Car rental & Van in Japan

Car rental in Japan: discover every destination

Discover Japan by car

Japan is one of the world's most rewarding countries to explore by car. Trains connect city centres. They do not reach many coastlines, mountain villages, hot spring towns and national parks. A car opens up places that many visitors never see.
With NICONICO Rent A Car by Europcar, you can pick up at eight airports and one Shinkansen station and travel at your own pace, from spring cherry blossoms to Hokkaido's open summer roads and autumn mountain colours.

Before you drive: licence requirements

This section is for visitors who will drive with an overseas licence. Holders of a Japanese driving licence can skip it.
Japan does not accept an overseas national driving licence on its own.
Visitors from most countries need an International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention. Obtain it in your home country before travel.
Visitors from Germany, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Monaco or Taiwan need their national licence and an official Japanese translation issued by JAF or by their embassy or consulate in Japan. Other translations are not accepted at the counter. JAF accepts applications online, and its application site is accessible only from a network in Japan. See https://english.jaf.or.jp/driving-in-japan and allow several days if you apply after arrival.
At pickup, bring your original national licence, passport and a credit card in the main driver's name. Minimum driver age: 21.

What's included

CDW is included in the base rate. Multilingual GPS in English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese is included at no charge, except in the smallest T1 and T2 classes. 24/7 multilingual support is available at +81-92-687-4556, with a three-way interpreter. Most airport stations offer a free shuttle for pickup and return. Haneda is reached on foot. Kansai International Airport has no shuttle; take the train to Rinku Town Station and walk less than five minutes from Exit 5.
An optional Safety Plan covers the CDW excess and the Non-Operation Charge. It can be useful for snow, mountain roads and unfamiliar city traffic.

Where you can pick up

Japan has ten pick-up points at eight airports and one Shinkansen station.
Hokkaido: New Chitose Airport. Kanto: Narita International Airport, Tokyo International Airport (Haneda), Shin-Yokohama Station. Kansai: Kansai International Airport. Kyushu: Fukuoka Airport Domestic Terminal, Fukuoka Airport International Terminal, Nagasaki Airport, Kumamoto Airport, Kagoshima Airport.
One-way return routes are directional and were checked by station on 16 September 2026. New Chitose: no return destinations are listed. New Chitose is not listed as a return destination. Narita: Shin-Yokohama, Haneda, Kansai International Airport. Haneda: Narita, Shin-Yokohama, Kansai International Airport. Shin-Yokohama: Narita, Haneda, Kansai International Airport. Kansai International Airport: Narita, Haneda, Shin-Yokohama, Fukuoka Domestic, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Kagoshima, Fukuoka International. New Chitose is not listed as a return destination. Fukuoka Domestic: Kansai International Airport, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Kagoshima. Fukuoka International: Kansai International Airport, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Kumamoto. Nagasaki: Fukuoka Domestic, Kumamoto, Kagoshima, Fukuoka International. Kansai International Airport is not listed as a return destination. Kumamoto: Fukuoka Domestic, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Fukuoka International. Kansai International Airport is not listed as a return destination. Kagoshima: Fukuoka Domestic, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Fukuoka International. Kansai International Airport is not listed as a return destination.
Fees vary by route and appear during booking.

How airport pickup works

When you arrive, call +81-92-687-4556 and tell the team you have landed. A three-way interpreter joins the call.
At stations with a shuttle, go to the meeting point and take the free shuttle to the branch. At Haneda, walk to the branch on 1F of Haneda Airport Garden. At Kansai International Airport, take the train to Rinku Town Station and walk less than five minutes from Exit 5.

Where to drive

Tokyo and Kanto Pick up at Narita, Haneda or Shin-Yokohama. Tokyo city centre is about one hour from Narita. Kamakura and Yokohama are 1.5 to 2 hours away. Mt. Fuji and Kawaguchiko are 2.5 to 3 hours away, and Nikko is about two hours away.
Osaka and Kansai Pick up at Kansai International Airport. Central Osaka is about 40 minutes away, Kobe about one hour, Nara about one hour 10 minutes, Kyoto about one hour 20 minutes, and Koyasan about 1.5 hours.
Hokkaido Pick up at New Chitose Airport. Central Sapporo is about one hour by expressway. Niseko is about two hours away. Studless snow tyres are standard at New Chitose in winter. Other locations offer winter tyres as an option.
Kyushu Pick up at Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Kumamoto or Kagoshima. Visit Mt. Aso, Nagasaki, Sakurajima, Ibusuki and the region's hot springs. The station-by-station one-way return routes are listed above.

Practical tips

Drive on the left. The steering wheel is on the right.
Japan's expressways charge tolls. An ETC card costs ¥330 per rental and lets you pass through ETC gates. Overseas visitors can also buy regional passes with a rental car: HEP for Hokkaido, KEP for Kyushu, and SEP for San'in, Setouchi and Shikoku.
Follow posted speed limits. Ask about the full-tank option if you prefer to return the car without refuelling. City parking is paid and often narrow. A travel SIM is available with the rental.
New Chitose rentals include studless snow tyres in winter. At every other branch, winter tyres are optional and should be requested when booking.

About NICONICO Rent A Car

NICONICO Rent A Car is operated by MIC Co., Ltd. The company runs more than 1,450 branches across Japan and has served overseas visitors since 2016. Eight vehicle classes are available, from compact cars for narrow streets to minivans for groups with luggage.
Car rental in Japan

Car rental in Japan

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