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Japan Car Rental Guide: KL/SG Driver's First-Time Handbook - Jin Travels Japan

Japan Car Rental Guide: KL/SG Driver's First-Time Handbook

by - 4:30 PM


As a Malaysian who can't drive (I have a license but haven't driven for ages so I chose not to drive for public safety lol), watching my friends navigate Japan's roads taught me this: Driving in Japan, and especially in Kyushu, is like playing Initial D arcade game IRL - except that we are law-abiding citizens who dared not to exceed speed limits. Here's everything we wish we knew before our Kyushu road trip!

In this blog post, I'd like to share some tips to help you decide on whether you'll need to rent a car, or if public transportation would be a better choice for you. If you'd like to know more on the essentials and differences between driving in Malaysia and in Japan, I'll try my best to cover it based on our experience in Kyushu.

Before You Go: Malaysian/SG Essentials

Road trip in Aso, view from passenger seat
If you've followed my blog posts since February 2025, you'd probably knew that I had my self-drive trip as a group of three Malaysian girls (with one working in Singapore). There might be questions on whether what should be done, so here are the essentials to know!

🪪 The IDP Hack to Japan (JPJ Malaysia and AA Singapore)

Malaysians: Get your International Driving Permit from JPJ for RM150 (valid 1 year). Singaporeans: Visit AA Singapore (S$20). Pro tip: Apply at least 2 weeks before departure!

For Malaysians, applications for an International Driving Permit (IDP) can be made at any State/Branch JPJ office or at the Malaysian Automobile Association (AAM) office as long as you meet the requirements:

  1. Possess a Competent Driver's License (CDL) that is still valid for more than 1 year
  2. Owner of the license is not blacklisted.

And when you are making your application, the following documents will be required (information accurate as of time of writing, you may refer to JPJ's website for updated details):

  1. Original/copy of Personal Identification (NRIC)
  2. Original Personal Identification if the transaction is made by a representative
  3. Competent Driver's License (CDL) 
  4. 1 passport-sized color photo

 For Singaporeans, applications can be done via online or via their branches (more details on AA Singapore). You'll be required to have the following documentations ready for your application:

  1. A copy of your physical Singapore driving licence (front and back).
  2. A copy of your physical NRIC (front and back) for Singaporeans / PRs.
  3. A copy of your employment pass/FIN Card (front and back) for foreigners.
  4. A clear coloured passport-sized photograph of the IDP applicant in plain, light background
    1. Taken within the last 2 years
    2. Sharp and clear image resolution
    3. Full face is visible
    4. Photographs with watermarks will be rejected
  5. Notes:
    1. Do not submit the photo image on your passport, NRIC or Driving Licence card as there is a watermark on it
    2. Applications will be delayed if the photograph does not meet the requirements.


📱 Connectivity: How to Stay Connected in Japan

Rainbow in Kunen-an visit, from parking lot
Rainbow in Kunen-an visit, from parking lot
For my friends who are both iOS users, Friend A used an eSIM, while Friend B used her international roaming plan. For my case as an Android user (my phone is pretty old, too, a OnePlus Nord CE 5G), getting eSIM can be an option if your phone is compatible with it, but it was an unfortunate case for me because mine isn't compatible, so I bought my SIM card in Fukuoka Airport instead.

CelcomDigi Users Note: I learned this the hard way:
  • Activated 3-day roaming in Singapore (cheaper than 1-day Singapore roaming plan) during my transit in Changi
  • Next morning in Fukuoka - existing roaming blocked Japan activation! — Spent way more just to purchase a SIM card at the airport!
So after learning from my mistakes, I pre-purchase my SIM cards from Malaysia before traveling ever since! And now I'm going to transit in Changi again, I'll just use the airport Wi-Fi, since it's pretty decent and I can clear my end-game content (let me flex my Genshin spiral abyss full star clear!) in the airport!
 
