Driving in Japan as an American: what to expect before you rent

A general familiarization guide · Last updated 19 July 2026

A rental car is the key to the Japan beyond the bullet-train stations - Hokkaido's open roads, the temples of the countryside, the coastlines and mountain passes. The good news for Americans is that Japanese traffic is famously calm and orderly. The adjustments are real but specific: you'll drive on the left, thread some very tight streets, and get to know a tolling system built around a little electronic card. Rehearse the switch beforehand and the rest is mostly logistics.

What's the biggest adjustment for American drivers?

Japan drives on the left, so you'll sit on the right side of the car and your sense of the road shifts with you - which way you look first, where the car sits, and how each turn resolves. The ideas are simple; the challenge is instinct. We cover those core reflexes in our guide to driving on the left as an American, so here we'll focus on what makes Japan its own case: mostly the cities, the tolls, and a pleasant surprise about the cars.

Will your rental be an automatic?

Almost certainly, and that's the pleasant surprise. Unlike much of Europe, automatics are the norm in Japan, so you can usually leave the stick-shift worry at home - though it's still worth confirming when you book. Cars trend small and easy to place, which pays off on narrow streets and in the country's tight parking. Pickups cluster at the big airports - Narita (NRT) and Haneda (HND) for Tokyo, Kansai (KIX) for Osaka and Kyoto, New Chitose (CTS) for Hokkaido, and Naha (OKA) for Okinawa. Take a parked minute to find the mirrored stalks and controls before you set off.

What are Japanese roads and cities like?

Two contrasts stand out. Rural and expressway driving is relaxed and well-engineered, with courteous traffic and clear lane discipline. City driving is the tight part: narrow residential streets, limited and often mechanical parking (towers that stack cars), and dense junctions. Big cities like Tokyo and Osaka reward leaving the car parked and using trains locally, then picking it up as you head out of town. Signage often includes some English on major routes, but not everywhere, so plan navigation before you rely on reading signs on the move.

How do tolls and navigation work?

Japan's expressways are excellent and heavily tolled. Most rentals come with, or offer, an ETC card that pays tolls electronically as you pass through dedicated lanes - far smoother than fumbling for cash, and worth asking about at pickup. For navigation, in-car systems are common and many can be set in English or by a numeric "map code" for a destination. Exactly how tolls are billed and how the ETC card is settled is something to confirm with your rental company rather than assume.

Do you need to worry about roundabouts?

Less than you might expect. Japan uses roundabouts sparingly, so most junctions are signal-controlled intersections rather than circles. That shifts what's worth rehearsing: instead of roundabout technique, focus on finishing each turn on the correct side of the road and on looking the right way first - the reflexes that a signalized, left-side intersection tests over and over.

How should you prepare?

Rehearse the switch, then let logistics be logistics. A few short sessions on the mirrored reflexes - which side to be on, pulling out onto an empty road, looking the right way first, and a quick check of the cockpit layout - cover the part that's genuinely a habit change. The tolls, parking, and paperwork you sort out separately: confirm the current requirements for foreign drivers on official guidance well ahead, since they vary and change. Our guides to the first 30 minutes with a rental car and how long it takes to adjust cover the rest. Our full guide to how to practise before you travel covers every method.

Remember that this is general familiarization guidance, not driving instruction or a substitute for the official rules of your destination. Always check local guidance and drive within your ability.