For
visitors to remote rural areas in Japan, driving may well be your best
option for getting off the beaten track whether in your own vehicle
or a rental car.
Hokkaido, Shikoku, parts of Kyushu, the prefectures of Yamaguchi and
Shimane in the deep south of Honshu and Aomori and Akita in the far
north can all be comfortably and affordably explored by car.
Providing you have a valid
Japanese license or an international driver's license and a foreign
driver's license that is at least 3 months old and is approved by the
Japanese authorities then you can legally hire or buy a car while in
Japan.
Hiring a car, rather than owning one, is becoming a cheaper option
and is worth considering if you are a resident or visitor in Japan.
Car hire companies congregate near major railway stations and ferry terminals in the big cities.
Cars in Japan drive on the LEFT, with the steering wheel on the right of the vehicle.
Roads in Japan
Apart from Expressways, there are few toll roads in Japan, and the
mostly two-lane Expressways are your best bet for getting anywhere quickly.
Driving on Japanese national roads can be very slow due to the amount
of traffic, the number of traffic lights and the few multi-lane roads
that are suitable for overtaking. Estimate average distance covered
at around 40-45km per hour on non-Expressway roads, very slow by world
standards.
Speed limits are usually 80-110km/h on Expressways, 50 to 60 km/h on
out-of-town national roads and 30-40 km/h in urban areas.
Unless you
have an ETC unit and card in your vehicle, you will need to stop at
the toll barrier as you enter a Japanese Expressway and take a ticket.
When you exit the Expressway, produce the ticket and pay the toll in
cash or using a pre-paid Expressway card, which can be purchased at service areas on Expressways.
Service areas can be found at regular intervals of 50 to 150 kilometers
with restaurants, convenience
stores, gasoline, overnight parking, toilets and maps.
Some typical driving times on the Expressway are 5 hours from Kyoto
to Tokyo with a cost of 9,800 yen in Expressway tolls, Nagasaki-Kumamoto
(1 hour, 2,800 yen), Tokyo-Hakone (1 hour, 20 minutes, 1,800 yen), Sendai-Morioka
(2 hours, 5,800 yen).
* Note: these times are for the Expressway only and not for the time
taken to reach the Expressway.
Car Insurance In Japan
All drivers in Japan must have at least third party insurance and carry the documentation (hoken-shomeisho) along with your driving license in the glove compartment when driving.
Fully comprehensive insurance at various levels is also available and usually recommended.
If you do have a serious accident involving the hospitalizing/death of a third party or serious damage to another vehicle or property, the claims on your insurance will be large, if not to say, catastrophic.
Cars with under 1000cc engine capacity have yellow number plates and are called K-cars in Japan
Driving In Japan
For
visitors to remote rural areas in Japan, driving may well be your best
option for getting off the beaten track whether in your own vehicle
or a 
Apart from Expressways, there are few toll roads in Japan, and the
mostly two-lane Expressways are your best bet for getting anywhere quickly.