One thing to note is that my phone comes with a dual SIM card slots, so buying an additional SIM card is fine for me. But if your phone doesn't have more than one slots, perhaps an eSIM or a pocket wi-fi will be helpful! There's a reason why I had such a long story about eSIMs and connectivity — it helped us a lot during our trip!


🗺️ GPS: Does it Really Stand for 'Guna Pun Sesat'? 

Rainbow over Kyushu countryside during road trip
Rainbow over Kyushu countryside during road trip
Let me be real honest here. I don't even know much about my own town, so imagine being lost in a foreign country, and especially when you don't speak their language! This is when mobile data comes handy, and there are plenty of applications we can use to navigate around in Japan!

What Apps Did You Use In Japan For Driving?

I knew this question would come, so here's my answer! Throughout our trip in Kyushu, other than our vehicle's GPS, we used Google Maps/ Apple Maps when navigating around! Since Japan has its own system of map codes, it is the easiest for us to research and have our list to know which to key in (helps when I had our trip planned months ahead!). However, there are sometimes some hiccups and changes of plans, so there were once or twice when our map code didn't work out, which is how it led is to using other applications. So, in comparison and based the context for road trips in Japan, we used:

  1. Map Code in our vehicle GPS - Super helpful in updating traffic information and road closures, we know where to detour to! But it's pretty clear that we can only use it in our vehicle so a lot of research on map codes would be required. I did most of my research on Google Maps, then converted the codes to Japan's GPS Map Code through this website.
  2. Google Maps - Useful in cities and major prefectures, could miss information in less popular cities, can go wonky depending on your phone model. It's not exactly perfect for long distance planning, but for our case, we broke down our driving trip pretty well so Google Maps worked fine for us as a backup plan. It can occasionally take us to some pretty random backstreets, though.
  3. Waze - Technically it's usable, but as many place has their names in Japanese, it can be difficult when you don't know how to type in Japanese. Since it also uses Google's API, I'd recommend using Google Maps for foreign travelers, especially first-time drivers since it's likely in a more familiar language and UI for most.
  4. Apple Maps - Similar to Google Maps, a little mid, since it also misses some information sometimes but information are generally reliable. It can be decent for near future travel plans on trains, too! But we didn't really get to experiment much with its accuracy since we relied on our map codes 98% of the time.

Additionally, there are actually other apps that you can also try, such as:

  1. Navitime - Real-time information of traffic congestion, as well as voice-based navigation in areas where your device doesn't have network connection. Works amazing for those who drive a lot in Japan, and it also has a function for you to avoid ETC-only tolls by just toggling the スマートIC利用 checkbox and turn it off to exclude ETC-only interchanges. While not common everywhere, ETC-only interchanges do exist in Oita, Nagasaki, Gifu and Aichi, and perhaps more places in the future to have less manned tolls. (Android/iOS)
  2. OsmAnd - Allows you to download maps to your phone where you can use it even when your phone loses signal. Doesn't have IC avoidance settings for those who'd like to avoid tolls. (Official Site for OsmAnd)
  3. Yahoo Navi - If you can read Japanese completely fine, Yahoo Navi is also wonderful and free to use! The user interface is wonderful in showing traffic signals, showing common stop signs like convenience stores, and also has features to avoid tolls and highways. However, one wrong input can make it a completely wrong trip, so it has its pros and cons. Though if you're a fan of anime you may also occasionally find navigation voice pack that collaborates with franchises! (Android/iOS)

A bonus if you're here for motorcycle trips!

  1. Calimoto - Fun if you're keen to explore motorcycle trips! It even has roads that doesn't show up on Google Maps and Apple Maps. You can toggle 'Avoid toll roads' in your route settings if you don't want to use tolls. (Official Site for Calimoto)
  2. Touring Supporter - It's not exactly free since it has a subscription fee, but it can be worth it when it helps motorcyclists to find parking nationwide! Unfortunately there's also no English version of it as of now. (Website)

On the Road: Boleh-land Meets Zen Driving

Saga City Night View
Saga City Night View
Okay, you've now received your IDP. You've done your trip planning, and even researched for map codes. You also downloaded some apps, or perhaps even searched for YouTube videos to familiarize yourself with traffic rules in Japan (it's slightly different from Malaysia) and mentally simulated your driving experience there. 

