Japan is one of the strictest countries in the world about foreign drivers, and the rules catch out many visitors. The short answer: you need either a 1949 Geneva Convention IDP or, for a handful of countries, an official Japanese translation of your licence. Nothing else is valid.
The 1949 IDP rule
Tokyo’s Metropolitan Police Department states that only IDPs issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention are valid in Japan. Permits issued under the 1968 Vienna Convention are not, even when the issuing country also signed the 1949 convention. Countries that issue 1949 IDPs include the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Official Japanese translations
Licence holders from a short list of countries, including Germany, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Monaco and Taiwan, can drive with an official Japanese translation of their licence instead of an IDP. That translation must come from the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) or the country’s embassy or consulate in Japan.
What doesn’t work
- Private translations, including ours. They are not valid for driving in Japan.
- IDPs issued under the 1968 Vienna Convention.
- Any IDP bought from a website that is not your country’s authorised issuer.
Driving without a valid permit in Japan is treated as driving without a licence, and rental companies check carefully before handing over keys.
Practical tips
- Apply for your IDP at home, before you fly. It can’t be issued in Japan.
- Japan drives on the left. Most rental cars are automatic.
- Expressway tolls are high; ask your rental company for an ETC card to pay automatically.
- The alcohol limit is effectively zero for practical purposes: don’t drink and drive at all.