Japan is a nation that lives and breathes the motor car. Their automotive industry spawned some of the most iconic cars of the 1980s and 1990s. No wonder then, that It also has a thriving automotive and street racing culture.

The aforementioned culture has since been immortalised on the big screen by the likes of the Fast & Furious movies, as well as the Live-Action adaptation of the Initial D franchise. Which probably explains why many car guys have “driving in Japan” as part of their bucket list.

But whilst there are elements of truth about the Japanese car scene in pop culture, movie makers have taken many creative liberties for the sake of telling a story. Before you make a beeline for one of Narita’s rental car counters, here are some factors that you should keep in mind!

Understanding Your Want vs Your Need

Generally speaking, rental cars aren’t all that expensive in Japan if you are travelling in groups of three and up. Renting a practical four seater hatchback for a week should only cost you around 46,000 yen (roughly S$420 or US$310). For some context, a one-way trip to Tokyo from Narita Airport will cost three people around 9,000 yen, already making the car a much more attractive option.

There’s also the added convenience of having your own set of wheels. Japanese train stations often do not have lifts, so it can be unpleasant to have to carry your luggage up and down multiple flights of stairs. No such issue if you have access to a car.

For those travelling to Japan to live out your Wangan dreams, there are speciality car rental shops in Tokyo. These companies have enthusiast cars in their fleets, though we strongly urge you to book well in advance as demand is fairly strong. You are able to rent these cars in three hour blocks, with cars such as the GR86 costing you around 9,900 yen for said period. JDM icons like the R34 GT-R will set you back 27,600 yen for a six hour period.

Driving in the City Centre

If you come to Japan expecting to experience Maximum Tune in real-life, you’d be sorely disappointed. Traffic in the day tends to be heavy into major cities within Tokyo, and even short commutes by distance can take up to an hour to complete.

And whilst renting a general commuter car wouldn’t cost you all that much, expect tolls and parking to cost you almost as much as your car rental itself. We’d strongly recommend you turn off the highway at the first available exit at your destination of choice, then use a mixture of main and ancillary roads to complete your journey.

Parking spots aren’t immediately obvious in Japan, but we do find that off-street surface parking tends to cost more than parking in a building. Automated car parks with car lifts usually offer the lowest rates – you’ll be able to find places that charge you a maximum of 1,400 yen for an entire day’s worth of parking in an area such as Akihabara. 

Still, we’d recommend you use the trains for commuting within the city, as public transit in Japan appears to be more efficient than their road network.

Enthusiast Cars Are Best Sampled Outside of Tokyo

To really maximise your enjoyment of these cult classics, we recommend you rent these cars in a prefecture that isn’t as commercialised and built-up as central Tokyo. Mountain and country roads aren’t as congested as the city, and the views tend to be better too.

The vast majority of these vehicles happen to also be manual, which can be a chore should you have to live with a heavy clutch in stop-start traffic.

Should You Drive in Japan Then?

If you are just travelling as a pair, and aren’t lugging around several kilograms of camera equipment, you’d seriously be better off using the train. You will not be stuck in endless traffic jams, and can enjoy some serious cost savings too.

As a car enthusiast, you can provision a day or two to sample a cult JDM classic. But you should only do it on the outskirts of major cities and/or the countryside. We really wouldn’t spend more than two days driving around in these cars, as they are really costly to rent, and aren’t the best for fuel overall!

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