[2025 Japan Car Rental Guide] Automobile Rental Firm Suggestions | Self-driving Course of

Japan is the most well-liked vacationer vacation spot for Hong Kong individuals. Yearly, many vacationers select self-driving excursions, freely shuttle between bustling downtown and exploring hidden secrets and techniques. So what must you take note of when renting a automotive in Japan? The best way to cope with site visitors accidents? Kwiksure compiled a information for renting a automotive for a self-driving tour in Japan, together with the detailed rental course of, automotive rental firm suggestions, the way to cope with site visitors accidents, and Japanese driving guidelines, that will help you simply get pleasure from your self-driving journey.

Abroad automotive leases should have a world license plate

To lease a automotive in Japan, the driving force should have a world license. Vacationers who haven’t but utilized for a world driving allow can apply in individual on the counter, by mail or on-line. Vacationers also can select to make an appointment at an Worldwide Driving Allow Self-Service Kiosk, you may get a world license plate in as quick as one hour, and the worldwide license plate is legitimate for one 12 months. For detailed utility procedures by completely different channels, please consult with the particular subject on worldwide license plates of Kwiksure.

When renting a automotive in Japan, along with the worldwide license plate, additionally, you will have to carry your journey passport, bank card, and authentic driver’s license. Some rental automotive firms might require the driving force to carry a proper driver’s license for one 12 months or extra.

Japan Automobile Rental｜Level-of-care Rental Firm

After you have determined in your vacation spot, you can begin planning your self-driving tour route, together with the variety of days you’ll lease a automotive, the place you’ll decide up and return the automotive, and many others. When contemplating which Japanese automotive rental firm to patronize, you possibly can take into account the next 4 elements:

1. Enterprise scope of automotive rental firms

If the rental automotive firm has sufficient branches, it will likely be simpler for the driving force to hunt assist and help. Giant rental automotive firms normally have enterprise protection all through Japan, whereas smaller rental automotive firms solely present regional companies.

2. Variety of automotive fashions

If the automotive rental firm is opened by a Japanese automotive producer, it would solely present vehicles of its personal model, however the fashions shall be extra full; whereas automotive rental firms specializing in automotive rental enterprise could have a richer number of manufacturers to select from.

3. Automobile rental and different bills finances

The price of renting a automotive is affected by a number of elements, corresponding to:

• Time interval (whether or not it’s vacationer peak season)
• Area (extra distant areas typically have fewer vehicles in inventory)
• Automobile mannequin (the upper the mannequin, the upper the fee)
• Insurance coverage (relying on the kind of insurance coverage)

The next are supplied by Japan Tourism Company. Common worth reference for twenty-four hours with no mileage restrict:

Different widespread self-driving bills embody:

• Gas price: Based mostly on International Petrol Value. Based on the most recent figures, the price of driving a automotive in Japan is about ¥174 per liter.
• Freeway charges: For some highways, you should purchase a fixed-rate toll go, which lets you use the freeway inside a selected vary limitless occasions inside a specified time frame.
• Parking charge: Parking charges are normally larger in cities, whereas most suburban areas supply free parking. Additionally take note of whether or not the resort will cost parking charges.

4. Service high quality and assist

Bigger automotive rental firms can present extra complete assist, corresponding to:

• Present on-line or phone reserving companies, eliminating the effort of prompt reserving
• Some firms don’t cost further charges if the delay is lower than one hour
• Employees can converse completely different languages corresponding to Chinese language and English

Japan Automobile Rental | 5 Japanese Automobile Rental Corporations Really helpful

Japan Automobile Rental | Self-driving Journey Insurance coverage Information

Obligatory Insurance coverage

Japanese regulation requires that every one vehicles on the street should buy obligatory insurance coverage to guard legal responsibility compensation within the occasion of third-party damage or dying. Automobile rental firms normally present any such obligatory insurance coverage, together with compensation for third-party dying and damage, compensation for third-party property injury, car compensation, and compensation for passenger dying and damage.

Nonetheless, please notice that even when the rental automotive firm has bought any such insurance coverage for you, within the occasion of an accident, the driving force nonetheless must pay the insurance coverage deductible to cowl the price of property loss to 3rd events and injury to the rental car, which is 50,000 yen every, with a most complete of 100,000 yen.

Collision Injury Waiver (CDW)

Drivers can select to buy this insurance coverage when renting a automotive. If CDW insurance coverage is bought individually when renting a automotive, the above deductible could be waived as much as a complete of 100,000 yen.

Additionally it is value mentioning that some Hong Kong journey insurance coverage insurance policies already cowl the deductible within the occasion of a automotive rental accident, so you possibly can test whether or not the journey insurance coverage you bought already covers this loss. In that case, there isn’t any have to buy CDW.

Non-Operation Fees (NOC)

After an accident, the driving force might also must pay compensation to the rental firm for the working losses brought on by not having the ability to lease out the car. Drivers can select to buy this insurance coverage when renting a automotive, which is able to exempt them from paying this quantity. Normally, if the driving force can drive the car to a delegated rental retailer after an accident, they solely have to pay 20,000 yen in compensation; if they can’t drive the automotive themselves and have to name a tow truck, they should pay 50,000 yen.

