How to rent a car in Japan

A guide to renting a car in Japan, covering driving documents, reservations, indicative rental rates, insurance, vehicle checks, refuelling and returning the car, based on official JNTO guidance.

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  • Before you go
  • Driving and car rental

This page summarises JNTO’s guidance on car rental in Japan. For actual rental rates, age limits and conditions, refer to each rental company’s official website.

Key points

  • First confirm your driving eligibility: see Driving eligibility and required documents (an IDP must be a paper booklet).
  • You must purchase insurance when renting a car; coverage and conditions vary by company.
  • When collecting the car, inspect its body together with a staff member for scratches or dents.
  • Fill the fuel tank before returning the car; this is a basic requirement.
  • Expressway tolls: borrow an ETC card from the rental company; see Parking and toll gates.

Car rental process

  1. Prepare documents: Depending on where your licence was issued, prepare an IDP or a Taiwan licence with a Japanese translation.
  2. Choose a rental company: JNTO lists several nationwide operators, including Budget, Hertz, JR Rent-A-Car, Niconico, Nippon, Nissan, Orix, Times Car Rental and Toyota (see JNTO’s page for the official list and contact details).
  3. Purchase insurance: According to JNTO, a certain level of insurance coverage must be purchased when renting a car to protect against accidents. Coverage and conditions vary by company.
  4. Inspect the vehicle on collection: Check with a staff member for scratches and dents before driving away.
  5. Refuel: Fill the tank before returning the car.
  6. Return the car: If you used an ETC card, settle the toll charges when returning it (see the next page).

Indicative rental rates (JNTO)

JNTO provides the following average rental rates for 24 hours with unlimited mileage:

Vehicle class Yen per day
Mini (1,000–1,300cc) 5,000–11,100
Small (1,500–1,800cc) 9,000–13,500
Medium (2,000cc) 14,000–30,000
Standard (3,000cc) 29,500–31,000

These rates exclude fuel costs. Prices vary by company; use the quotation provided when booking. JNTO’s fuel price data is from 2022, at about 170 yen per litre, and is outdated. This site does not quote a current fuel price; refer to the actual price displayed at the petrol station.

Refuelling

According to JNTO, Japan has two types of petrol stations: full-service stations, where attendants refuel cars, and self-service stations. For detailed refuelling instructions, JNTO links to guidance from the Kyushu Transport Bureau (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism). See the link on JNTO’s page.

  • JNTO states that most major roads have English road signs, while rural areas may not.
  • Some rental companies offer navigation systems in other languages; ask when booking.
  • For remote areas, JNTO recommends buying a reliable bilingual English-Japanese road map.

Information not listed on the official page

  • Individual companies’ age limits, deposits and cancellation terms: not listed on the official JNTO page; check with the rental company.

Frequently asked questions

Is rental car insurance compulsory?

JNTO states that a certain level of insurance coverage must be purchased when renting a car; coverage varies by company.

Can you return a rental car to a different location?

The official page does not state this. Check with the rental company.

Further reading

Sources