Menu
Japan - What To Expect
  • Japan - What To Expect - Highlights
  • About Me & Where To Find Me
  • How To Get The Best Out Of Japan
  • Japan Travel Planning Tips And Highlights
  • March 21, 2022: Going To School
  • Driving In Japan
  • Car Rental Tips And Tricks
  • The Year In Japan
  • Discovering Tohoku
  • Japan - What To Expect
  • April 10: Seasonal delicacies at McDonalds
  • April 20: The Dangerous Japanese City Streets
  • The Five Seasons Of Japan
  • Read More Tips Here Every Other Week
  • May 3, 2022: Garbage Collection
  • Triple Toddlers In Tokyo
  • May 11, 2022: Vegetable fields close to Tokyo
  • Taking the train in Tokyo
  • Staying Safe In Japan
  • May 29 2022: Dog Pooping Not Allowed!
  • June 27, 2022: How To Navigate A Japanese Hotel Breakfast
  • Wisterian Watertrees Writing Samples
  • Sign Up For My Newsletter And More Here!
  • August 12, 2022: The Kei Truck
  • What Am I Writing Now?
  • September 7, 2022: Rainy Days And Traffic Dangers
  • September 25, 2022: Masks Will Not Go Away From Japan
  • October 15, 2022: Is It Open Or Closed?
  • My Current And Forthcoming Books About Visiting Japan
  • Worcationeering - how to prepare for remote vacation work
  • November 13, 2022: The Osaka And Tokyo Escalators
  • December 13, 2022: Seeing Around Corners
  • Driving In Japan - Contents
  • Japan - What To Expect - Highlights
  • About Me & Where To Find Me
  • How To Get The Best Out Of Japan
  • Japan Travel Planning Tips And Highlights
  • March 21, 2022: Going To School
  • Driving In Japan
  • Car Rental Tips And Tricks
  • The Year In Japan
  • Discovering Tohoku
  • Japan - What To Expect
  • April 10: Seasonal delicacies at McDonalds
  • April 20: The Dangerous Japanese City Streets
  • The Five Seasons Of Japan
  • Read More Tips Here Every Other Week
  • May 3, 2022: Garbage Collection
  • Triple Toddlers In Tokyo
  • May 11, 2022: Vegetable fields close to Tokyo
  • Taking the train in Tokyo
  • Staying Safe In Japan
  • May 29 2022: Dog Pooping Not Allowed!
  • June 27, 2022: How To Navigate A Japanese Hotel Breakfast
  • Wisterian Watertrees Writing Samples
  • Sign Up For My Newsletter And More Here!
  • August 12, 2022: The Kei Truck
  • What Am I Writing Now?
  • September 7, 2022: Rainy Days And Traffic Dangers
  • September 25, 2022: Masks Will Not Go Away From Japan
  • October 15, 2022: Is It Open Or Closed?
  • My Current And Forthcoming Books About Visiting Japan
  • Worcationeering - how to prepare for remote vacation work
  • November 13, 2022: The Osaka And Tokyo Escalators
  • December 13, 2022: Seeing Around Corners
  • Driving In Japan - Contents

Driving In Japan

Driving in Japan is less difficult than you may have believed, and much more convenient than you might expect in a land full of trains. if you avoid the big cities, driving is simple and fun - even if it has its idiosyncrasies.
Picture
Planning ahead is the core of getting a fun Japanese driving experience - for you as well as your passengers. It is easy to plan ahead, too. You do not really need anything but the application you use everyday - Google Maps. I included a separate chapter about that in the book.
That book is “Driving In Japan”, my book to help anyone who rents a car in Japan and want to understand the traffic culture and what they are getting into once they get out on the road. The book is published now and available as an ebook - the pocketbook version will be out shortly.
The Japanese roads are different from roads in other countries mainly in who you meet - and how you meet them. The tight corners in Japanese cities make it impossible to see who or what is approaching - unless you use the strategically placed traffic mirrors.
And driving in Japan means learning to drive in rain - and in snow. Japan sees more rainy days than clear ones, and the snow in the northwestern part of Japan can reach up to five meters.
Picture
The Kei car is one of the most common you will see on Japanese roads.
Driving on Japanese roads also means you will encounter a number of different vehicles and types of cars that you may never have seen at home. Most common among these is the kei car, the workhorse of Japanese farms snd small companies.
What should you think about when you rent a car in Japan, and want to drive around yourself? Here are a few tips.
Did you find these tips useful? In that case, you probably will be interested in a whole book full of tips and more about the reasons why things are as they are in Japan. You can find out how to order the ebook and paper book from this link. Just select the store that works best for you and put it in your shopping basket.

    Yes Please, Send Me The Code You Mentioned In The Book And Sign Me Up To Your Mailing List!

Click Here To Submit

Driving Tips Blog

Since there are so many things you have to think about, and since so many things happen every minute on Japanese roads, I decided to be a bit more topical and give you a new tip every week.
Picture
No washing car accessories in this laundromat!

2023-03-14: AVOID SUDDEN BRAKING
Avoiding sudden braking is a sign of a careful driver. The better you observe the situation on the road, the better you are likely to be at adapting your speed - and hence be able to avoid braking suddenly. And Japanese drivers hate surprises.
Watching the green light will not tell you when it will turn, but seeing when it turns yellow will give you the opportunity to deccelerate smoothly - or decide to drive through.

But avoiding sudden acceleration? Most people avoid burning rubber in front of a red light (something which would earn questions from the police in Japan, and possibly a citation).
Very few are in such a hurry that they need to get up to regulated maximum speed in a few seconds - although delivery drivers, on electric bicycles, scooters and in kei cars, are changing the traffic situation. They are always in a hurry, and may not accept that smooth acceleration saves fuel, and is much better for the engine. In hybrid cars, it also lets the electric engines take the first round of acceleration until the gasoline engine kicks in.
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.