Before you go
This is based on guidance from public bodies, rental car companies and expressway companies, as of October 2026 (it isn’t an explanation of the law).
For now, just this
For the next five, the answer is the same.
・On the day, you’re told there are “no” cars with winter tires
・You’ve arrived without winter tires
・You’re told “you need chains”
・A heavy-snow notice has come out
・A typhoon or heavy rain is on its way
Make that day a day you don’t drive.
The day you were going to cross a mountain pass becomes a day of hot springs and snow-viewing at your accommodation. If it’s a typhoon, move your outdoor plans to the next day, which is often sunny. Swap your days and destinations around, and your trip can carry on as it is.
When you plan your trip
I’ve never driven on snowy roads. Right-hand drive is new to me too. Is it safe to rent in winter?
You can also rent in a way that keeps you off snowy roads.
Take the train as far as the station at the gateway to snow country, and rent there. Leave travel within snow country to trains, buses and tours, and use the car on stretches that are easy to drive. You can put it together like that. JNTO (Japan National Tourism Organization), the national tourism office, also strongly recommends avoiding driving in snow as much as possible and using trains and buses instead.
On days you drive, keep the distance short and plan to reach your accommodation before the sun goes down. If you split your days between driving and leaving it to trains and buses, you can enjoy the snowy scenery from both.
→ “Driving in Japan in Winter, Hokkaido Included — First Decide Where You’ll Rent, When You’ll Drive and What You’ll Do on Days You Don’t Drive“／”How to Drive on Snowy Roads — Nothing ‘Sudden,’ and Plenty of Space Ahead“
Can I drive this road (to Shirakawa-go, Takayama, Kusatsu and so on) in winter?
Instead of answering road by road, here are three ways to check.
① If where you’re going gets snow, rent a car with winter tires.
② If you’ll take a pass or mountain road, check before you go whether it’s a road that closes in winter.
③ On the day you drive, check whether it’s closed that day.
Roads that close in winter are announced prefecture by prefecture and section by section. For that day’s roads, you can check national roads on the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s “Road Information Provision System,” and expressways on “Drive Traffic (“Dora Tora”).” Both have entry points in English, Korean and Traditional Chinese (the Shuto Expressway, the Hanshin Expressway and roads run by local road public corporations don’t appear on either).
When a road that closes in winter opens in spring, the road itself becomes a destination. For example, the Hachimantai Aspite Line, which crosses Iwate and Akita, becomes the “Snow Corridor” when it opens in mid-April, and you can drive between walls of snow (the timing varies from year to year).
→ “Winter Tires (Snow Tires), 4WD and Chains — Whether You Need Them Depends on Where You’re Going“／”Japan Winter Road Conditions: Where to Check Road Closures in English“
Won’t the car navigation take me onto narrow, snowy mountain roads?
It can.
Car navigation systems may show the usual route without taking that day’s road conditions into account. On snowy days, avoid narrow roads and choose major highways. If the route includes a pass or mountain road, check first whether it’s a road that closes in winter.
→ “Driving in Japan in Winter, Hokkaido Included“／”Japan Winter Road Conditions: Where to Check Road Closures in English“
When you book
Do I need winter tires? Even if I rent in Tokyo, Osaka or Fukuoka?
Whether you need them depends not on where you rent, but on where you drive.
Even if you rent where there’s no snow, you need winter tires if you’ll drive in snowy areas. If you rent in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka or similar places and head for snowy areas, choose winter tires on the booking screen. Nippon Rent-A-Car lists Karuizawa and Lake Kawaguchi, close to Tokyo, and Aso in Kyushu among those snowy destinations.
With winter tires on, you can take a car rented in Tokyo right into the snowy scenery of Karuizawa or Lake Kawaguchi.
→ “Winter Tires (Snow Tires), 4WD and Chains“
The forecast says sunny. Can I skip winter tires?
If where you’re going gets snow, you need them.
Even if it isn’t snowing where you pick up the car, it may snow where you’re going. Even if you can’t see any snow when you set off, the road conditions change as the place and time change. Shady curves can be icy even when they look free of snow.
In a car with winter tires, you can choose to head into the snowy scenery on sunny days too.
→ “Winter Tires (Snow Tires), 4WD and Chains“／”How to Drive on Snowy Roads“
Is it against the law to drive on snowy roads without winter tires? Will I be stopped?
The Kyushu Regional Development Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism says that driving on snowy or icy roads without any anti-slip measure, such as winter tires or chains, is a violation of the law (the details are set by each prefecture’s rules).
On NEXCO CENTRAL expressways, when a “winter tire restriction” is in place, cars with neither winter tires nor chains aren’t allowed to continue, and have to exit at the nearest interchange.
→ “Winter Tires (Snow Tires), 4WD and Chains“
Do winter tires come fitted from the start? Is there an extra charge?
At Nippon Rent-A-Car and Toyota Rent a Car, branches in snowy areas such as Hokkaido, Tohoku, Niigata, Nagano and Hokuriku have winter tires fitted on all cars from the start during winter (which branches and which periods differ by company). You don’t need to request them. