Renting a car in Japan

Hi there,

l am visiting Japan in a few months and wanted to rent a car for a few days in the Mt Fuji / Hakone region. Was there anything i needed to do permit wise before i went over?
ie. Did i need to translate my license to Japanese? Or get an international license?

Thanks.

It will depend on what country you're from as to whether you need an international licence or a translation of your licence. There are a few countries where you need to actually get a Japanese licence, but they are uncommon!

Look at this page:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2022.html

Yeah depends on country, like for Canada it is just the International Driving Permit that you can get at AMA locations.

That's all I needed last time a rented a car. Drivers license and the International Driving Permit.

Hope this helps!!
Have Fun!!!

Sorry, I forgot to mention that I'm from Australia.

Thanks for your help guys

Australia is simple, just get the International Driving Permit at your equivalent of the RAA (I'm in SA). Just don't forget to keep it with you!

Get the International Driving permit and do not forget to bring your driving licence as well.

Also remember that the driver can only be the one with the international drivers permit. If you plan on sharing the driving both drivers would need a permit. The permits are a rort. $40 plus passport photo and only last 12 months. They should recognise our Australian licenses. The area you wanting to drive can be reached with public transport. When I rented a car in Japan road tolls and parking are very expensive.

And don't forget the petrol cost, and do plan ahead, mapcode will be useful.

Renting a car in Japan is easy, and can be pretty cheap. It's at least as cheap as renting one in the UK - and you can choose an unusual car at a very small premium if that interests you (we had a cube car on our last trip and it was a hoot. You don't get them in the UK, where I'm from).

Getting an IDP is also pretty easy. The IDP system is in use all over the world, so I don't see why poster above is complaining so much about it. Passports cost money, too, but people seem to think it's worth getting them in order to travel. Just think of the IDP as a sort of driving passport.

You've already been given the link to the japan-guide page re driving and renting a car. If you had a look on there, and tried to do a quote or two from some car rental agencies, you'll soon find out for yourself how much it will cost.

https://rent.toyota.co.jp/eng/drive/
https://nissan-rentacar.com/english/guide/qualification.html
http://www.keishicho.metro.tokyo.jp/foreign/traffic/geneva.htm

http://www.japan-guide.com/search/?cx=015609760794546757367%3A7rvvvope...

Nasum they do recognize your Australian driver's license. Hence only needing an IDP which is nothing other than a guide for translating your English driver's license in Japanese.

My problem with the IDP is the short length of validity. If it was the same as a passport that would be fine.

$40 for 12 months is a pretty good deal, given that passports last 1o years and cost upwards of $200 (in Australia).

It is not a rort. You need to present something that allows a Japanese speaker to "translate" your licence. Someone has to provide that to you, and they shouldn't have to do it for free because it's their job and they are providing you a service. You cannot translate your own licence because you are not registered to do so and might be passing off a fake licence.

As for the period of validity, they're doing you a favour.
You could lose your licence at home, via penalty points, in one incident; and you want an IDP to be valid for as long as a passport?

Winter Visitor - The IDP is provided in Australia by a private company (NRMA in NSW) and they do not check if the license is valid when making the IDP. It is just a translation service.

SQ -The reason it is a rort is that a passport doesn't need a translation and is valid everywhere so why does a license which has very similar information need a $40 charge every year. Also in many countries it is not required
See http://www.racv.com.au/wps/wcm/connect/racv/internet/primary/travel/dr...

The IDP is provided in Australia by a private company (NRMA in NSW) and they do not check if the license is valid when making the IDP. It is just a translation service.

Sorry, that's on you guys if your private service is overcharging you. For example, the US version of the IDP costs $15 and is good for three years, and the JP version costs something like 2500 yen.

Also in many countries it is not required
See http://www.racv.com.au/wps/wcm/connect/racv/internet/primary/travel/dr...

Look at the list of countries where the IDP is not required and you'll see understand why that is the case. But really the situation goes far beyond the convenience of drivers and I'd suggest looking into it more if you really want to understand it. Unfortunately, it is too complex of an issue to continue sidetracking this thread with.

A passport can be scanned through a machine for checking. An IDP cannot. A passport is also much more official and much harder to fake than a driver's licence.

If the NRMA didn't check your licence, they were doing it wrong. When I got mine at the RAA, they checked my licence. You have to provide both your licence and the IDP when driving in a foreign country anyway, though, so it probably doesn't matter if the NRMA didn't check - it's on you to make sure you are legally able to drive.

Regarding the different prices across the world, the difference is probably based on cost of living/wages paid; in Australia we are paid higher wages and have a higher cost of living compared to both the US and Japan. Validity-wise, we're probably just unlucky.

Seriously, it's $40 for the opportunity to drive overseas. Suck it up.

In Hong Kong a IDP cost only USD13 for 1 year, in your home country you just go to where you applied for your DL and get the IDP there, in most cases they will issue to you on the spot.

I'm confused.... Are you saying why the IDP not last the same as your 10 year passport?

IDP is only one year in most country and the 40AUD (36CAD) is the same that I paid when I got my IDP so I can drive in Japan. It is only a permit (Translation plus verify check that your License is real and register in your country).

You need your Passport, IDP(If your country is on Japan's IDP list) and your home country Drivers License to rent a car.

You could also change your License to International License but would still need it translated in Japanese anyways.

Hope this helps!!
Have Fun!!

In Hong Kong a IDP cost only USD13 for 1 year, in your home country you just go to where you applied for your DL and get the IDP there, in most cases they will issue to you on the spot.

The procedure and cost is different in every country, and in many countries it is a third part company that issues IDPs.

You could also change your License to International License but would still need it translated in Japanese anyways.

There is no such thing as an International License, at least not one that is recognized in Japan. Be careful to go to your local agency to get the International Driving PERMIT as there are a lot of scam "international licenses" out there on the internet.