Who can drive in Japan
Japan recognises International Driving Permits issued under the Geneva 1949 convention (US, UK, Canada, Australia, NZ, Korea, Thailand, Singapore and many more). Seven countries without an IDP Geneva use a JAF Japanese translation instead: Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Taiwan, Monaco, Estonia. Vienna 1968 IDPs (e.g. Vietnam, most of mainland Europe from a 1968-only country) are NOT accepted. Minimum driver age is 18 and you must have held your home license for at least 1 year.
Pre-departure checklist (5 items)
Pack these five items before flying: 1) home-country driving license (original, not a photocopy). 2) IDP Geneva 1949 booklet or JAF translation. 3) valid passport. 4) credit card in the driver's name (Visa/Mastercard/JCB/Amex — debit rarely accepted for deposit). 5) booking voucher PDF with pickup time, location and add-ons. Missing any one of 1-4 means you cannot pick up the car — no exceptions.
Choosing the right class
Kei (¥2,800/day): solo or couple, city driving, very fuel-efficient. Compact (¥4,200/day): 2-3 travellers, best value. Mid-size (¥6,000/day): comfortable for long distance. Wagon/SUV (¥7,500-9,500/day): 4-5 people with luggage, snow regions. Minivan (¥11,000/day): 7-8 people. Luxury/Sports (¥22,000+): Tokyo VIP or weekend drives. Camper (¥15,000/day): road trip sleeping on board — needs 25+ age.
Insurance — CDW, NOC, TAS/TWS
Base rental includes compulsory liability insurance only — damage to your car is YOUR problem by default. CDW (Collision Damage Waiver, ~¥1,100/day) waives most repair costs. NOC (Non-Operation Charge, ~¥330/day) waives the ¥20,000-50,000 loss-of-rental fee the operator charges when the car must be repaired. TAS/TWS (+¥550/day) adds 24/7 support and tyre/window coverage. Strong recommendation: buy CDW + NOC on every rental.
Pickup day & return
Arrive 30 minutes before your pickup time. Counter staff verify your 4 documents, walk you around the car noting existing scratches (take photos), hand over keys + GPS instructions in English on request. Return the car with a FULL tank of petrol (keep the receipt) and on time — overage is ¥1,000-2,000/hour, six hours late counts as an extra day. After-hours returns (22:00+) typically add ¥1,000-3,000.
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