Speed LimitsJapan Expressway Speed 2026: 100 km/h, 120 If Signed
Japan's expressways are limited to 100 km/h, with 120 km/h on designated sections. Ordinary roads default to 60 km/h and roads with no centre line to 30 km/h.
Japan’s expressway limit is 100 km/h, with 120 km/h on a handful of designated sections. On ordinary roads the statutory default is 60 km/h — and 30 km/h where the road has no centre line.
Three numbers, not one
Japan does not use the European urban/rural/motorway ladder. Article 11 of the Enforcement Order of the Road Traffic Act sets a single statutory maximum for ordinary roads — “六十キロメートル毎時”, sixty kilometres per hour — and a lower one of “三十キロメートル毎時” for roads without a centre line or lane markings. Expressways sit apart at 100 km/h, lifted to 120 only on upgraded stretches of the Shin-Tomei, Tohoku and Joban where the signs say so.
That 30 km/h figure is the one visitors underestimate. It applies to exactly the sort of narrow residential street that a sat-nav will happily route you down as a shortcut, and it is being reinforced rather than relaxed.
| Road type | Statutory maximum |
|---|---|
| Expressway (高速自動車国道) | 100 km/h; 120 on designated sections |
| Ordinary road | 60 km/h |
| Road with no centre line or lane markings | 30 km/h |
Heavy goods vehicles run to their own expressway maximum, lower than the car limit and posted separately on the overhead signs — read the vehicle-class figure rather than assuming the car number applies.
Speeding Penalties
Within the fixed-penalty system, ordinary-road offences run on a published ladder:
- 1–15 km/h over: ¥9,000
- 16–20 km/h over: ¥12,000
- 21–25 km/h over: ¥15,000
- 26–30 km/h over: ¥18,000
Cross about 30 km/h over on an ordinary road, or 40 km/h over on an expressway, and the fixed-penalty route closes. The case becomes a criminal one, with the possibility of a court-imposed fine and licence suspension rather than a ticket paid at a convenience store.
Check exact speed limits for your route
Open Speed Limit MapWhat Most Guides Don’t Tell You
The 1949 permit, and only that one
Japan recognises the 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit. UK government travel advice states it directly: “You’ll need the 1949 version of the international driving permit (IDP) plus your UK driving licence and insurance documents” (FCDO travel advice). Drivers from countries that issue only the 1968 permit — Germany, Switzerland, Belgium among them — cannot use it here and need a Japanese translation of their licence instead. This catches people at the rental counter with a flight already behind them.
Enforcement is quiet and comprehensive
The N-system plate readers and orbis speed cameras cover the expressway network and the main urban arteries. There is no dramatic roadside stop; a notice arrives, and the fine is paid at a convenience store. The usual working tolerance is around 10 km/h, but the criminal thresholds above are absolute and do not flex.
Tolls will outweigh your fuel bill
Japanese expressways are expensive. A Tokyo–Osaka run costs more in tolls than in petrol, and most drivers use an ETC transponder to pay automatically — rentals can include one, and tourist ETC passes exist for defined regions. Budget for it before you assume driving beats the shinkansen.
Alcohol is a third of the European limit
Japan’s blood alcohol limit is 0.03, and the penalties extend beyond the driver: a passenger who knowingly let a drinking driver take the wheel can be arrested too. One drink is over.
Driving on the left
Japan drives on the left. Combined with unfamiliar kanji signage and narrow city streets, the first hour demands more attention than the speed limits do.
How Japan Compares
| Country | Ordinary roads | Expressway | Criminal threshold | Driving side |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 60 km/h (30 unmarked) | 100 km/h (120 signed) | 30 over / 40 on expressway | Left |
| South Korea | 80 km/h | 110 km/h | — | Right |
| China | 70 km/h | 120 km/h | — | Right |
| Taiwan | 70 km/h | 110 km/h | — | Right |
Key Facts at a Glance
| Country | Japan |
| Ordinary road default | 60 km/h |
| No centre line | 30 km/h |
| Expressway limit | 100 km/h |
| Designated sections | 120 km/h |
| Criminal threshold | 30 km/h over (40 on expressways) |
| Driving side | Left |
| Blood alcohol limit | 0.03 |
| IDP | 1949 Geneva Convention only |
| Camera density | Extensive |
| Emergency number | 110 |
More Resources
Renting a Car?
Compare prices from all major rental companies. Free cancellation on most bookings.
Compare Car Rental PricesSome links on this page are affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How our affiliate links work.
Related Questions
100 km/h for ordinary cars, raised to 120 km/h only on designated sections of the Shin-Tomei, Tohoku and Joban expressways where signs say so.
60 km/h. The Enforcement Order of the Road Traffic Act sets the statutory maximum at sixty kilometres per hour on ordinary roads, dropping to thirty on roads with no centre line or lane markings.
Above roughly 30 km/h over the limit on an ordinary road, or 40 km/h over on an expressway, the offence leaves the fixed-penalty system and is handled as a criminal case rather than a ticket.
The 1949 Geneva Convention version, carried with your own licence and insurance documents. The 1968 permit is not accepted in Japan.