"Maybe I'm ready to rent a car," you thought, and yes, you're almost ready and I'm here to share more information that I've personally researched!

🚗 Where to Book Your Rental Car

There are, in fact, plenty of websites or agencies you can book through. Other than popular Japanese travel agencies such as H.I.S. Travel or JTB for the ease of mind, there are also the following websites you can look into (and definitely not the full list):

  1. Toyota Rent a Car - A trusted car rental company that many of my clients have used and recommended for the service and car quality (Website).
  2. Nissan Rent a Car - Toyota's competitor, basically. If you're comparing between Toyota and Nissan cars it's really just up to your personal car preference. (Website)
  3. Nippon Rent a Car - Offers 24h telephone interpreting service for English, Chinese and Korean. However, the booking site uses machine translations so if you're worried about something accidentally mistranslated, you might want to consider other ways. (Website)
  4. ToCoo - A car rental broker. Pricing is also very competitive, but there were some confusions in their information display for their ETC card delivery (we were told that the card is delivered to our hotel instead of being able to pick it up with our car) that made me decide not to use their service. Perhaps a good option if we didn't need KEP for our trip. (Website)
  5. Budget Rent a Car - The website we ended up using. For the same car class, it offers a competitive price. Times and Orix were good too, but we just happened to find Budget's pickup and return point more convenient for our trip at the time of planning. We also managed to only pay when we collect our car instead of being charged ahead of time. (Website)
  6. Orix - Has a large selection of cars and has airport pickup and drop off too. There wasn't an option for me to book it with ETC card, so I skipped booking with this company. (Website)
  7. Times Car Rental - Probably the only company that I personally know will charge ahead of time. If you're fine with it and perhaps to feel more safe with your payment taken to secure your booking, then there are actually no issues with booking with them. (Website)

Pro Tip: If you can understand Japanese and not really in need of the flat-rate passes (like KEP, for example), booking from Japanese websites can decrease the cost of your car rental! But if you wanted English navigation systems in your car, you may have to double check from the respective websites beforehand.

🚗 What Car Size To Pick?

Road Trip Scenery from Aso to Kumamoto
Road Trip Scenery from Aso to Kumamoto
It's easy to just hop into our family car at home for short road trips within the country. However, for longer trips overseas, you'll have to consider the numbers and sizes of your suitcases in total, on top of the number of passengers. For us, a normal four-seater was just enough for the three of us, since we shop a lot, four suitcases, 3 carry on luggage, 2 backpacks and 1 messenger bag are going to take up quite some space in the car, after all (I even had my messenger bag on my lap at all times as the passenger princess).

If you're also traveling with infants or young children, then you'll look into child seats. For those requiring more space to carry wheelchair, surfing board or mountain bikes (and other large items that I could not think of when I write this), you may wish to look for bigger cars that can accommodate to your needs. Be sure that your license type will match the type of vehicle you need in Japan, accommodate to your space needs, and you're all good!

Note that most rental car companies will charge you an additional amount of money for picking a specific car type, or for newer cars. If you have very specific needs, the additional fee will be worth it to ease your worries.

🚗 The ETC Card Secret

Okay, you've probably heard me talking a lot on ETC cards and even KEP now. What are they? You might ask, so to make things simple, it's like the Touch n Go card but in Japan, used for automatic payment of toll fees when driving on Japanese expressways. 

Does it cost money to get the ETC card? Yes, because it also comes with the rental of a reader, and the rental cost is typically around 300 yen plus tax (per day), depending on the car rental company. You then pay the full amount of toll fare to the car rental company when you return your car.

