Renting a Car in Okinawa as an American: International Driving Permit, Left-Side Roads and Tolls

Do you need a car?

It depends on where you sleep. In Naha, the Yui Rail monorail and taxis cover most of what first-timers do. For Chatan and the Onna coast, buses run from the airport, but slowly. For the Motobu Peninsula and the Churaumi Aquarium, a car makes the day much easier, especially if you land on the afternoon flight from San Francisco.

Our Naha Airport to your hotel guide compares the monorail, buses, taxis and rental cars area by area.

Get your International Driving Permit before you leave

Your US license is not enough on its own. Japan's National Police Agency says visitors can drive with an International Driving Permit (IDP) issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, which the US has joined (as AATA notes). Permits issued under other conventions, or in other formats, don't count (as of October 2026, National Police Agency).

Paper only. JNTO, Japan's national tourism organization, says only the booklet-style paper IDP is valid in Japan. Card-style and smartphone versions are not (as of October 2026, JNTO).

Get it at home. AAA issues IDPs only to holders of a valid US license, so get yours from a US issuer before you fly (as of October 2026, AAA official site).

Who issues IDPs in the US

Two organizations issue the 1949 Convention permit to US drivers:

• AAA, which says it is one of the two organizations the US Department of State authorizes. You can apply online, at a branch or by mail.
• The American Automobile Touring Alliance (AATA), which takes applications online.

We don't print the fees here; check them on AAA's IDP page and AATA's site. Before you pay anyone, check that the permit you're ordering is the 1949 Geneva Convention one.

Why the landing stamp matters. You can drive on an IDP for up to one year from the day you land in Japan, or until the IDP expires, whichever comes first (as of October 2026, National Police Agency). JNTO says the rental company checks your landing date from the stamp in your passport.

Face recognition gates don't stamp passports. If you do use one, ask the immigration staff right after the gate, or at the immigration office, before you reach customs. Japan's Immigration Services Agency says it can't accept a request for the stamp after that point (as of October 2026, official site).

What to bring to the rental counter

• Your IDP (the 1949 Geneva Convention booklet)
• Your US driver's license, valid and the original, not a photocopy or a phone image
• Your passport, with the landing stamp
• A credit card. Toyota Rent a Car, for example, takes only credit cards for online bookings made on or after July 22, 2026, not debit or prepaid cards (as of October 2026, Toyota official site)

Bring the originals: JNTO says only the paper IDP booklet is valid, and your license must be valid (as of October 2026, JNTO). Companies set their own document rules, so read your booking confirmation.

Booking the car

Companies that take bookings in English

Toyota Rent a Car, one of the large rental companies, has an English booking site. Search for your pick-up office, such as Naha Airport, on each site. We list it because you can book and get help in English. We haven't ranked them, we don't copy ratings from review sites, and we have no relationship with any of them.

• Toyota Rent a Car: English online booking, plus an English phone line, 0800-7000-815 toll-free in Japan, from 8:00 to 20:00 every day (rent.toyota.co.jp/eng) (All as of October 2026, official sites.) JNTO's car rental page lists more companies that serve visitors, with their contact details. Check each company's site for English booking and an office near Naha Airport.

You don't pick the car up inside the terminal. The companies have offices outside the airport and run shuttle buses from stops outside the 1st floor. Our airport guide explains where.

Child seats

Japanese law doesn't let you drive with a child under 6 who isn't in a child seat (as of October 2026, National Police Agency). Rental companies rent seats; reserve one when you book. Toyota, for example, charges ¥1,650 per rental for a baby or child seat and ¥1,100 for a junior seat (as of October 2026, Toyota official site). Prices and seat types differ by company.

ETC cards

An ETC card is a small card that pays expressway tolls automatically at the gate. With a rental car, you settle the tolls when you return the car (as of October 2026, JNTO).

Whether you can rent one, and what it costs, varies by company and by office. Toyota charges ¥550 per rental for the card, and says some offices, including those on remote islands, don't have cars with ETC units (as of October 2026, Toyota official site). Ask for one when you book, and check that company's official site.

