Japan for German Drivers — Why Your IDP Won't Work & You Need a JAF Translation

Can a German tourist drive in Japan? Yes, but not the way a German usually travels. The reflex is to pack an International Driving Permit, and here that does not work. Japan recognises only the 1949 Geneva Convention permit, while Germany issues the 1968 Vienna version. So the document that gets you behind the wheel is your German licence plus an official Japanese translation of it. Show up with the German IDP alone and you are, in the eyes of Japanese law, unlicensed.

Getting the translation sorted

The accepted issuer is the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF). You can order the translation by post before you fly or collect it at a JAF office in Japan, and the German embassy and ADAC can also supply one Japan recognises. Whichever route you pick, carry the translation with the original licence; the two work as a pair. Plan this weeks ahead, not the night before the flight, and run your case through the Driving Permit Checker before you commit to a rental.

Left side, right-hand drive

Japan drives on the left, the mirror of Germany. The wheel sits on the right, roundabouts turn the other way, and overtaking instincts put you in the wrong lane. Many Japanese cars also put the indicator and wiper stalks the opposite way round, so your first turns may set the wipers going. A quiet car park for half an hour is cheap insurance.

Slower than the Autobahn

Germany has no general limit on the Autobahn, only a 130 km/h recommendation. Japan is another world:

From September 2026 the default on narrow residential roads is 30 km/h. The ordinary-road limit of 60 sounds high, but most real driving happens in the 30 zone or on congested roads far below it. Expressways are tolled and monitored.

Your first day behind the wheel

At pickup, ask the desk to show you the fuel type, the parking brake and the controls for lights and wipers, since layouts differ from German cars. Photograph the car on all sides. Set your route before you move, and give yourself a short first leg on wider roads. The translation and your original licence stay on you, not in the glovebox, and a passenger who can remind you “left” at every turn is worth more than any gadget.

Penalties compared with Germany

Japanese fines for small excesses are far steeper than the German tariff. Going up to 15 km/h over costs JPY 9,000 in Japan; in Germany the same offence costs EUR 20-30 outside and inside a city. The Japanese bands rise as follows:

• 16-20 over: JPY 12,000.
• 21-25 over: JPY 15,000.
• 26-30 over: JPY 18,000.
• 31-35 over: JPY 25,000.
• Over 35: JPY 35,000 and up.

Beyond that, 30 km/h over on an ordinary road and 40 on an expressway are criminal thresholds, and points and a licence suspension follow. A handheld phone is JPY 18,000 and 3 points, and a red light is JPY 9,000 and 2 points. For a seatbelt the first offence is a warning and a point.

Alcohol and equipment

The legal alcohol limit is 0.03, below Germany’s 0.05, and in practice the sensible plan is none. Passengers who let an over-the-limit person drive can be penalised too.

The only legally required item in the car is a warning triangle. Germany asks for a first aid kit, vest and triangle, so a hire car may carry less than you are used to. Check that the triangle is there at pickup.

Emergency numbers

Germany’s 112 does not apply here. Dial 110 for police and 119 for an ambulance or the fire service. Full speed tables and city notes are in the Japan driving guide.