Are they necessary? It depends, really, but I strongly recommend you to book cars with ETC card included. Why? Because there are rural exits like in that only accept ETC since not everywhere is manned now. Also, paying by cash typically takes a little more time, and if you're traveling across multiple prefectures and would need a KEP? That's a necessity, since the KEP works in conjunction.

Also, what's KEP? It's a regional highway pass. KEP is the short for Kyushu Expressway Pass, which was what we used to travel from Fukuoka to Oita, Takachiho, Aso, Kumamoto, and Saga before returning to Fukuoka. We bought it to save some fees on toll expenses, since it comes in a flat rate. For our 6-day KEP, it was 7,600 yen back in our trip. However, there are a few things to note:

  1. KEP comes in multiple days. For now, there are passes that starts from 2 days (6,200 yen) to 10 days (23,800 yen). Pricing is accurate as of late May 2025.
  2. Since the KEP had a price adjustment where the 6-day pass is now 15,000 yen. It is a significant price hike compared to my trip. This means that it will require you to do further research on whether you truly need the pass. 
    1. The math is simple: 
      1. Find the sum of your toll fares
      2. If your fare is significantly more the price of the KEP, buy it.
      3. If your fare is significantly less than the KEP you need, don't buy it
      4. If your fare is more or less the same as the KEP you need, you have two options:
        1. Buy it if you want flexibility to travel to more places that requires highway usage, or
        2. Don't buy it if you're certain you have little flexibility in your trip and you want to save some extra cash. See points (5) and (6) below if you wanted to cut some costs.
  3. KEP doesn't care if you start using the pass on day 2 of your car rental, it charges you based on the day you collected your rental car because it comes together with your ETC card.
  4. KEP does not cover anything outside of Kyushu, and it also doesn't cover Kitakyushu. So your trip to Mojiko is not covered by KEP (Refer here for the coverage map).
  5. If you're following my exact route for your next driving trip to Japan after reading my posts, skip the KEP. You won't spend over 12,000 yen in toll fees even if you visit Kitakyushu. Not sure how to calculate your toll fees? Use NEXCO. You should've done your research on which highways to pass by to have an estimate for your calculations. 
  6. If you still wish to save on toll fares, your best bet is to detour (it can be quite a detour sometimes) by avoiding highways as a whole, but just so you know, gas isn't cheap in Japan. But if you happen to only want to drive from Beppu to Takachiho, and also perhaps between Aso and Kumamoto, you don't really need to worry about toll fares. There are barely any, so this is perhaps a good idea for a short car rental trip without really using the ETC card.
  7. Budget Rent a Car and Toyota Rent a Car have discontinued handling KEP as of May 19 2025.


🛡️ Car Insurance: A Non-Negotiable

Passenger Princess's View from Passenger Seat
In Japan, car rental companies typically offer insurance coverage as part of their basic rental fee. This includes compulsory liability insurance, which covers third-party injuries or deaths, and optional Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) to cover potential deductible costs. Additionally, some companies offer Non-Operation Charge (NOC) waivers.

CDW, often offered by car rental companies, waives the deductible you might have to pay in case of an accident or damage to the vehicle. If you have CDW, you won't be charged for the deductible amount, which can be a significant sum. 

NOC is a charge for the period the car is out of service due to an accident or repair. Some rental companies offer NOC waivers, which can help avoid this additional charge. In the event of a car accident, car theft, car breakdown or stains/damage to the car, if the car needs to be repaired and/or cleaned, without NOC, you can be charged a high fee by the car rental company depending on the situation.

