Car Rental in Japan Complete Guide — Quick Answer Toyota, Nissan & Times Pricing + IDP
⚡ 30-Second Answer: Japan Rental Car Top 5 = (1) Toyota Rent A Car (¥6,000-12,000 / day, biggest network) (2) Nissan Rent A Car (¥5,500-11,000) (3) Times Car (¥5,000-10,000) (4) Orix Rent A Car (5) Budget. International Driving Permit (IDP) required (Geneva Convention countries, with Japanese translation), multilingual support for tourists is well-developed.
Quick Reference
Value
Toyota
¥6-12K / day
Nissan
¥5.5-11K
Times
¥5-10K
IDP
Required
Multilingual
Well-developed
Last verified
June 2026
📖5 min read
Photo: Yen Finder Editorial
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Contents📖 ~4 min read
30-Second Answer
Japan's car rentals are world-class. Essential for tourists exploring Hokkaido, Okinawa and rural areas, easy to use with IDP + multilingual apps.
🚗 Top 5 Rental Car Companies
1️⃣ Toyota Rent A Car
Locations: 1,000+ nationwide
Pricing: ¥6,000-12,000 / day
Highlight: Biggest network, tourist support
Multilingual: Full English/Chinese/Korean
2️⃣ Nissan Rent A Car
Locations: 200+ nationwide
Pricing: ¥5,500-11,000 / day
Highlight: Good value
3️⃣ Times Car
Locations: 600+ nationwide
Pricing: ¥5,000-10,000 / day
Highlight: App reservation
4️⃣ Orix Rent A Car
Locations: 600+ nationwide
Pricing: ¥5,500-11,000
Highlight: Business-oriented
5️⃣ Budget
Locations: 100+ nationwide
Pricing: ¥6,000-12,000
International brand
📋 Required Documents
Essential
International Driving Permit (IDP): Geneva Convention countries
Home country driver's license
Passport
Sometimes Required
Credit card (for all passengers)
Additional insurance docs
IDP Support by Country
🇺🇸 USA: Issued by AAA / AATA
🇪🇺 Europe: Each country's auto association
🇨🇳 China: Not recognized by Japan (must convert to Japanese license)
🇰🇷 Korea: Issued by Korean police
🇹🇼 Taiwan: Issued by Taiwanese government
China, Vietnam & Thailand
Must convert to Japanese license
Generally not possible for tourists
💰 Pricing Structure
By Vehicle Class (24h)
Class
Price
Compact (Vitz, Fit)
¥5,500-8,000
Compact SUV (Yaris Cross)
¥6,500-9,500
Mid-size (Prius, Corolla)
¥7,500-10,500
SUV (CHR, RAV4)
¥9,500-13,500
Large (Alphard, Elgrand)
¥12,000-18,000
EV (Tesla, Leaf)
¥10,000-25,000
Convertibles
¥18,000-35,000
Add-ons
Insurance / Coverage: ¥1,500-2,500 / day
Child seat: ¥1,000-2,500 / day
ETC card: ¥300-500 / day
Multilingual GPS: Standard
One-way drop-off fee: ¥3,000-30,000
Fuel
Return with full tank
If not returned full: Expensive
Toll Fees
Tokyo → Osaka: ¥10,000-12,000
Tokyo → Sapporo: Not possible (ferry needed)
Okinawa: None
🛂 International Driving Permit (IDP)
How to Get One
Obtain in home country: Required before arrival in Japan
Valid for: 1 year
Cost: $15-30 depending on country
Use in Japan
Use as-is
Renewals done in home country
Notes
EU countries: Some require separate documents
Korea / Taiwan: Different rules
China: Must convert to Japanese license
🌐 Tourist Support
Multilingual Support
Toyota: Full English/Chinese/Korean
Nissan: English/Chinese/Korean
Times: Multilingual app
Booking Methods
Klook: Tourist-focused
Official sites: Multilingual
Phone: Multilingual support
Pickup
Airport counters: All major airports
Tourist area shops: Many
24h available: Some
Return
Same shop or different shop
Drop-off fee: ¥3-30K
🚙 Recommended Driving Destinations
Hokkaido
Central + Eastern: 5-7 days
Southern: 3-5 days
Many scenic routes
