Should I drive in Japan, Ling? @Eat & Travel, Ling!

Parking in Japan

In city areas such as Tokyo, Osaka or even popular tourist spots like Arashiyama, parking can be very costly. My friend, YS, told me they paid S$50 (~JPY4,000) for 3 hours of parking at Arashiyama! In Tokyo, it’s not uncommon to pay JPY1,000 for 1 hour of parking. It may be more cost effective to stick with public transport or take a taxi in city areas.

Further out of the main city areas, I’ve come across parking cost ranging from JPY100-JPY300 for 30mins-1hour. In countryside and smaller towns, free parking is quite common. At some tourist facilities or national parks, parking is generally a flat fee of JPY200-JPY500.

Hotels in city areas tend to charge parking fees of JPY1,000-1,500 per day. For hotels without parking, check with them if they have any special pricing for nearby carparks. Ryokans and lodging in country/rural areas usually provide free parking unless they are located in popular tourist spots with limited parking space.

Most chargeable parking is unmanned parking. Payment is made at a machine by keying in the carpark number. Once payment is made, it will release a panel that blocks the back wheels and the driver must drive off within a certain timeframe to avoid getting stuck. In Tokyo, you may come across high rise parking. The car is parked onto a platform and the car park attendant will activate the lift where the car moves into a rotating ferries wheel parking.

Petrol/Gas Stations

There are 2 types of Petrol/Gas Stations in Japan:

Full Service Station (フルサービス)- Service staff are available to assist you with filling up the petrol/gas tank. They will also clean the car windshields and collect any trash you need to throw. However, some full service station staff will not provide any windshield cleaning for rental cars. I don’t know why there’s a difference between rental cars and private cars when there’s no difference in petrol prices.

Self Service Station (セルフ) – Do it yourself with filling up the petrol/gas tank, cleaning the car and making the payment. Sometimes there is a staff around who you can approach if you hit difficulties, but I’ve come across some where there was no one around to assist. Do note that you may need to know/recognise some Japanese characters in order to operate the pump.

Which is better?

Personally I prefer going to Full Service Station to avoid the hassle of figuring out how to use the pump and make payment. Price wise, Self Service Station is slightly cheaper than Full Service Station. I find the difference isn’t too big – like a few Yen per Litre of petrol/gas. For example, for 20L of petrol with a price difference of JPY10 (usually less than that) between Full Service and Self Service, I’d be saving about JPY200 (less than SGD3). For tourists, that really isn’t much, whereas if you live in Japan, it will make a bigger difference over a period of time.

If you’re travelling in countryside and rural areas, do fill up the gas tank whenever possible to avoid getting caught in the middle of nowhere with an empty tank. I normally just ask the service staff to fill up full tank by saying Regular Mantan (満タン). Most rental cars use Regular petrol/gas, there is no need to fill it up with High Octane. Be careful if you rent a Diesel vehicle, don’t fill it with the wrong gas or you’ll have an unusable car and may have to pay compensation.

Regular / レギュラー, designated by a red pump and label
High Octane / ハイオク, designated by a yellow pump and label
Diesel / 軽油, designated by a green pump and label

Note: Remember to get a receipt when you’re making the last petrol/gas top up as the rental car company will need that as evidence that you return the car with a full tank.

Toll Charges and Expressway Pass

Driving on major expressways in Japan generally requires toll charges. Toll charges can be paid with cash or an ETC (Expressway Toll Collection) Card slot into the ETC reader in the rental car. If you’re planning to drive on a lot of expressway, consider getting an Expressway Toll Pass as it could help save money. Japan Guide has a good post on Expressway and the different Expressway Passes for each region. If you’re not getting an Expressway Pass, do consider renting an ETC card from the car rental company for a small fee. Paying toll charges via the ETC card is cheaper than paying cash.

To determine if worth getting an Expressway Pass or just pay as you go, you can check the toll charges on this Nexco Route Search site. The search results will give you an idea of how much the Toll charges are, the drive distance and estimated time.

Service Area, Roadside Stations and Parking Area

One of the best things about going on a road trip in Japan is the many Service Areas/Roadside Stations. Some are simple rest stops with vending machines (Parking Areas), and some are like a small shopping mall with food court and souvenir shops (Service Area and Roadside Stations). These are good places to have a break especially if you’re feeling sleeping and tired from while driving. Refresh yourselves at these places to stay alert and keep safe while driving.

My family and friends enjoy stopping at such service centres / rest stops. These places usually sell local food specialties which you would not get a chance to try if you’re not visiting those cities/villages. Such stops are tourist spots not only for foreigners but also the Japanese when they travel domestically. So don’t miss out on them!

Here’s a few good sites to search for Service Areas/Roadside Stations as you plan your drive trip in Japan.

West Nippon Expressway (NEXCO West) main site where you can read about Rest Area. There is a link to NEXCO Sightseeing Routes Service Area (SA) and Parking Area (PA) site where you can search using the map.
E-NEXCO Drive Plaza site where you can search for service area by area name and also Expressway toll/route search.

Driving Stickers in Japan

In Japan, you may come across the following driving stickers on the back of cars. Do take note of them as these indicate drivers who need some consideration from other drivers. Do not cut in front of cars with these stickers as it may result in you getting a fine of JPY5,000-JPY7,000.

Logo	What does it mean?
	Wakaba/Shoshinsha Mark - Beginner’s sticker For new drivers, this sticker must be placed on the front and back of their vehicle for 1 year after they received their driver's license.
	Koreisha Mark - Senior Driver Sticker Current design - Yotsuba (4 Leaf Clover) Previous design: Momiji (Autumn Leaf) This sticker is used to signify the driver is over the age of 70. Display of this sticker is mandatory for anyone over age 75.
	Choukaku Shougai Mark - Hearing Impaired Driver Sticker
	Shintai Shougai Mark - Handicapped Driver Sticker

Note: above Driving Sticker images taken from Internet

So should you drive in Japan?

I do recommend you consider a road trip in Japan. It’ll give you lots of opportunities to explore the countryside and see nature at its best. Japan has much nature, mountains and coasts to offer besides the bright city lights. The open spaces and closeness to nature and animals are quite enticing and will make any holiday wonderful. Just look at my photos below; can’t say no to such breathtaking views! 🥰