When people think about driving in Japan, they usually get overwhelmed by several legitimate fears about getting around, reading Japanese street signs, and managing driving in places they don’t know. While it’s understandable to have these worries, after a closer look, you’ll realize that it’s not that hard after all.

Granted, the names of locations and roads might look rather complicated to many people, but other than that, signs are not very different from the ones you may be used to. Road signs indicating places are almost always written in Japanese and English, making it easy for most people to navigate.

However, certain signs have meanings that you might not immediately intuit. One notable exception for American drivers is the Japanese “stop” sign, which resembles the U.S. “yield.”

Some other special signs are as follows:

In Japan, you will keep the left side of the road, and the steering wheel is on the right side of the car. For drivers visiting from the U.K., Australia, Hong Kong, and a few other countries, this presents no change from their respective countries.

For people from most countries in Europe, the Americas, and Asia, this means that in Japan, you’ll have to drive on the opposite side, and everything within the car is a “mirror image” of what you are probably used to (except for the position of the brakes and accelerator pedals).

One simple tip is always to remember that the driver is on the same side as the line dividing road lanes.

While this may feel troublesome for some people, you’ll likely get used to it after just a few hours. To make matters better, Japanese cars are generally equipped with automatic transmissions, so you won’t have to worry about shifting gears with “the other hand.”

Let’s start by saying that, compared to many other countries, Japanese drivers tend to respect the speed limits on city roads and highways.

However, in more rural areas, like Hokkaido, where there are lower speeds applicable to vast areas between more populated centers, you may find locals going much faster than the speed limit.

The speed limit in urban areas is 30-50km/h (depending on the road), and typically 80km/h in rural areas. On the highway, the speed limit is 100km/h.

While many roads in Japan are toll-free, highways are not necessarily so.

Highway access signs are green and rectangular.

Like many other countries in the world, the toll depends on the distance you drove on the highway, and you’ll have to pay as you exit it.

Entering the highway, you’ll collect a ticket from a usually unmanned station. This ticket will need to be presented at the exit gate, where you will pay your fare.

If you have a paper ticket, be sure you do not enter a toll booth lane marked with the purple ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) sign, but rather enter the green lane marked "一般" (all vehicles).

If the car you rent is equipped with the so-called ETC card, you will instead be able to use separate gates for access and exit to the highway, without needing to stop. The ETC card needs to be linked to a credit card that will be charged with the highway fares; ask your rental agency for details and additional instructions.

ETC cards can also be rented, making your road trips across Japan much smoother. Please note that regular gates are marked in green (presenting the kanji for “cash”), and the ETC ones are marked with a purple sign reading “ETC.”

Highways in Japan typically have many rest and gas stops. These rest areas also tend to have shops that retail regional produce and other products, making them a unique chance to sample local treasures. So definitely give them a go and take your trip slowly and safely when driving for long periods of time.

If you rent a vehicle, the chances are that it will come with insurance and a 24/7 emergency number should you have a problem with the car, or get in an accident.

However, in the off chance that is not the case, you will notice on highways and expressways frequent “emergency stations” from where you’ll be able to get in touch with and communicate your location to road services with the push of a button.

For medical assistance, dial 119; for police, dial 110.

In Japan, vehicles use three main kinds of gas: diesel, regular, and high-octane.

Diesel pumps are green or gray; regular gas pumps are red; and high-octane ones are yellow. If in doubt, never go for the cheapest option unless you know your vehicle is diesel.

Gas prices vary from prefecture to prefecture. Furthermore, it’s important to notice that the gas stations’ prices on the lightboards may refer only to customers with member cards. If you don’t have one, you’ll need to add a few yen/liter to the price you see on the boards.

Most gas stations have instructions only in Japanese. The good news is that the steps to put gas in the tank are always the same (of course, if you’re not using a self-service station, you’ll only need to tell the service person your needed amount and type of gas).

If you are using a rental car and select a full-service bay, you can tell the attendant to fill up the tank by saying, "mantan kudasai."

Japan may have rules that are a little different from what you may be used to in your country.

For example, unlike in the United States, you cannot turn right (or left) on a red traffic light.

Once the traffic light turns green, you can drive towards the center of the road in preparation for the turn. You will have to wait for a green light to give you the way to turn or for the flow of cars coming from the opposite direction to stop.

One thing that most drivers might not be familiar with is that in Japan, regardless of whether a sign is present by a railroad, one must come to a complete stop before crossing the tracks, even when the bar is up and no trains are approaching. (Japanese police are very strict about this rule.)

We’ll talk more about driver’s permits in Japan, but it’s very important to remember that driving without a driver’s license (or a non-valid driver’s license) in Japan is punishable with a fine of up to 300,000 yen and up to 1-year imprisonment.

While drinking and driving is rightfully severely punished almost everywhere in the world, Japan is particularly strict on this matter. Even just a few sips of light alcohol will show as way past the limit on a breathalyzer. Do not ever get behind the wheel if you drink any amount of alcohol. Not only can you endanger yourself and others, but you can also face extreme legal consequences.

