Usage Guide - NIPPON RENT-A-CAR

Driver's License Requirements

All drivers are required to have a valid driver's license. Valid one is as below:

1. International driving permit under the Convention of Road Traffic on Sep. 19, 1949

2. Authorized Japanese Translation for driver's license issued in: Switzerland, Germany, France, Taiwan, Belgium or Monaco

3. Japanese driver's license

4. SOFA License(Status of Force Agreement)

1.International driving permit:（Convention of Road Traffic on Sep. 19, 1949(Geneva Convention))

When driving with an international driving permit:
You will be required to present both passport from your home country and your international driving permit.

Caution:

*International driving permits are only valid for one year from the date of issue (please confirm the date of issue on your permit). Additionally, international driving permits are only valid for one year from the date of entry into japan (date of entry can be found in the immigration stamp in your passport).
*However, persons on the basic resident register who leave Japan and subsequently re-enter the country within less than 3 months, will not have their date of entry (the start date for driving eligibility in Japan).
For whom who reside in Japan with international permit, please refer to website of National Police Agency. For details, see here.
*International driving permits acquired from signatory countries to the Paris Convention (1926), Washington Convention (1943) or Vienna Convention (1968) are not accepted.
*A stamp is required for D box is required to driver vehicles with more than 9seats (including the driver's seat).
(Applicable vehicle types: Class W-B or larger minivans, microbuses, etc.)
*International driving permits issued in Japan are not permitted to drive within Japan.

Points to confirm for international driving permits

1. Issuing country

2. Relevant convention date (September 19, 1949)

*International driving permits based on other dates are not accepted to drive in Japan.

3. Date of issue

*Permits are valid for one year from the date issue.

4. Permission stamps for categories of vehicles permitted to drive
*For details on categories see below.

Categories: Vehicles permitted to drive; Permitted license Class

A: Motorcycle; Unavailable

B: Motor vehicles used for the transport of passengers and comprising, in addition to the driver's seat, at most eight seats, or those used for the transport of goods and having a permissible maximum weight not exceeding 3,500kg (7,700lb). Vehicles in this category may be coupled with a light trailer.; Classes K, S, E, J, W (excluding W-B), G, V, D, T (T-H/T-S)

C: Motor vehicles used for the transport of goods and of which the permissible maximum weight exceeds 3,500kg (7,700lb). Vehicles in this category maybe coupled with a light trailer.; Classes T-C, R-D or bigger
(Large trucks and dry vans)

D: Motor vehicles used for the transport of passengers and comprising, in addition to the driver's seat, more than eight seats. Vehicles in this category maybe coupled with a light trailer.; Class W-B, W-E (10 passenger minivans) and microbuses

E: B, C or D above with attachment; Unavailable

2.Authorized Japanese translation

If you have a driver's license issued in Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Taiwan or Monaco, you are required to present your original driver's license, the authorized Japanese translation and your passport.
Translations are valid for one (1) year from the date of entry into Japan. Please present your passport so we can confirm the date of entrance.

●Authorized Japanese translation of the driver's license should be issued by the respective country's embassy or consulate in Japan or by the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF).
● For Taiwanese licenses, a Japanese translation of the driver's license should be issued by the JAF or the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association.

3.Japanese driver's license

License categories and types of vehicles that are permitted are

: : Permitted

: : Not permitted to drive for certain vehicle models

: : Not Permitted

Types of vehicles		Semi medium-sized Motor Vehicle Driver's License	Medium-sized Motor Vehicle Driver's License (up to 8t)
Passenger cars, Minivans, Light vans
Flatbed Trucks	T-H・T-S
	T-C
	T-D・T-E
	T-F
Dry Vans	R-D
	R-E・R-F
	R-G
Specially equipped vehicles		*3	*4
Microbuses

*1 Drivers who obtained ordinary license after Mar. 12, 2017.

*2 Drivers who obtained ordinary license between June. 2, 2007 and Mar. 11, 2017.

*3 Not permitted when vehicle maximum weight(weight of the vehicle and its maximum load) exceeds 7.5t.

*4 Not permitted when vehicle maximum weight(weight of the vehicle and its maximum load) exceeds 8.

