Renting a Car at Tokyo Airport
Last updated: April 2026
Narita International Airport (NRT) is in Chiba Prefecture, 70 km east of central Tokyo. Rental counters are on the 1st floor of the Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 arrival areas — Toyota Rent a Car, Nippon Rent-A-Car, Times Car Rental, and Orix Rent a Car operate here. Important: driving in Tokyo is unnecessary and inadvisable. Rent only for destinations outside the city — Hakone, Mount Fuji, the Japanese Alps.
🎯 Quick Tip
Get the Japan Expressway Pass at the rental desk — it gives foreign visitors unlimited expressway access for approximately ¥1,100/day (Kanto area) or ¥1,500/day (nationwide). Without it, Tokyo-area expressway tolls alone can exceed ¥5,000/day.
Compare Prices at NRT
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Airport Pickup Tips
From NRT arrivals, follow signs to 'Car Rental' on the 1st floor. Present passport, International Driving Permit (mandatory — Japanese law accepts no alternatives), and credit card. The agent will conduct a thorough car walkthrough — 20-30 minutes. Enter your first destination by phone number (not address) in the GPS. Request English-language GPS if available.
Japanese rental cars are immaculate — often showroom-clean. The agent will mark every tiny blemish on a diagram with you. This joint inspection is standard and protects you. Check that the GPS has English capability; if not, request a portable unit. Verify the ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) card is inserted and working.
For detailed guidance, see our pre-drive checklist.
Explore Tokyo by Car
While Tokyo's train network is world-class, a car lets you reach destinations off the rail map — the Hakone hot springs, Mount Fuji's fifth station, and the traditional villages of the Japanese Alps.
Top drive from Tokyo: Mount Fuji and Hakone loop via the Fuji Five Lakes
Getting from Tokyo Airport to the City
NRT is 70 km from central Tokyo — 90 min via Higashi-Kanto Expressway (not recommended to drive into Tokyo). For Hakone and Mount Fuji, take Higashi-Kanto to Ken-Ō to Tōmei Expressway (2.5 hours, avoiding central Tokyo). For Kamakura, Ken-Ō to Yokohama-Yokosuka Expressway (2 hours). For Kawaguchiko (Fuji Five Lakes), Chūō Expressway (3 hours). For Nikkō, Tōhoku Expressway (2 hours).
Times Car Rental operates from Narita city, 5 km from NRT, with free shuttle. Times is Japan's most budget-friendly chain and offers kei cars (tiny 660cc vehicles) at very low rates. Kei cars are perfect for rural Japan and pay reduced expressway tolls.
What to Know Before Driving from NRT
Japan drives on the left. Expressway limit: 100 km/h (80 km/h on some sections). General roads: 60 km/h. Urban: 30-40 km/h. Zero-tolerance blood alcohol (0.0). ETC cards handle all expressway tolls automatically. Japan has coin-operated parking lots (¥200-600/hour) — you cannot park on public streets overnight. Japanese road courtesy is exceptional; drivers thank each other with hazard light flashes.
Japan drives on the LEFT. The indicator stalk is on the RIGHT (you will turn on wipers by mistake — everyone does). NRT exits onto the Higashi-Kanto Expressway (Route 51) toward Tokyo. The Shutō Expressway (Tokyo's urban highway) is a maze of exits and merges at speed — avoid it unless confident. For Mount Fuji, take the Chūō Expressway west instead of going through Tokyo.
Fuel Stations Near NRT
ENEOS and Shell stations are on Route 51 near NRT. Fuel: regular (レギュラー) approximately ¥175/L. Japanese stations offer full service — attendants pump, clean windscreens, and empty trash. Tipping is not practiced. Self-service (セルフ) stations are ¥5-10/L cheaper. Fill up before mountain areas — stations on the Fuji Five Lakes route are sparse.
Local Driving Tip
Tokyo's Shuto Expressway system has exits every 500 metres with minimal signage in English — miss yours and the next loop can add 20 minutes. The Narita Expressway to central Tokyo costs ¥2,500 but saves an hour over surface roads during rush hour.