Renting a CAR in Japan

There are several car rental companies in Japan.

I have always used only one and all of my tips listed here are based on my experience with this company - Toyota Rental (not sponsored)

I simply love how easy and streamlined the whole process of renting a car from Toyota is.

They have a perfectly working English website, English speaking call support (you can book a car with a phone call as well) and lots of stores throughout whole Japan.

1. FIrst of all you need to know if you have to prepare in advance any documents to be able to drive in Japan.

Chech out the link below for a very easy and straightforward explanation:

Can I drive in Japan?

2. You need a credit card in order to rent a car

3. I always opt for the maximum level of insurance

And I recommend that you do the same. Although the accident rate in Japan is extremely low, you still need to be careful, especially if you will be driving through Japan's narrow streets.

4. Rent an ETC card from your car rental.

Japan has a system of toll roads with automated gates which charge you when you drive through them, but in order for it to work, you will need an ETC card inserted into a small module inside your car. It costs only 300 JPY to rent it from Toyota, but it will save you so much time if you will be using those toll roads (otherwise you will have to make a stop at each gate and pay by cash)

5. You can calculate the cost of using toll roads in Japan by searching for your route with the NEXCO Central Japan Expressway TOLL CALCULATOR

6. If you plan to rent a car in a non-snowy area (Tokyo for example) and drive all the way to Nagano/Hakuba during winter (extremely snowy area), be sure to confirm with your car rental store if your car will be equipped with winter tires.

7. Rules for driving in Japan are more or less similar to those in other countries, but I still highly recommend to check out this website for any useful information about the rules - Driving in Japan , and I would like to mention two Rules in particular that are Really Important (which are not that common in the rest of the World):

• You must come to a full stop before driving through a railroad crossing in Japan, no matter the time of day or whether there is any traffic around. Be sure to check that the road ahead is clear and there is no train in sight.

• You must come to a full stop at a RED Triangle Road Sign that says 止まれ (to-ma-re), which translates to "STOP". Make sure that it is safe to proceed before continuing to drive (please check the attached photo of that sign);

• There is an official video (in English, 3 minutes long) that showcase both of these rules - Drive safe to enjoy your stay in Japan

Last but not least, do not forget that you have to drive on the left side of a road.

Disclaimer:

The driving tips and rules provided in this article are for informational purposes only and should not be considered as a substitution for the full driving rules and regulations in Japan. It is important to read and understand the full version of the driving rules before driving in Japan.

The author of this article assumes no liability for any accidents or incidents that may occur as a result of following the tips and rules provided in this article. It is the driver's responsibility to drive safely and obey all traffic laws.