Reservations

1.How to make a reservation

For reservations by telephone, please contact the Nippon Rent-A-Car English Service Desk.

Nippon Rent-A-Car English Service Desk

+ 81-3-6859-6234

Mon. - Fri. (Closed on the weekends and holidays)

09:00 - 16:00 (JST)

*Telephone conversations will be recorded for our better telephone services.

2.How to change/cancel reservations

Cancellations: You can cancel your reservation online, by telephone, or by email.
Changes: Please make a new reservation online again, then cancel the previous reservation.
If the vehicle or rental date are not available online, please contact English Service Desk by telephone or by email.

TEL:

If you do not know your reservation number, please provide the driver's name and place and date of your car pick-up so that we can seach for your reservation.

Email:

Please include the following information in your email.

・Whether you would like to change or cancel your reservation

・Reservation number

・Driver's name

・Date of car pick up

・Rental location

・Items you would like to change (when requesting to change your reservation)

Email：intlres@nipponrentacar.co.jp

*Cancellation fee

Cancellation charges apply for the cancellation of reservations. If you do not show up without notice more than one hour after the reserved time of car pick up, this will be regarded as a cancellation. The same amount will be paid by Nippon Rent-A-Car in the event that a reservation is cancelled by Nippon Rent-A-Car or a rental agreement is not made. No such charges apply when reservations are made and cancelled on the same day.

*No tax is imposed on cancellation fees.

From Pick-up to Return

1.At the office

Necessary items

（1）A Japanese driver's license, an international driving permit valid in Japan (dated on the September 19, 1949), or a driver's license from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Taiwan or Monaco (authorized Japanese translation required)

（2）Your passport (for drivers who do not possess a Japanese driving license)

（3）A credit card accepted by Nippon Rent-A-Car

Pick-up procedures

(1) We will make a photocopy of your license, passport and related documents.

(2) You will be requested to read the Rental Agreement and other related papers, and sign if you agree with the terms and conditions.

(3) Payment by credit card is required at the time of pick-up.

(4) Our staff will ask you to check and confirm the exteria of the vehicle. If you find any damage on the vehicle, please inform staff at this time.

2.Return

Return procedures

*Please return vehicles with a full tank of fuel.

(1) Present fuel receipt on return.

(2) Staff will check the vehicle with you. Do not leave any personal belongings in the vehicle.

(3) You may be charged for any additional charges, if any.

Optional equipment / items

Optional items and fees

Optional items
Notes

Car navigation system(GPS)

Fee：Free

All vehicles are equipped with Multi-Lingual GPS.
However, please note that there is a possibility that Japanese-language GPS will be assigned to your vehicle.
*Japanese-language GPS supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

ETC device

Fee：Free

Available free of charge for all vehicles (exc. outlying islands).
ETC card need to be inserted into ETC device before passing trough ETC gates on highways.
What is ETC?

ETC card

Fee：330 yen, including tax, up to 7 days
1,100 yen, including tax, 8 days and more

ETC card rental service is available at our major rental offices nationwide（not available rental offices on small islands where ETC system does not exist.）
Toll fees will be calculated when you return your car and ETC card.

Expressway Pass

Fee：Rates are different from every Expressway Pass program.

Good value plans to drive certain highways with fixed price.
For further information, please visit here.
To use expressway pass program, you will be required to rent an ETC card from Nippon Rent-A-Car.

Non-smoking vehicles

Fee：Free

All passenger cars and minivans are no smoking.
All cargo vans, trucks and dry vans are smoking.

4WD
(exc. vehicles with 4WD as standard equipment)

Fee：1,650 yen/day (up to 15 days)

Specify when making your reservation. (some areas only)
*J-I class is equipped with standard 4WD. No additionally charge is required.

Child safety seats

1,100 yen/per rental

If you are accompanied by a child under the age of 6, you are required to use a child safety seat. See here.

Winter tires (Snow tires)

2,200-3,300 yen/day
(Maximum fee: 10 times daily rate)

Winter tires are necessary options when you drive on snowy / icy roads. It is free at rental offices which are located in snowy area, while certain optional fees are charged at other rental offices. Please specify if you need vehicle equipped with snow tires at the time of reservation.Please see here for further information.

