Foreigners Driving in Japan: What You MUST Know!

Road to the Sky (Shari, Hokkaido)
Hokkaido is vast—driving from Sapporo to Shari can take around five hours—so the easiest gateway is Memanbetsu Airport. From there, it’s about a one‑hour drive by rental car to the Road to the Sky. For lodging, Kawayu Onsen is a great choice about 40 minutes away by car.

Mt. Fuji Skyline
Use Mishima Station on the Tokaido Shinkansen as your base. From Mishima, it’s about a 40‑minute drive by rental car to the Fujinomiya side of the Mt. Fuji Skyline.
For accommodation nearby, the Hakone area is a classic choice, with many renowned ryokan popular among international travelers and plenty of sights including Lake Ashi.

Chirihama Nagisa Driveway
Start in Kanazawa. The Hokuriku Shinkansen gets you there directly from Tokyo in about 2.5 hours. Rent a car at Kanazawa Station and it’s roughly a 40‑minute drive to the southern entrance of Chirihama Nagisa Driveway.
For overnight stays, you can book a hotel in central Kanazawa, or go a bit farther to Omaki Onsen, a secluded hot spring only accessible by boat, about an hour away. You’ll need to park at the pier before boarding the boat.

Shimanami Kaido
This roughly 60 km route bridges six islands across the Seto Inland Sea, connecting Onomichi in Hiroshima Prefecture with Imabari in Ehime Prefecture. You can start from either side, but beginning on the Hiroshima side by rental car and staying at Dogo Onsen in Ehime—said to be Japan’s oldest hot spring—is a great way to go.

Yamanami Highway
A spectacular 50 km mountain drive linking Oita and Kumamoto. You can drive it in either direction, but starting on the Kumamoto side by rental car and finishing with a stay in Beppu Onsen (Oita) is highly recommended. Beppu is often called Japan’s number one hot spring area for its sheer number of sources, water output, and variety of spring types, with accommodations of all sizes.