Transportation

By CarterWittMedia

Japan has built much of its international reputation on its motor industry. For the majority of car owners in Japan, however, a car is more of a luxury item or convenience than an essential tool for getting to work. Because of crowded roads and limited parking, few people in urban areas commute by car. For many Japanese, cars are primarily for going on weekend drives, shopping and running errands.

For foreigners used to happy days spent breezing effortlessly down the highway, driving in Japan can be a real shock to the system. Even on country roads it is not uncommon to find a set of traffic lights at every junction. Traveling by expressway is preferable when you need to cover long distances, although the tolls are high (between Tokyo and Kyoto, for example, it's about ¥12,050) and traffic jams are frequent, especially during holiday seasons. Gasoline, at about ¥110 per liter, may also be rather more expensive than

you are used to. Before you buy a motor vehicle here, remember that you can take a lot of taxis and rent a lot of cars for the amount of money it takes to purchase and maintain a car.

TIP Save money on expressway tolls by buying an electronic toll collection (ETC) device for your car. These devices, which cost ¥10,000-¥35,000, allow you to pay tolls without stopping at toll booths and require you to open a special credit card account to which the device is then linked. Drivers using ETC can receive about a 14 percent discount on tolls if they pay ¥50,000 worth of toll usage in advance.

Licenses

You must be at least 18 years old to drive a car in Japan (16 for scooters and small motorcycles) and possess either a valid international driver's license or a Japanese driver's license. You can drive legally with the former for 12 months; the only way of renewing it is if you leave the country for over three months during this time. If you are planning to stay in Japan for any longer, you will need to convert your foreign driver's license to a Japanese one. You will likely need a Japanese driver's license to get insurance if you have established residence here.

Depending on where you are from, getting a Japanese license may involve little more than obtaining a translation of your existing license. This applies to anyone with a valid driver's license for the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom. If your country is not on this list, you will have to take both a written exam and a road test.

If your license was issued less than three months prior to your arrival in Japan, you can consider yourself particularly unlucky: it can't be converted, meaning that you must repeat the whole learning process to get a Japanese one. This can prove a costly exercise: Japanese driving schools charge ¥300,000-¥350,000 for the basic course.

 

Navigation
Japan National Tourist Organization
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng
(City maps are available at http://www.jnto.go.jp/mapindex/E/mapindex.html)

Mapion
Free, highly detailed maps of the entire country.
http://www.mapion.co.jp (Japanese only)

Zone 81
Free online route planner in English.
http://www.zone81.com

Yahoo! Route Planner
http://transit.yahoo.co.jp (Japanese only)

Hyperdia
Train times, routes and prices.
http://www.hyperdia.com/cgi-english/

Jorudan
Travel options using trains, planes and buses.
http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english/norikae/

Railways and Buses
Japan Rail Pass
http://www.japanrailpass.net

Japan Railways Group
http://www.japanrail.com

Japanese Railways Page
Information on discount tickets, long-distance travel by local train, etc. http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Cove/5750/index.html

Eki-net
Online reservations for JR trains.
http://www.world.eki-net.com

Urban Rail
Subway maps.
http://www.urbanrail.net/as/asia.htm

Japan Guide
Information on night trains
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2356.html
Information on long-distance buses
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2366.html

Long-Distance Bus Companies
Tokyo:
JR (03) 3215-1055
Odakyu (03) 5438-8511
Keio (03) 5376-2222
Seibu (03) 5910-2525
Orion Tours (03) 5725-2020

Osaka:
JR (06) 6466-9990
Kintetsu (06) 6772-1631
Keihan (075) 661-8200
Hankyu (06) 6866-3147

Nagoya:
Meitetsu Bus (052) 561-6381
JR (052) 352-7800

Fukuoka:
JR (092) 724-2727
Nishitetsu (092) 734-2727

Air Travel
Japan Airlines (JAL)
http://www.jal.co.jp/en

ANA
http://www.ana.co.jp/eng/

Narita Airport
http://www.narita-airport.or.jp/airport_e/

Crown Parking
Parking service at Narita airport.
http://www.crownparking.com

Kansai Airport
http://www.kansai-airport.or.jp/english/

Fukuoka Airport
http://www.fuk-ab.co.jp/english/frame_index.html

Nagoya Airport
http://www.nagoya-airport-bldg.co.jp/index-e.html

Centrair
The new Nagoya International Airport, opening March 2005
http://www.cjiac.co.jp/foreign/english/index.html

Ferries
Japan Long Distance Ferry Association
http://www.fune.co.jp/L.CFerry/kouro-top.html (Japanese only)

Information about International Ferries
http://www.ease.com/~randyj/rjjapanx.htm

Driving
Japan Automobile Federation
http://www.jaf.or.jp/e/index_e.htm

Japan Driver’s License
http://www.japandriverslicense.com

Global Compassion
Walkthrough for getting a driver’s license.
http://www.globalcompassion.com/driving.htm

Information on doing shaken yourself.
http://bigdaikon.com/mystory-20030305.shtml

High Sense Motor Club
Economy shaken service in Kobe.
http://web.kyoto-inet.or.jp/org/hi-sense/index-e.html

Total Repair Toyo
http://www.tr104.com (Japanese only)

Occidental Cars
http://www.occidentalcars.com

Mick Lay Motors
http://www.micklay.com

Car Rental Agencies
Tokyo:
Budget Rent A Car: (03) 5695-2703
Orix Rent A Car: (03) 3629-4139

Nagoya:
Japan Rent A Car: (052) 571-0919
Nippon Rent A Car: (052) 561-0919

Osaka:
Nippon Rent A Car: (06) 6344-0919

Fukuoka:
Orix Rent A Car: (092) 431-8694

Club Tocoo
http://www.coo.ne.jp/english

Hertz Japan
0120-489-882

Car Exporters/Sales
Nagoya:
Trust Corporation
Tel. 052-219-9038
Fax 052-219-9025
asia@japanesevehicles.com

RDS Co.
http://www.rds.co.jp

English-language Taxi
Tokyo:
Nihon Kotsu
Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
03-3799-9220

Motorcycles, scooters and bicycles
Japan Cycling Navigator
http://www.japancycling.org

Kancyling
Cycling information in Kansai.
http://www.kancycling.com

The Japan Biker FAQ
http://www.thejapanfaq.com/bikerfaq-toc.html

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