Child safety seats

In accordance with the Road Traffic Act, you are required to use a child seat when you are accompanied by a child under the age of 6.
When necessary, please reserve in advance. Several types of child safety seats are available. Please select the appropriate type as belaw:

Baby seat	Child seat
Height: 40cm - 75cm Age: Up to 15 months	Height: 76cm - 105cm Age: 16 months - 4 years Weight: Up to 18kg
Dimensions (example) W 475 mm x D 525 mm x H 650 mm

Junior seat

Height: 100cm - 140cm

Age: 4 years - 10 years

Dimensions (example)
W 420 mm x
D 350 mm x
H 210 mm

What is ETC ?

The ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) system enables drivers to pay toll fees without stopping at a toll gate. Tolls are charged based on the total amount of recorded usage in the IC chip of the ETC card.

ETC portal site

ETC cards need to be inserted into the ETC device before passing through ETC gates on highways.

*ETC card rental service is available at our rental offices nationwide.
Please reserve in advance. Please click here for further information.

One-Way Rental (Return to another location)

Nippon Rent-A-Car offers one-way rentals, so you can pick up a car at one rental location and return it to another (subject to car availability and locations).

One-way fees:

1: The distance is less than 20 kilometers, and the area set by Nippon Rent-A-Car; Free

2: The distance is more than 20 kilometers, and the area set by Nippon Rent-A-Car; Applied

●Drop-off fees vary depending upon distance and vehicle type.

●For further detail, please refer to here.

Caution:

*One-way rentals are not available at some rental locations due to location, environment next reservations, vehicle type selected, and other reasons.
*One-way rentals are not available to locations on outlying islands such as Sadogashima, Tanegashima, Yakushima, Okinawa-Honto, Ishigakijima and Miyakojima.
*Please contact your pick-up office when you wish to change your return location after car pick-up. One-way fees may apply.

Cancellation and other fees

Cancellation fees

Cancellation charges apply for the cancellation of reservations. If you do not show up without notice more than one hour after the reserved time of car pick up, this will be regarded as a cancellation. The same amount will be paid by Nippon Rent-A-Car in the event that a reservation is cancelled by Nippon Rent-A-Car and a rental agreement is not made. No such charges apply when the reservations and cancellation is made on the same day.

Up to 7 days prior to the date of rental: Charges do not apply

Up to 3 days prior to the date of rental: 20% of the basic rate

Up to 1 day prior to the date of rental: 30% of the basic rate

Date of rental: 50% of the basic rate

Maximum charge JPY 6,000

*A separate cancellation charge applies for microbuses.

*No tax is imposed on cancellation charges.

Excess Hour Charges

If you wish to extend your rental, please contact the pick-up office prior to drop-off and get their consent. An excess charge, which is described on the tariff, will apply at the time of car return if the rental period is extended.

■Halfway Cancellation Charges (HCC)

If you wish to cancel during the contract period, please contact the office where you picked up the vehicle and get approval before returning. In that case, the rental fee for the unused period will be refunded, but a separate cancellation fee will be charged. Please note that if the difference between the scheduled return time at the time of pick-up and the actual return time is less than 24 hours, the difference will not be refunded.

Halfway Cancellation Charges (HCC): HCC = (A-B)*50% A: Basic rental rates for the original rental period B: Basic rental rates for the completed rental period *Maximum HCC JPY 6,000.

*Halfway cancellation charges differ for micro buses.

*No tax is imposed on cancellation charges.

Fuel charge

・Please refuel at the designated gas stations before returning your vehicle if possible
・If you fail to refuel, Nippon Rent-A-Car will charge you a prescribed refueling charge based on kilometers driven or indication of the gas gauge. Please be advised that the refueling charge in such case may be higher than that which would otherwise have been paid at a gas station.
・Please refuel with gasoline or diesel oil, as designated by the vehicle manufacturer.

Non-operation charge (NOC)

NOC will apply as part of the compensation for loss of use, arising from the non-usability of the rented vehicle during the repairing or cleaning period in the following cases when Nippon Rent-A-Car is not liable - traffic accidents, theft, engine failure, stains, etc. These charges will be the same regardless of the degree of the damage and the time required for repair.

