Car rental in Tokyo: what you need to know before driving in Japan's vast metropolis.
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Tokyo's metro and JR network is one of the world's best. For city sightseeing, a car is unnecessary and parking is expensive (¥500-1000/hour).
Rent a car for day trips to Nikko, Hakone or the Izu Peninsula, where a car gives much greater flexibility than public transport.
International driving licence required. Drive on the left. Navigation is mostly in Japanese — use Google Maps offline or rent a GPS.
Daily rates from ¥5,000 for a compact car. Toyota Rent a Car, Times Car and Nippon Rent-A-Car are the major operators near major stations.
💡 Practical Info : Avoid driving in central Tokyo. Use trains for city exploration and rent a car only for regional day trips or onward journey to Nikko/Hakone.