Japan Car Rental FAQs and General Information

What documentation do I need?

The named driver/s will be required to present their UK driving licence (see below), an International Driving Permit as outlined below, a valid credit card in their own name (NB debit cards are not accepted for this) and the car rental voucher. Any additional drivers will also require an International Driving Permit and must present their driving licence when collecting the car.

On collection of your rental vehicle, it is standard practice for the rental company to put a pre-authorisation hold on funds on your credit card as a security deposit. The amount will vary depending on the duration of rental and vehicle category, but is typically between £300 and £1,500. This can be a substantial amount, so please ensure your credit card has sufficient funds available.

Car rental - changes to driving licence requirements when renting a car

The paper counterpart to the photocard driving licence has been replaced by an online service. Please visit www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence for information and to register. You will need your driving licence number, National Insurance number and postcode to register and create a licence check code, allowing you to share your driving licence details. Print off a copy of the licence summary page showing the code and take it with you to the rental desk, along with your driving licence.

Please note that the check code is only valid for 21 days from the date of issue. It is possible that not all rental locations overseas will be aware of the system, and you may not be asked for the details. However, please ensure you have followed the above procedure to avoid any potential issues when collecting the rental car.

International driving permit

You will require an International driving permit to drive in Japan. This must be obtained in the UK prior to arrival in Japan. Please note that Japan only recognises the 1949 permit type. For more information, please visit www.gov.uk/driving-abroad/international-driving-permit.

What’s included?

Our standard rentals include rental fees, Collision/Loss Damage Waiver (CDW/LDW), liability insurance, tax and mileage. An excess may apply. Please note that in common with most car rentals, damage to glass, tyres and the underside of the vehicle as well as towing for non-breakdown incidents, is not covered by the insurance. When you pick up your vehicle, you may be offered optional insurance top-up policies to reduce or waive any excess that applies and to cover these risks. In addition to the above, upgraded rentals include a tank of fuel and one or more additional drivers.

You will also be offered locally other optional products such as Personal Effects and Personal Accident insurance (which may be covered by your general travel insurance policy) as well as roadside assistance cover and a fuel purchase option.  If you do decide to accept any optional charges, you will pay for them locally. You will also be charged locally for items such as ski racks, sat nav systems, baby seats, one-way rental fees, and young driver fees for drivers under 25, if applicable.

Car hire top-up insurance - there are policies available in the UK which provide cover for any excess that may be charged, towing for non-breakdown incidents, damage to glass and tyres etc. and key loss. If you choose to purchase one of these policies, you will pay the car hire company for the excess/damage/towing and then claim the costs back through your policy.

NB - you must check the rental agreement carefully before signing. Unfortunately, there have been occasions when customers have signed the agreement without checking, and they have been charged for optional insurances or upgrades that were added by default. The agreement may be on a screen or a printed copy. Please check any amounts shown and if you are unsure what they are for, then ask the staff before agreeing and signing. Once signed, the charges will be debited from your card and it is not possible to get a refund.

How much is the insurance excess and/or deposit?

The excess is typically around £500-£1,500 depending on the country, supplier and the vehicle category, but you should check your rental agreement for the excess applicable to your rental. A deposit is usually around £300-£1,500.

What are the fuel purchase options?

Policies vary by supplier but there are typically two options:

1. Take the vehicle full and return it full to avoid being charged - this is the cheapest option but please note that the vehicle has to be returned absolutely full to avoid any charge.
2. Pre-pay a tank of fuel when picking up the vehicle - you pick up your vehicle with a full tank and can then return it at any level, but note that rental companies charge more per litre than the going rate available locally.

Can I add additional drivers after the rental has started?

Anyone wishing to drive the vehicle must be present when you pick up your vehicle and sign the rental agreement, they cannot be added at a later stage.

Winter tyres in Japan

Snow tyres are provided when renting a car in the snowy regions of Sapporo and Nagano from November to April, as it is mandatory. 

If you are renting a car in Tokyo and require snow tyres, this must be included at the time of making the booking and this will be indicated on your voucher. Please let us know if you wish to have snow tyres included in your rental.

4-wheel drive

Vehicles in the snowy regions of Hokkaido (Sapporo) and Nagano are mostly 4-wheel drive.

Unfortunately, over the past few years we have had to make it clear to our customers, both on our website and in the quotations and booking documents that we send, that when they book a rental vehicle with us as part of their package, we cannot guarantee that the vehicle they get will be a 4-wheel drive (4x4) vehicle, this includes SUV vehicles. 

Why is that?

All rental companies now carry a wider range of vehicle drive types within the size categories – they can be 2-wheel drive, 4-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.  Rental companies buy vehicles for their rental pool with one eye on the future resale value.  Whereas in the past there was a strong market for used 4x4 vehicles, more people are now wanting the larger vehicles for its height, size and style but without the additional complexities and costs of running a 4x4, so they buy a 2-wheel drive version instead. Hence, rental companies now carry a wider range of those vehicles to make resale easier and we can no longer guarantee that a customer will be given a 4x4. We work with many different rental companies, including Alamo, Avis, Budget and Hertz and none of them will offer this guarantee on any of their normal SUV categories, as they regard the different drive versions as being interchangeable within a particular category.

What if I book direct?

Rental companies may describe some of their vehicles as ‘4WD/AWD’ on their websites, however it’s still not guaranteed that you would end up with a 4x4 if you were to book with them.  All rental vehicles are booked by category and described as, for example, a ‘Ford Explorer standard SUV 4WD/AWD or similar’ – the ‘or similar’ vehicle would still be a standard SUV, but could be 2-wheel drive.

Toll roads in Japan

The use of most expressways in Japan is subject to tolls, which can be paid at manual toll gates by cash or credit card. Alternatively, you may wish to purchase an ETC card through the car rental company so that you can pass through automatic ETC (electronic toll collection) gates.

There is usually a charge of approximately 200-300 YEN per day for the ETC card and the cost of the tolls will be charged to your credit card by the car rental company at the end of your rental. Please let us know if you are interested in arranging an ETC card with your car rental.

Return time

Some rental companies allow a 30 or 60-minute grace period at the end of a rental, allowing you to return the vehicle slightly late without being charged for an extra day, others do not.  Please check your rental agreement for the policy applicable to your rental. The easiest way to avoid being charged is to make sure you return the vehicle by the date and time shown on your agreement.

Can I make changes to my rental booking once I’ve picked up the vehicle?

Once a rental booking has started, we cannot make any changes to it.  You will have to speak direct to the rental company.  Contact details will be on your rental agreement.  Additional charges may apply.

Ski racks

Please let us know if you require a ski rack. An additional charge will be payable.

Other information

When picking up the car, we recommend that you check if a snow brush or wiper has been provided. If there is not one provided, you may wish to purchase one as it makes clearing off snow much easier.