When the rented vehicle is returned to the originally designated location: 20,000 yen

Other situations: 50,000 yen

*NOC is not covered by CDW.

*Taxes (including local consumption tax) do not apply to NOC.

Regular Season and High Season Applicable

Regular Season and High Season applicable are based on location/area.
Please refer to below map for respective season applicable for your rental office in advance.

* Please check rates based on your date/place of car pick up.

* Summer Season Rates in Hokkaido (July 1 to August 31) are different from ones applied in other part of Japan.

* For cargo vans and trucks, rates are based on Regular Season all the year round.

* High Season dates may be changed in every year.

High Season Dates

Winter Tires and Winter Drive in Japan (November - April)

Your car MUST be equipped with Winter Tires if you are driving to areas with icy or snowy roads.
Except for Okinawa and southern islands, all locations including cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Fukuoka, etc. it may snow.
It is seriously dangerous to drive icy roads without Winter Tires. Please check the road conditions and the weather forecast in your destinations. At the time of reservation, please be sure to select Winter Tires option when it is necessary.

Note:1

Popular Snowfall Areas

Hokkaido
All Hokkaido locations
Honshu
All locations in Tohoku area / Nikko / Kusatsu / Manza Onsen / Takaragawa Onsen / Minakami Onsen / Hakone / Mt. Fuji and lakes / Nagano / Niigata / Hida Takayama / Shirakawago / Kanazawa / Toyama / Alpen Route / North Kyoto (Amanohashidate / Tango / etc.) / Arima Onsen / Mt. Rokko / Mt. Koya / Tottori / Matsue / etc.
Shikoku
Iya Valley / etc.
Kyushu
Mt. Aso / Yufuin / Takachiho / etc.

Note:2

Your vehicle must be equipped with Winter Tires, when you drop off the vehicle in all snowfall areas below.

Major snowfall area:

Hokkaido, Aomori, Akita, Iwate, Yamagata, Miyagi, Fukushima, Yamanashi, Nagano, Niigata, Tochigi(Nikko and Kinugawa area), Toyama, Ishikawa, Fukui, Shimane and Tottori

Note:3

Depending on the weather, it may snow in other area as well.
After checking the weather forecast and road conditions, when if you find it necessary to have vehicle equipped with snow tires, please make a reservation for such vehicle accordingly.

Option fee
Winter Tires
2,200 - 3,300 yen per day (Maximum fee: 10 times daily rate)

What is Winter Tire?

Winter tires are made of a special rubber that does not get hard easily, even in temperatures of 0℃ and below, and are designed to convey driving and braking forces to the road better than Normal (Summer) tires.

As driving on snowy and icy roads with normal tires is extremely dangerous, please make sure to thoroughly check the weather conditions when driving in Japan.
*Please note that if you reserve a car with regular tires, even in snowy regions, we may not be able to rent you snow tires depending on the weather conditions.
*Depending on the amount of snow that has fallen, cars without snow tires may be prohibited on driving on some roads.

4 Tips for Safe Driving on Snow and Ice

1. Gently and gradually press the accelerator pedal when accelerating from a standstill. If you accelerate suddenly, your tires may slip in place.

2. Do not turn, brake, accelerate, or decelerate suddenly while you are in motion. You may lose control and your car may spin.

3. Even on roads with a small amount of snow, they may be icy. Make sure to increase the distance between the car in front of you.

4. It is easy to spin when cornering due to centrifugal force, so make sure to slow down on the straight road before entering the corner.

Introduction of a convenient application

"Safety tips", a push-enabled information alert app

This push-enabled app gives alerts for Earthquake Early Warning, Tsunami Warning, Weather Warning and Eruption Warning within Japan. The App provides various functions useful for both foreign tourists and residents in Japan, Website Links that contain helpful information in the event of a disaster.

Download URL

Android:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.co.rcsc.safetyTips.android

iPhone:

https://itunes.apple.com/jp/app/safety-tips/id858357174?mt=8

QR Code

For Android

For iPhone

Available OS: Android 4.1 or later iOS7.0 or later