I personally highly recommend a full coverage because we cannot predict what happens to us, and we definitely didn't want to fork out huge amounts of money when we're already in distress. As someone who worked as a travel consultant, I'll also share the following as a general reminder as a just-in-case knowledge, because insurance generally do not cover the following situation for car rentals in Japan, and you as the customer will have to cover for damages:

  • The accident is not reported to the police (or when there is no accident report filed by an officer - filing a police report in Japan is possible and you can generally request for a translator without additional charges) — make sure to file a proper report!
  • Accidents occurring when someone other than the applicant at the time of departure is driving - This is important, because if there are more than one person driving, then all drivers should be registered for the vehicle collection to prevent disputes.
  • Accidents occurring while driving without a driver's license - carry yours with you all the time!
  • Accidents occurring while driving under the influence of alcohol - do NOT drink and drive
  • Accidents occurring while driving during an extended period of rental without permission (not to mention, you'll be charged with penalties for late returns)
  • Violation of other items listed in the rental agreement, etc.
    • Example: Theft of the vehicle while the key is in it, or if you left valuables in your rented vehicle, or whatever caused by negligence

However, note that the above is just general knowledge, and specific terms and conditions will depend on your car rental company and the insurance policy. Please check properly with the terms and conditions before hitting the road, and drive safely without breaking any law!


⛽ Winter Tires: Do I Need Them? Or Will Snow Chains Suffice?

Fortunately, we were traveling during autumn so we didn't need them. Under Japanese traffic law, you must have Winter Tires to drive on snowy/icy roads. Whether you need Winter Tires or not must be judged by yourself on your own responsibility, and in cases like this, I highly recommend you to do proper research on the destinations you're driving in.

It rarely snows in southern Japan to the point winter tires will be completely necessary, but if you do visit Takachiho or Aso, some roads will recommend usage of winter tires. As a Japanese speaker, I also use Jartic to keep myself updated on road conditions. If you do decide to drive in winter, please request for winter tires because that's the top priority (without reserving them you might not get them)!

Additionally, winter tires are enough to drive in snow, and even on roads that are not snow-covered. If you do receive a car without winter tires, snow chains may be needed and you will have to set them yourself at some point (it isn't impossible, but it isn't exactly easy either). Important note is that snow chains should NOT be used on winter tires, and driving on roads that are not snow-covered with snow chains will risk causing damages since you'll need to remove and reequip the chains frequently throughout your journey.

However, expressway use is subject to two special restrictions that may come into effect during and after snowfall: "Winter Tire Restriction" and "Snow Chain Restriction". When "Snow Chain Restriction" is announced, driving on the expressway becomes only permitted to vehicles with chains installed. If you are heading for an area known for its particularly heavy snowfall or anywhere where snow isn't cleared from the road regularly, it is recommended that you bring snow chains too.


⛽ Petrol Stations: Full-Service vs DIY

Well, we know the price for petrol is rising in Malaysia, but when it's in Japan, the price easily doubles from ours. The price range fluctuates on a daily basis and unlike Malaysia that has a fixed pricing nationwide on a weekly basis. Also, Japan's pricing differs from station to station. During our trip, it was about 180 yen per liter in most days, but there are days where it goes a little higher, and a little lower.

Also, there are different types of services for petrol. You may sometimes see 'FS' or 'SS' when you google for petrol stations to plan when to fill your tank while planning for your trip, and that's because they respectively stand for Full-Service and Self-Service!

Service TypeMalaysian Comparison
Full-ServiceLike Petronas Mesra - staff helps
Self-ServiceLike Shell OPT - pay at machine

We discovered some stations charge 2-3% more for credit card payments versus cash - keep some yen notes handy for fuel stops if you wanted to be more money-savvy! But honestly, we wanted things to be quick and easy, so we mostly paid by card to have transaction records for the three of us to even out the payment.

One important thing to note is that there are also anti-static panels in Japanese petrol station that shapes like a red palm. Please touch it before you remove your fuel cap! After removing the fuel cap, take the nozzle for the specified fuel type (green for diesel, red for regular, and yellow for high-octane) and insert it all the way into the fuel tank opening. After checking to make sure it is firmly inserted, pull the trigger to begin filling up the vehicle. You should be given an instructions book by your car rental company.

