "The car was sufficient with enough space for all 7 of us. It was an older model and the GPS was only in Japanese but it was not an issue for us as we had our cell phones and an international data plan. The agent was in touch with us through whatsapp and was very responsive whenever we had a question or any other concern. They met us with the car at Tokyo airport at the start of our trup and also picked up the car from our hotel in Kyoto, which was very convenient and amazing in terms of service. Overall, we had no issues with the rental company or any of their agents. Despite the agent who met us for pickup and drop-off not speaking english, we got everything taken care of and all the documents squared away with no issue."
Car Rental Hokkaido
7.3 - "電話がかかってきておりかえしたらQEEQで借りたむねをつたえたが担当者がわからなかったことがあり不安だったが問題なかった"
Times
8 - "Process to get vehicle went smoothly. Knowledgeable staff"
Car Rental Hokkaido
9.3 - "Contact with car rental company was excellent with choices of various social networking app like Whatsapp, LINE, etc. Car model was as booked, though it’s one of the older model with no car play or USB charging port. Pick-up and drop-off was a breeze and staffs are very friendly and helpful."
Budget
9.3 - "Service counter ask us to fill up where we going and where we staying, knowing that, they do not offer any highway or toll package that we could save half of the toll fee (we saw it in the notice board at the rest area), even the office don’t have such notice too. Moreover, they do not even ask if I need a ETC (smart Toll card) until I asked for it. Pick up office need to improve. Whereas at the drop off office at Hakata station, was very good and the staffs are very kind."
Nissan
9 - "New car in good, clean condition. If the office can open earlier than 8am will be good as need to rush to catch 10am flight. Office is near domestic airport so need to rush to International airport to return car. They don’t allow to return at International airport"
Times
10 - "reliable. reasonable price"

Best car rental deals in Japan

Naha
from USD 30.33/day
Book Now
Tokyo
from USD 37.65/day
Book Now
Matsuyama
from USD 42.27/day
Book Now
Hiroshima
from USD 43.00/day
Book Now

Best rates found by QEEQ users in the last 30 days.

Frequently asked questions

Q1.What is an insurance excess？
The excess is the amount you'll only be liable for in case of damage(under Collision Damage Waiver) or theft(under Theft Protection) of the vehicle.
Information about the excess will be clearly stated in the price inclusion when you reserve a car on QEEQ.
Q2. How can I add an addtional driver?
You are advised to make a request upon your arrival at the rental counter. Additional charge per day will incur unless '1 Additional Driver Included' is stipulated on the rental.
Please note that the same licence and age requirement applys to the additonal driver. The addtional driver is supposed to present the required licence document along with the main driver at pickup.
Q3.What if I want to pick up or drop off my rental car out of office hours?
QEEQ will show you the car offers available at your chosen time on the search results.
However, pick-up or drop-off out of general opening hours may subject to an extra fee unless self-service pick-up or drop-off is available.
After you reserve a car on QEEQ, we will inform you of specific policy of the car hire company by email.
Q4. Can I take the hired car to another country or cross border?
If you want to pick up your car in one country and drop it in another, your search results will show you cars you can do that with.
If you're planning to cross any borders during your trip, bear in mind:
1. You may have to pay more.
There are often extra fees, taxes or additional cover you'll pay at the car hire counter.
2.It may not be allowed.
Depending on where you're hiring, you may not be able to take your car to another country.
Please email us if you want to take your hire car into a different country during your trip, and we'll talk you through your options.
Q5. Can I pick up my car at one location and return it at different location?
Yes. You can pick up the vehicle in one place and drop it off in another. An ‘one-way fee’ will incur. Whether it is inclued in the rental price or what additional cost may arise will be clearly stated at the time of booking on QEEQ.
Please inform the car hire company of your drop-off location when you pick up the vehicle or contact them directly during your trip. You will find a phone number on the rental agreement you signed at pickup.

Any question? Just visit our Help Page.

Explore more destinations in Japan

Tokyo, JP-13 Naha, JP-47 Osaka, JP-27 Chitose, JP-01 Sapporo, JP-01 Chiyoda-Ku, JP-13 Nagoya, JP-23 Abashiri, JP-01 Asahikawa, JP-01 Ishigaki, JP-47 Hakodate, JP-01 Fuchu, JP-13 Kyoto, JP-26 Fuji, JP-22 Kushiro, JP-01 Shiroishi, JP-04 Fukuoka, JP-40 Kunigami-gun, JP-47 Takamatsu, JP-37 Miyakojima, JP-47

Kobe Airport Odate-Noshiro Airport Naha Airport New Chitose Airport Kansai International Airport Fukuoka Airport Osaka International Airport Asahikawa Airport Nagoya Chubu International Airport Memambetsu Airport Tokyo Haneda Airport Terminal 1 Tokyo Narita Airport Kitakyusyu Airport Matsuyama Airport Niigata Airport Izumo Airport Komatsu Airport Hakodate Airport Yonago Airport Kumamoto Airport

Sapporo Station Sapporo Jr Tower Observatory T38 Daimaru Sapporo Kyoto Station Kitajunijo Station Sapporo Clock Tower Tenjin Station Odori Station Odori Park Jr Sapporo Railway Hospital Susukino Station Sapporo Ramen Yokocho Umeda Station Okayama Station Former Hokkaido Government Office Niigata Station Sapporo Tv Tower Hakata Station Kanazawa Station Hakata Station

Our Advantages

Free cancellation

Accept cryptocurrency

Price Drop Protector

Bitcoin Available

Desktop Version

Japan Car Rentals

The complete Japan driving and rental guide

Speed Limit and Traffic Signs

Speed Limit

Traffic Signs

Seatbelt and Child Safety

Seatbelt Laws

Booster Seat Laws

Parking, Fuel and Toll

Parking

Fuel Prices

Toll

Traffic Violation

DUI Laws

Traffic Fines

Driving Licence and Age Requirements

Guest reviews

Best car rental deals in Japan

Frequently asked questions

Explore more destinations in Japan

Our Advantages