What the coverage options mean

Every Japanese rental includes basic insurance, but the extras have names Americans won't know. Here's how Toyota, as one example, sets them up. Other companies use different names and prices.

Toyota also says its insurance doesn't cover an accident you don't report to the police (as of October 2026, Toyota official site). Dollar figures use ¥157.81 per $1 (as of October 2, 2026, Federal Reserve).

Driving on the left: the rules that differ from home

Japan drives on the left, and many accidents happen at turns (as of October 2026, JNTO). The National Police Agency's leaflet for visiting drivers highlights these rules:

• No turns on red. At a red light, you can't go straight or turn either way. Wait for green.
• Green arrows. If a green arrow is lit, you can go the way it points.
• Turning right means crossing oncoming traffic. Wait, with your signal on, until oncoming cars going straight or turning left have passed.
• Pedestrians go first at intersections.
• Yellow center line: don't cross it to pass.
• Stop signs mean a full stop, then a look left and right. (All as of October 2026, National Police Agency.)

JNTO adds that everyone in the car must wear a seat belt, using a phone while driving is illegal, and you must stop at railroad crossings (as of October 2026, JNTO). Speed limits are posted in km/h: 40 km/h is about 25 mph.

Don't drink and drive. Driving with 0.15 mg or more of alcohol per liter of breath is an offense, and driving while drunk is a crime at any level (as of October 2026, National Police Agency). Fines and prison terms can also apply to passengers in the car and to anyone who gave the driver a drink (as of October 2026, National Police Agency). If you drink, don't drive at all.

Signs you'll see

Two common signs are written in Japanese. Since July 2017, new and replaced versions are in principle bilingual, with English underneath, and the older Japanese-only versions remain valid (as of October 2026, National Police Agency).

The National Police Agency publishes an English guide to Japan's traffic lights and road signs with pictures of each sign. It's worth ten minutes before your trip. The agency's Traffic Bureau page has more leaflets in English.

Expressway and tolls

The Okinawa Expressway is a toll road run by NEXCO West, one of Japan's expressway companies.

These tolls include an Okinawa Expressway discount that NEXCO West plans to run until March 31, 2027 (planned, per NEXCO West). The SFO–Naha flights are scheduled to start days before that, so check the tolls again if you travel in spring 2027.

At the gate. Lanes marked in purple are ETC lanes, where the card pays automatically. Lanes marked in green take cash or a credit card (as of October 2026, JNTO).

Parking, gas and returning the car

• Parking: spaces can be hard to find in towns, and you can be fined for parking outside a marked space (as of October 2026, JNTO). Ask your hotel about parking before you book the car.
• Gas: some stations are full-service, where staff fill the tank for you, and some are self-service (as of October 2026, JNTO).
• Refuel before you return it. JNTO calls this a basic rule. Check your booking for how full the tank should be.
• Before you leave the lot: walk around the car with the staff and note any scratches or dents (as of October 2026, JNTO).

If something happens

If there's an accident, help anyone who is hurt, then:

• Call 119 for an ambulance.
• Call 110 for the police, even if no one is hurt (as of October 2026, National Police Agency).
• Then contact your rental company, using the number in your rental papers.

The police leaflet has a page in English and other languages that you can show to someone nearby if you need help making the calls. Save the leaflet (PDF) to your phone before you go.

When to go

You can rent a car in any month. The rainy season usually runs from around May 10 to around June 21. Typhoons come closest most often in August and September. When one approaches, stay off the road and follow your rental company's instructions. Follow the Japan Meteorological Agency for typhoon information, not forecasts from other sources.

Official info

• National Police Agency, English pages for drivers: npa.go.jp
• JNTO, renting a car in Japan: japan.travel
• AAA, International Driving Permit: aaa.com
• AATA, International Driving Permit: aataidp.com
• NEXCO West, Okinawa Expressway tolls (Japanese): w-nexco.co.jp

Next:

• Before you fly, check passports, customs and medicines with our entry checklist.
• Pick your base with Where to Stay in Okinawa.
• Plan the drive north with our Churaumi Aquarium and Motobu day trip.
• Visiting Naha first? See the Shuri Castle guide.