Most rental cars in Japan will come with GPS navigation; make sure your car has a navigation system that you can understand. Most modern ones have several language options, but the older models might be only in Japanese. If you rent a car, make sure to ask to have your GPS (referred to as a “navi”) set up in your language of choice.

If you decide to go on a long road trip across the country, chances are you’ll want to visit many places (and you should!). Before you leave, though, make sure to book your hotels in advance to avoid surprises.

There is so much to see and so many places to visit that you may not see all you would like to if you don’t make a good plan. Spend a few days deciding which areas are more worth visiting during your trip, and remember to consider the time you’ll need to get there (and to rest!).

When it comes to what kind of documents and license you need to drive in Japan, things require a little bit of attention, since there isn’t a one-size-fits-all rule for foreigners driving in this country.

Not all countries can issue an international driver’s license valid in Japan. If your international license was issued by a country affiliated with the 1949 Geneva Convention, then you will be able to drive in Japan with it. However, it’s sometimes confusing for people because many other countries are affiliated with the 1969 Vienna Convention, to which Japan is not affiliated.

While the international permits look very similar, Japan is extremely strict when it comes to international regulations, so make sure you first find out whether your country issues an international permit recognized in Japan.

For drivers whose license was issued by countries affiliated with the 1949 Geneva Convention
To drive in Japan, you will need your international driver’s license, passport, and home country driver’s license.

You may use your international permit for up to one year (starting from the date it was issued) in Japan. After one year elapses, you’ll need to obtain a Japanese driver’s license.

For drivers whose license was not issued by countries affiliated with the 1949 Geneva Convention
You’ll need your home country’s driver’s license, your passport, and an official Japanese translation of your driver’s license.

The translation can be procured through JAF (Japanese Automobile Association).

To rent a car, you’ll need to present all this documentation.

For drivers whose license was issued by countries NOT affiliated with the 1949 Geneva Convention AND which do not have an agreement with Japan regarding official translation for driver’s licenses
Unfortunately, in this scenario, you will not be able to rent a car or drive in Japan.

NOTE: to be sure to which group your driver’s license belongs, contact your closest Japanese Embassy.

Once you have all your documents in order, you may want to rent a car finally!

All major Japanese rental companies (such as Toyota Rent a Car, Nissan Rent a Car, Times Car Rental) have websites in Japanese, English, and Mandarin Chinese (and often other languages).

Booking online is recommended.

Remember that usually bigger rental companies, while massively more convenient in terms of pick up and drop off locations (as well as availability), can be a little pricier than their smaller counterparts.

Unlike in many European and North American countries, one-way roads are somewhat less frequent in Japan. Yet very narrow streets are extremely easy to encounter. You may think that roads so narrow that a car can barely fit on them would be one-way.

More often than not, you’d be mistaken. You’ll have to be extremely careful in these instances. Whenever encountering a vehicle approaching from the opposite direction, custom dictates that both drivers get as close as possible to their side of the road, or one will let the other pass, by stopping in an opening.

Japanese drivers customarily thank other drivers by using the emergency blinkers (they turn them on for a couple of seconds). If you want to thank a driver who is not behind your car, a small head bow or wave will also suffice.

Roads in Japan are well-maintained. Highways are certainly no exception.

For this reason, it’s not uncommon to encounter work-in-progress areas on the highway. The signs that warn you of the works ahead are pretty standard, except for one.

You will often see a human-sized moving sign in the shape of a worker waving its “arm” holding a red light. These signs are positioned very close to the traffic lanes and could scare more than a few drivers since, especially at night, these signs can look like a real worker being way too close to speeding cars.

Japanese drivers tend to play it a little loosely with the yellow on the traffic light. They should slow down and safely come to a halt, but, often, they will instead suddenly speed up trying to beat the red (and sometimes failing, which causes cars to cross an intersection well after the traffic light switches to red). So make sure you pay attention and don’t join in the “speeding for yellow” craze!

Be aware that laws regarding how motorcycles may operate in lanes may be different in Japan. Especially when turning, be careful of motorcycles and scooters approaching quickly in your lane.

Handsfree only.

Parking in Japan is not too hard (except for some areas in the major cities). White lines marking a parking spot mean that you can park your vehicle for free.

In other cases, you’ll need to pay a certain amount for a set period of time. The cost changes massively depending on the city and its surrounding areas.

Some parking lots operate with moving platforms that arrange your cars in a beehive-type arrangement. These parking lots have restrictions regarding the size of cars they accept. Generally, even small SUVs cannot be parked there.

You will encounter signs warning you of animals that may cross the road (these include boars, deer, and monkeys!). These signs are yellow and rhomboid in shape.

Cars may carry stickers for beginner drivers, elderly, or differently-abled people. In Japan, these are image and color-coded.

Police cars in Japan always have their flashing lights on. Unless you hear sirens, if you see police lights approaching, that doesn’t mean that they want you to pull over, or that you’re doing something wrong.

Now you're pretty much set to drive in Japan and enjoy one of the most amazing road trips you’ll ever undertake! While this article is intended to give an overview of the major points to know before driving in Japan if you are curious to learn more about the rules of the road and more, check out the Japanese Automobile Federation’s website (http://www.jaf.or.jp), which provides a large amount of related information in English.