• 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!

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

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.

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)

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)

🚗 Where to Book Your Rental Car

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)

🚗 What Car Size To Pick?

Road Trip Scenery from Aso to Kumamoto

🚗 The ETC Card Secret

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

• 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

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

⛽ Petrol Stations: Full-Service vs DIY

🅿️ Parking Like a Pro

• 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)

The Kamishikimikumanoimasu Shrine Hike

FAQs for Malaysian and Singaporean Drivers