Japan on a Norwegian Licence — Geneva IDP, Left-Hand Roads & a 0.03 Limit

Norwegian drivers get an easier run at Japan’s paperwork than most. Norway signed the 1949 Geneva Convention — the only foreign-permit treaty Japan honours — so an ordinary International Driving Permit from NAF is accepted alongside your Norwegian licence. There is no need for the official Japanese translation that trips up Swiss and German visitors. Carry the Geneva IDP, your licence and your passport together; the permit covers stays of up to 12 months, and you must arrange it in Norway because nowhere in Japan issues one. The Driving Permit Checker confirms it in a few clicks.

The real change is the road itself. Norway drives on the right; Japan drives on the left. After years of right-hand habits, the first hour is where mistakes happen — a turn taken into the wrong lane, a reflexive glance the wrong way, or the wipers swishing when you meant to indicate (the stalks are mirrored). Collect the car somewhere calm rather than central Tokyo and be deliberate at every junction.

On alcohol, Japan is one of the few places that is technically more relaxed than home: 0.03 BAC against Norway’s strict 0.02. Do not read that as licence to relax. Japanese enforcement is severe — heavy fines, on-the-spot licence confiscation, and detention for higher readings — and even a passenger who knowingly rides with an over-limit driver can be fined. Keep it at zero before driving.

Speeds feel modest after Norwegian E-roads: 40 km/h in towns, 60 rural, 100 on the tolled expressways. The motorways are superb but the tolls add up fast, so ask for an ETC card with the rental. Cameras are everywhere; a 10 km/h overspeed runs about JPY 9,000 (≈ €55) plus a point — you can estimate one with the Speeding Fine Calculator.

Fuel sits near $1.35/litre, police are reached on 110 (119 for ambulance and fire), and the rental’s warning triangle should stay in the boot. Our Japan driving guide has the rest.