Yes, tourists can drive in Japan, but only with the right paperwork. You need an International Driving Permit (IDP) issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention, in paper booklet form, carried with your home license and passport. Six countries use a JAF translation instead. Renting is worth it for rural and scenic routes; in big cities, trains beat a car every time. Here is exactly what applies to you.
Do I need an International Driving Permit to drive in Japan?
For almost every visitor, yes. Japan requires an International Driving Permit (IDP) issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention, carried together with your original home license and passport. Your home license alone is never enough. Most travelers from the US, UK, Australia, Canada and Ireland qualify for a Geneva IDP and can get one from their national auto club or licensing authority before the trip.
Get the IDP in your home country before you fly. Japan does not issue IDPs to foreign tourists, and you cannot apply for one after you land. Rental counters will refuse the car without it. The permit itself is cheap and quick to obtain at home, so it is one of the first things to sort once you decide to drive.
Paper IDP vs card or app: what is actually valid?
Only the physical paper booklet counts. Japan does not recognize card-style permits, PDFs, or smartphone-app versions, even when a government body issued them. Police and rental companies check the printed Geneva Convention booklet. If a website sells you a plastic card or a downloadable "digital IDP," it is not valid for driving in Japan and the rental desk will turn you away.
The booklet is valid for one year from its issue date, but you can only use it to drive for up to one year from your date of entry into Japan. Keep it with your passport and home license at all times behind the wheel; you must be able to show all three together.
The exception: Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan
Licenses from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan do not use an IDP in Japan. Instead you drive on your home license plus an official Japanese translation issued by JAF (the Japan Automobile Federation) or another approved body. Carry the original license with the translation attached. This is because these countries are not part of the 1949 Geneva Convention system Japan recognizes.
The JAF translation for temporary driving is inexpensive and is applied for online, with the document printable at a Japanese convenience store; travelers still abroad can arrange it through JAF as well. Like the IDP, it is valid for one year from your date of entry. A separate, pricier translation exists only for converting to a full Japanese license, which tourists never need.
One more trap: some countries issue IDPs only under the 1968 Vienna Convention (for example Brazil), which Japan does not accept, and they are not on the JAF-translation list either. If that is your license, you cannot legally drive as a tourist. Check your specific country before you plan a road trip.
When is renting a car worth it (and when is it not)?
Rent when your trip is rural or scenic: the Fuji Five Lakes, coastal drives, Hokkaido, rural Kyushu, or Shikoku. In those places a car unlocks lakes, farm roads and small towns that trains and buses barely reach. Skip the car in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and other big cities, where dense rail, high parking costs and one-way streets make driving slower, pricier and far more stressful than a Suica tap.
A common winning move is to combine both: cover the city-to-city legs by train, then rent a car only for the rural stretch and return it before the next city. For a countryside itinerary that needs no car at all, see our Kyushu without a car guide, and use a regional JR Pass itinerary when trains make more sense than the wheel.
| Trip type | Rent a car | Trains |
|---|---|---|
| Big cities (Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto) | Slow, costly parking, stressful | Fast, cheap, frequent - clear win |
| Fuji Five Lakes / Hakone area | Reaches lakesides and viewpoints buses skip | Doable but limited and time-heavy |
| Hokkaido (rural) | Essential - sparse rail, huge distances | Slow, many gaps between towns |
| Rural Kyushu / Shikoku | Unlocks coast, farms, onsen villages | Works for main hubs only |
| Overall for first-timers | Great for the scenic/rural leg only | Best default for the city-heavy core |
Driving on the left, tolls, ETC and parking: what to expect
Japan drives on the left in right-hand-drive cars, the same as the UK and Australia. Roads are well signed, and Google Maps handles routing, tolls and expressways reliably. Speed limits run roughly 80-100 km/h on expressways, up to 120 km/h on some stretches, and enforcement is active. If you are used to driving on the right, take the first hour slowly.
Expressways are tolled. The easy way to pay is an ETC card, rented with the car for roughly JPY 330-550 per rental; it logs all tolls automatically and you settle them when you return the vehicle. Without ETC, use the green "general" lanes, take a ticket on entry and pay by cash or card on exit - but avoid ETC-only lanes, whose gates will not open for you. Foreign passport holders can also buy regional expressway passes (Hokkaido, Tohoku and others) for unlimited toll travel over a set number of days.
Parking is where cities bite: many hotels have no lot, and street parking is scarce and expensive. Confirm parking before you book a city stay, or better, return the car before the urban leg of your trip.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to rent a car in Japan?
Expect roughly JPY 6,000-10,000 per day for a compact with insurance from Toyota, Nissan or Times, so a week often lands around JPY 60,000-70,000 before fuel and tolls. One-way rentals (returning to a different location) add a hefty drop-off fee, so try to return the car where you picked it up.
Can I use a digital or card IDP in Japan?
No. Japan only accepts the physical paper booklet issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention. Card-style permits, PDFs and app versions are not valid, even if a government body issued them, and rental desks will refuse them.
Which rental companies rent to tourists with an IDP?
The major chains - Toyota, Nissan, Times, Nippon and Orix - rent to foreign drivers with a valid IDP or JAF translation. Some smaller local operators decline IDP customers, so book with a big-name company to avoid surprises at the counter.
Do I need an ETC card, and how do tolls work?
An ETC card is optional but convenient: rent one with the car (about JPY 330-550) and all expressway tolls are tallied automatically, paid on return. Without it, use the green general lanes, take a ticket on entry and pay cash or card on exit.
Is it hard to drive on the left in Japan?
Not especially. Japanese roads are calm, well signed and easy to navigate with Google Maps. Drivers used to the right side should take the first hour slowly, watch lane position and remember that the turn-signal stalk is often on the right.
I have a Brazilian (or other 1968 Vienna) license - can I drive?
Generally no. Japan recognizes IDPs under the 1949 Geneva Convention only. Countries that issue IDPs solely under the 1968 Vienna Convention, such as Brazil, are not accepted, and are not on the six-country JAF-translation list either, so you cannot legally drive as a tourist.
