International Drivers Licence

Has anyone had to produce their International Drivers Licence whilst driving in Japan?..and was there any complications from the Police?. I can borrow my friends car in Hiroshima each time I visit, and will do so this June..do I need to have an International Licence with me?..or would my Australian Drivers Licence be ok?...thanks in advance.

You will need all of the following with you whenever you drive:
1) your Australian license
2) your international driving permit
3) your passport

(I am assuming that you are not living in Japan)

More details here:
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2024.html

(You need to have your passport with you at all times, not just when driving.)

Thank you to you both..yes, I always carry my passport. Seems to me a waste of money to obtain an International Drivers Licence in Australia..when I already have an Australian Licence..the International Licence simply has my photo in a folder..my photo is already on both my Passport and Australian Licence. But I will obtain an International Drivers Licence and bring with me..just in case!?. Thanks again.

Your Australian license alone is not valid in Japan; driving with it is exactly the same thing as driving without a license. In order to be valid, it must be accompanied by an IDP.

Firas said it all, there are international conventions and your driver's license has to comply with them, in this case 1949 Geneva Convention. Australian licenses alone don't comply, so they must be accompanied by International Driving Permit (License). You need both of them.

Btw., we rented a car at Toyota and the clerk wasn't much interested in my Czech driver's license, but he made a copy of the International one.

Aussie license is not recognized in Japan. You need to obtain a International Drivers License.

Thank you everyone!....will obtain an International Drivers Licence...and carry with me whilst driving along with my Aussie Licence and Passport..as advised..thanks!

Just as a point of info - the practical point about an IDP is that it serves as a translation of your home country licence into the language of the country you want to drive in.
Imagine it the other way around - I know that I wouldnft be able to tell a Japanese license from any other piece of (possibly fake) ID.

Countries that are covered by the IDP conventions are hugely lucky - other countries either canft drive in Japan or need to get a certified translation of their home licence into Japanese.

IMHO the small inconvenience and low cost of getting an IDP is massively outweighed by the huge benefits it confers.

...point taken!..thank you 'Winter Visitor'.

https://www.racv.com.au/travel-leisure/holiday-planning/international-...

$39 in your state.

Gosh! Itfs about £5 in the UK.
Still, the ability to hire a car when you want to can be priceless.
On this 17 day trip wefve only taken one train so far, with one more to take in a few days to get us back to Tokyo to fly home.
An internal flight, three different periods of car hire, a ferry and a shortish highway bus trip have all worked perfectly, taken is to some great places, and have been better value than a rail pass.