Japan automotive rental | Japan self-driving tour automotive rental, pick-up and return course of

1. Hire a automotive

1. Determine in your vacation spot and route
2. Choose the automotive rental firm, pick-up and drop-off location, date and time
3. Choose automotive mannequin and extra companies
4. You should buy insurance coverage as wanted
5. Fill within the driver’s data, contact quantity, cost technique, and many others.
6. Verify order and cost

2. Decide up your automotive

• That you must carry alongside while you decide up your automotive

• Reservation e mail affirmation
• Unique passport, Hong Kong driver’s license and worldwide license plate
• bank card
• Rental automotive retailer membership card (if relevant)

• Fastidiously learn the contents and rules of the automotive rental contract, such because the automotive return rules and gasoline sorts, and signal it solely after confirming it.
• Pay for automotive rental and extra insurance coverage prices (if any)

• Fastidiously test the situation of the car, corresponding to any indicators of collision or scratches, and make sure that the tires, headlights, water splashes, and anti-theft locks are functioning correctly. Take images and file them. Solely signal the ‘Automobile Injury Affirmation Type’ after understanding the situation of the car.
• Declare different drivers (if any) and perceive the way to use the in-car gear. If you’re uncertain, ask the workers to show
• Get supplier contact data and foreigner-specific driving indicators

Automobile rental add-ons

• ETC card: Most Japanese highways use ETC playing cards as a substitute of parking funds. Merely insert the ETC card into the automotive’s ETC machine and the automotive shall be routinely charged when it passes by the toll sales space. Some freeway tolls will even be discounted, much like Hong Kong’s EasyPass.

• GPS: If you’re going to a distant space, GPS could also be extra handy than cellphone navigation. You’ll be able to lease a Chinese language GPS navigation system.

3. Return the automotive

• Refill the tank earlier than returning the automotive and preserve the receipt for the workers to substantiate.
• Return the automotive to the designated location on time and present the rental settlement and automotive keys
• Examine the situation of the automotive: take note of any scratches and take images for file
• Settle toll street (ETC) charges: For those who lease an ETC, the freeway charges shall be settled while you return the automotive

Automobile rental in Japan | What to do for those who encounter an accident?

Irrespective of how cautious you might be when driving, there’s all the time an opportunity that you’ll get right into a site visitors accident. Listed below are some recommendations on the way to cope with an accident:

1. Keep calm

After an accident, don’t let panic take over; relax as shortly as doable and deal with the scenario calmly.

2. Give precedence to serving to the injured

If somebody is injured in a site visitors accident, first rescue the injured. Transfer the injured to a secure place, such because the shoulder of the street. If mandatory, name 119 for an ambulance and supply first support as a lot as doable.

3. Contact the police instantly

After serving to the injured, it’s best to name 110 to report the incident and ask the police to come back to the scene. Nonetheless, please notice that the native police might not perceive international languages, so you possibly can attempt to discover close by passers-by for assist. If it includes emergency notification, public telephones can be used freed from cost.

4. Contact the automotive rental firm and insurance coverage firm

After calling the emergency quantity, you will want to contact the automotive rental firm and the insurance coverage firm. The automotive rental firm will compensate and deal with the accident follow-up based on the phrases of the automotive rental contract. You probably have bought further insurance coverage, additionally, you will have to contact the insurance coverage firm to report the incident and make a declare.

Japan Automobile Rental｜Should-Study Driving Guidelines to Keep away from Site visitors Accidents

To keep away from site visitors accidents, along with driving fastidiously, you need to even be conversant in Japanese site visitors guidelines and site visitors indicators. Like Hong Kong, Japan has drivers on the proper and drives on the left. Different driving guidelines are much like these of different international locations, however the next are extra particular:

• The site visitors signal ‘止まれ’ signifies that the driving force should come to an entire cease earlier than the cease line and ensure there aren’t any oncoming autos earlier than persevering with.
• ‘徐行’ means driving slowly, and can be a standard site visitors sign up Japan
• Kids below 6 years outdated should sit in a toddler security seat
• The pace restrict in most areas is 60 km/h, and on motorways it’s 100 km/h.
• Earlier than crossing the railway tracks, you need to cease on the cease line to test if there are any trains coming from both aspect.
• No parking is allowed on the roadside. You’ll be able to solely park in parking areas. Automobiles should be parked in devoted parking heaps.
• Automobiles can flip proper when the site visitors mild is inexperienced, however they need to let the autos going straight forward go first. They will solely flip proper when there aren’t any autos.
• Pedestrians are given precedence. It’s essential to give precedence to pedestrians at zebra crossings with out site visitors lights.

Incessantly requested questions

How a lot does it price to lease a automotive in Japan?

Based on Japan Tourism Company, the each day rental charge for a typical small automotive (1,500 – 1,800 cc) is roughly ¥9,000 – ¥13,500, or roughly HK$475 – HK$712 per day.

What ought to I put together for driving in Japan?

When driving in Japan, vacationers should carry a sound worldwide license plate, the unique driver’s license, a vacationer passport, and a bank card to pay for the rental automotive.