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Car Rental & Hire Narita is
served by most major car rental firms; local contact details are given below.
Foreign visitors should take note that driving in Japan can be a little
daunting. Most overseas travellers use public transportation, except in the
smaller rural areas.
Nissan - 4 7632 8888
Avis Rent-A-Car - 4 7634 8464
HERTZ Corporation - 4 7632 1020
Budget -
www.budgetrentacar.com
National Car Rental - 3 7478 785
Nippon -
www.nipponrentacar.co.jp
Basic information
Renting a car is an option worth considering if
you plan to explore rural Japan, where access by public transportation can be
inconvenient. A rental car can also be an economical alternative, if you are
traveling in group.
Exploring Japan's big cities by car, however,
is not recommended, as traffic tends to be heavy, orientation difficult, and
parking fees high. Trains, subways and buses are generally a better choice in
metropolitan areas.
English links
ToCoo rental
www2.tocoo.jp
Mazda Rent-a-car
www.mazda-rentacar.co.jp
Nippon Rent-a-car
www.nipponrentacar.co.jp
Gaijin Inc
www.gaijininc.com
Japanese links
JAL
www.jal.co.jp/tours/jaltours
IB Rent-a-car
www.nms-ibr.co.jp/ib
Toyota Rent-a-car
rent.toyota.co.jp
Fuji Rent-a-car fujiren.jp
Orix Rent-a-car
car.orix.co.jp
Budget Rent-a-car
www.e-budget.co.jp
Rental at Navi
www.rental-car.jp
Tabi Rent-a-car
www.tabiren.com
Wing Rent-a-car
www.wing-rent.co.jp
First Rent-a-car
www.first-rent.com
Sky Rent-a-car
www.x-okinawa.com
J-net Rent-a-car
www.j-netrentacar.co.jp
eRental ・ www.0123.ne.jp
R4 Station Rent-a-car www.r-4.jp
OTS Rent-a-car
www.otsrentacar.ne.jp
Eki Rent-a-car
www.ekiren.co.jp
Z Kaihatsu Rent-a-car
www.z-rent.net
Rent-a-car Hanashiro
www.car-hanashiro.com
Celeb Rent-a-car
www.celeb-r.com
Requirements
In order to rent and drive a car in Japan, you
require a Japanese driving license or an international driving permit. In case
of France, Germany and Switzerland, an official translation of your home
country's driving license is accepted.
International driving permits must be obtained
in your home country, usually through the national automobile association,
before you leave for Japan. Foreigners can drive in Japan with a recognized
international driving permit for up to one year after entering the country.
Japan recognizes only international driving
permits, which are based on the Geneva Convention of 1949. A few countries,
including Belgium, France, Germany and Switzerland, however, issue
international driving permits, which are based on different conventions. The
permits issued by those countries are not valid in Japan.
Instead, holders of a French, German or Swiss
driver's license can drive in Japan for up to one year with an official
Japanese translation of their driving licenses to be obtained from the
respective country's embassy or consulate in Japan. People from other
countries, whose international driving permits are not recognized by Japan,
must attain a Japanese driving license in order to drive in Japan.
The minimum age for driving in Japan is 18
years.
Rental Companies
Among Japan's leading car rental companies are
Mazda Rentacar, Nissan Rentacar, Toyota Rentalease, Nippon Rentacar and Orix
Rentacar. They operate hundreds of outlets across Japan, offering cars in all
sizes and, in some cases, large vans, buses and RVs.
Most Japanese car rental companies do not
provide English websites, and service in English is not usually available.
International car rental companies such as
Budget, Avis and Hertz also offer car rental in Japan, typically in
cooperation with one of the leading Japanese car rental companies, however,
their rates are usually not very competitive.
The cost per day in case of Japanese companies
is typically around 6,000 Yen for the smallest car category, around 10,000 Yen
for mid sized cars and around 15,000 Yen for full sized cars, including a
mandatory insurance fee of around 1000 Yen per day. Rates are usually higher
during peak seasons, especially in Hokkaido.
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