Also, you will generally be asked to fill the car to a full tank at a petrol station that is less than 5km radius from your car rental shop right before returning it. You can ask the station staff for a mantan (full tank) fill and make sure to ask for the receipt, since your car rental company will be requesting it!

🅿️ Parking Like a Pro

Anyone who knew me will hear me shaking my head when it comes to parking in Japanese major cities. Even our Fukuoka parking for a brief moment costed us a meal (here's why)! Why, just look at our Kyushu parking costs:
  • Fukuoka City: ¥500-1,000/hour (RM15-30)
  • Mojiko: ¥200/2 hours, ¥400/12 hours
  • Beppu: Free for the places we visited
  • Takachiho: Free for the places we visited
  • Kumamoto: ¥1,000/day (RM30)
  • Saga: ¥500/day (RM15)
  • Kunen-an: ¥500/vehicle per visit at park parking lot (RM15)

So, for those wanting to rent a car in city centers, I strongly discourage it in most cases (it's understandable if you have elderly who may have difficulty walking in your group and that can be an exception with planning made). Exceptions aside, from a shopaholic girlie to another shopaholic girlie reading this, even if you were just thinking it's easier to carry everything you shopped back to your hotel that happens to be nearby like we did in Hakata, trust me, you'd be at your hotel by foot, else if you're driving, you'd probably still stuck in the parking lot with frustrations of navigating between traffic congestions on the way back. There are so much to shop and eat in Hakata, take it slow and enjoy the atmosphere by walking or stopping by a cafe is a pretty nice thing to do too!


Car Rental: Was it Worth the Money?


Kamishikimikumanoimasu Shrine Hike
The Kamishikimikumanoimasu Shrine Hike
I've said good things and bad things about car rental, and for my trip to Kyushu, renting our car was worth it! Without our car it'd be super difficult for us to visit Takachiho, and we'd not be able to visit Kamishikimikumanoimasu Shrine easily to the point that this spiritual power spot could easily be crossed off our list if we weren't driving!

But if it's a question asked by city-only travelers, I typically discourage it except for cases where special needs or special care will be required for convenience and ease of mind, since the parking fees can be really high sometimes taking the metro is really a whole lot more cost effective. (Or perhaps consider renting a driver from licensed travel agencies, or Uber rides!)

So basically, if you're traveling across prefectures that can be more convenient to travel by car, especially when public transportation isn't as complete and convenient as cities like Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto City, Sapporo, Sendai, or even Hiroshima City and Fukuoka, by all means I will recommend driving so you get to see more of the places you visit. But of course, it all depends on your personal preference and final itinerary! Everyone travels with a different budget and pace, so your preferences will be your highest priority and I can only advise so much. :)

FAQs for Malaysian and Singaporean Drivers

Before we go, here are some questions I get from friends and clients that I thought I'd share, and I hope this blog post will be helpful for your next driving trip to Japan. Feel free to also ask me questions in the comments section at the bottom of the post and I'll answer them whenever I can!

Q: Malaysia drives left too - is it easier?

A: Yes! My friend adapted pretty quickly! But perhaps it's also different because the car model isn't what we drive at home, and there were plenty of mountain roads, especially from Beppu to Takachiho, and from Takachiho to Aso. That was tough for all of us.

Q: Must all drivers have IDP and register during rental car collection in Japan?

A: Yes, everyone who is going to drive the rented car MUST have IDP. Your arrival information (the QR code on your passport) is required upon collecting your car. This is for insurance registration and for you and your group's safety, and to prevent potential unwanted disputes.

Q: Can I use my credit card in ETC machines?

A: Absolutely not. ETC cards are issued by credit card companies, and they are only issued to residents of Japan. Do not insert your credit card into the ETC device.

*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you book through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps keep the blog running - thank you! 🙏

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