🇯🇵 Japan · 道路交通法

Japan driving basics

The rules every foreign driver in Japan needs to know on day one — keep-left traffic, km/h speeds, a 0.03% BAC limit, no turning on red, and which International Driving Permits actually work here. Each fact links to the Japanese authority that publishes it.

Which side of the road

Japan drives on the left-hand side, with right-hand-drive vehicles. This is uniform across all 47 prefectures and is one of only a handful of left-side jurisdictions in Asia along with Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.[JAF]

Speed limits — always km/h

Speed limits are posted in kilometres per hour, never mph. Where no sign is posted, statutory defaults apply under the Road Traffic Act (道路交通法): general roads 60 km/h, expressways 100 km/h. Some sections of the new Shin-Tōmei Expressway are posted up to 120 km/h.[MLIT][NPA]

Speed-camera enforcement is widespread, including average-speed sections on expressways. Tolerances are tight by Western standards.[NPA]

International Driving Permits — read this twice

Japan only recognises IDPs issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic. This catches a lot of visitors out: the newer 1968 Vienna Convention IDPs (which most European countries now issue) are not validin Japan.[JAF]

If your country only issues 1968-style IDPs — Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco, Slovenia, Estonia, Italy, and Taiwan — you instead need an official Japanese translation of your domestic licence, issued by JAF or your country's embassy in Japan, carried alongside the original licence.[JAF]

Either way, an IDP / translation is valid in Japan for up to 1 year from your date of entry, or until your home licence expires, whichever is sooner. After that you need a Japanese licence.[JAF]

Alcohol — Japan's 0.03% rule

Japan's per-se BAC limit is 0.03 g/dL — roughly a third of the US 0.08 limit. Two tiers:

Liability extends beyond the driver: passengers who knowingly ride with a drunk driver, and bars or restaurants that serve a known driver, can also be prosecuted. The cultural expectation is total abstinence if you're driving — many Japanese drivers won't accept even one drink.[NPA]

Phones while driving

Hand-held mobile phone use while driving has been illegal nationwide for years. Penalties were tightened on 1 December 2019: fines for ordinary passenger vehicles rose from ¥6,000 to ¥18,000, with up to 6 months' imprisonment if the use causes danger. Hands-free use is permitted.[NPA]

Seat belts

Front-seat belts have been mandatory since 1985. Rear-seat belts became mandatory for all passengers in June 2008 — including on expressways, where enforcement is active. Drivers, not passengers, are penalised for non-wearing rear passengers.[NPA]

Child seats

Child restraints are required for children under 6 years old in all seating positions, under the Road Traffic Act. Major rental companies (Toyota Rent a Car, Times Car, Nippon Rent-A-Car) rent child seats; reserve in advance, especially outside the big cities.[NPA]

No turn on red

Japan does NOT permit turn-on-red in any direction. A red light means full stop, regardless of which way you intend to turn, unless a separate green-arrow signal is illuminated for your movement. This is the single most-violated rule by North-American visitors.[NPA]

Headlights

Headlights must be on from sunset to sunrise, in tunnels, and in any conditions of poor visibility (rain, fog). Many newer Japanese vehicles default to auto-headlights since the 2020 type-approval requirement.[MLIT]

Expressway etiquette

Expressways (高速道路) are tolled and use the ETC electronic toll system. Most rental cars come with an ETC reader; you provide your own card or pay cash at the manned booth. Keep left except to overtake — the right lane on a two-lane expressway is for passing only, and lane discipline is taken seriously.[MLIT]

Test yourself

Road sign quiz

26 Japanese road signs — citation per answer.

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Sources

  1. [NPA]National Police Agency — Rules of the Road — Japan NPA · accessed 2026-04-23
  2. [MLIT]MLIT — Road Bureau — Japan MLIT · accessed 2026-04-23
  3. [JAF]JAF — Japan Automobile Federation — JAF · accessed 2026-04-23