Okinawa Main Island
North + South: 3-5 days
Beautiful coastline
Kanto
Hakone / Izu: 2-3 days
Boso Peninsula: 2 days
Kansai
Kyoto + Nara: 1-2 days
Nanki: 3-4 days
Chubu
Shirakawa-go + Takayama: 2-3 days
Fuji Five Lakes: 1-2 days
Kyushu
Kumamoto + Aso: 2-3 days
Miyazaki / Kirishima: 3-4 days
🚗 Driving Tips
Japan-Specific Rules
Drive on the left
Seatbelts required for all
Child seat: Required under age 6
Phone use: Completely banned
Speed limits: 50 km/h in town, 100 km/h on highways
Signals
Red: Stop
Yellow: Prepare to stop
Green: Go
Pedestrians have right of way
Urban Areas
Many narrow roads
Many one-way streets
Many pedestrians
Rural Areas
Wider roads
Higher toll fees
💰 One-Week Rental Budget
Budget
Rental: ¥6,000 x 7 = ¥42,000
Gas: ¥3,000 x 7 = ¥21,000
Tolls: ¥3,000 x 7 = ¥21,000
Insurance: ¥1,500 x 7 = ¥10,500
Total: ¥94,500
Standard
Rental: ¥9,000 x 7 = ¥63,000
Gas: ¥4,000 x 7 = ¥28,000
Tolls: ¥5,000 x 7 = ¥35,000
Insurance + equipment: ¥3,000 x 7 = ¥21,000
Total: ¥147,000
Luxury
SUV rental: ¥13,000 x 7 = ¥91,000
Gas: ¥5,000 x 7 = ¥35,000
Tolls: ¥8,000 x 7 = ¥56,000
Insurance + ETC: ¥3,500 x 7 = ¥24,500
Total: ¥206,500
🛞 Things to Note
Snowy Roads
Winter Hokkaido: 4WD recommended
Tire chains: Separate
Studless tires: Dec-Mar
Mountain Roads
Narrow roads: Kei cars recommended
Winter closures: Some routes
Coastlines
Okinawa: Narrow roads
Watch for strong winds
💳 Payment Methods
All Companies Accept
Credit cards: Standard
Deposit: ¥10,000-30,000
PayPay: Some
Tourist Support
Multilingual checkout
AliPay / WeChat Pay: Increasing
🌐 Multilingual GPS
Features
English/Chinese/Korean display
English voice guidance
Tourist spot display
Supported Locations
All Toyota locations
Tourist area shops
Pricing
Free at many
Some ¥500-1,000 / day
🌐 Recommendations by Nationality
🇺🇸 Americans
US license OK (IDP required)
Mind left-side driving
🇪🇺 Europeans
EU license OK (IDP required)
UK is also left-side driving
🇨🇳 Chinese
Chinese license not accepted
Must convert to Japanese license
🇰🇷 Koreans
Korean IDP OK
Mind left-side driving
🇮🇳 Indians
Indian IDP OK
Familiar with left-side driving
⚠️ Top 5 Tourist Cautions
1. Parking
Tourist spots: ¥500-2,000 / hr
Urban areas: ¥300-1,500 / 30 min
Research in advance
2. Gas Stations
Self-serve: Many
Multilingual labels increasing
3. Toll Fees
ETC OK
Cash OK
4. Accidents
Police 110
Contact insurance immediately
5. Road Signs
Multilingual versions: At tourist spots
App translations
Top 5 Tourist Mistakes
Forgot IDP → Can't rent
Not used to left-side driving → accident
Miscalculate parking fees
Return without full tank
Accident without insurance → huge cost
Pre-Trip Checklist
Get IDP in home country
Bring home country license
Credit card
Confirm insurance coverage
Reservation (1-3 weeks ahead at tourist spots)
Destination research
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I drive on a tourist visa?
A: Yes, with IDP + home country license.
Q: Can I rent for just one day?
A: Yes at many locations. Some have a 6-hour minimum.
Q: Multilingual support?
A: Major companies have full English/Chinese/Korean, app multilingual.
Q: Can Chinese citizens drive?
A: Generally no, must convert to Japanese license.
Q: Child seats?
A: Required under age 6, most rentals ¥1-2.5K / day.
Editorial info: Yen Finder Editorial / Last verified June 2026. Pricing and regulations change, so please confirm the latest details on each rental company's official site.
