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2026 / 05 / 29
Driving in Tokyo: Is It Worth Renting a Car?
Thinking about driving in central Tokyo? Think again. Learn why the world-class train system is better, and the expensive nightmare of Tokyo coin parking.
JDLTC editorial team · Camjyo Inc.
The Short Answer: Probably Not
If you are planning to spend your entire vacation within the 23 wards of Tokyo (Shinjuku, Shibuya, Asakusa, Ginza), renting a car is a terrible idea. It will cost you more money, take more time, and cause infinitely more stress than simply taking the train.
The World's Best Public Transit
Tokyo's train and subway network is the envy of the world. Trains arrive exactly on time, every 3 to 5 minutes. You can cross the entire metropolis for a few dollars. Conversely, driving across Tokyo involves gridlock traffic, confusing elevated expressways, and endless red lights.
The Nightmare of Tokyo Parking
The biggest deterrent to driving in Tokyo is parking. Street parking is completely illegal. You must find a coin parking lot or an underground garage. Parking in central areas like Shibuya or Ginza can easily cost 1,500 to 2,000 JPY per hour, with no daily maximum cap. A day of shopping could cost you $50 just in parking fees.
The Shuto Expressway (Shutoko)
If you do drive in Tokyo, you will inevitably end up on the Shuto Expressway. This is a multi-level, elevated highway network that snakes between skyscrapers. It features terrifyingly short on-ramps with no merge lanes, sudden exits on the right side of the fast lane, and blind corners. It is not for the faint of heart.
When SHOULD You Rent a Car in Tokyo?
You should only rent a car in Tokyo if you are using it to leave Tokyo immediately. If you are picking up a car at Haneda or Narita Airport to drive directly to Mount Fuji, Hakuba, or Nikko, renting a car makes perfect sense.
From the two of us who run this site
Driving on your IDP? Give Kyushu two weeks
We are Karen and Doko, a couple in Fukuoka. Besides the licence translations, we rent out campervans for trips around Kyushu under the name VAN TRIP JAPAN. When friends ask us where to drive in Japan, we send them south to Kyushu, the island we live on.
Our 7-day loop takes in Aso, Takachiho Gorge and the hot springs of Beppu and Yufuin. With two weeks you can add Nagasaki and Shimabara in the west and Kagoshima in the south, and you stop rushing. We've written up the 14-day loop day by day, with drive times.
Two weeks is also where the price starts to work. Rentals of 14 days or more get 15% off the whole booking (10% from 7 days, 20% from 21). Weekday rates start at ¥22,000 a day with insurance, bedding and a cooking set included, and you pick the van up 10 minutes from Fukuoka Airport.
Licence from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan? The campervans work with the Japanese translation too, and VAN TRIP JAPAN takes ¥5,000 off the rental when the translation was done through us (just mention it on WhatsApp; the driver's name has to match the order).
Your translation, ready for your trip
For licences issued in Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan. Eligibility depends on the issuing country, not your nationality or current location.
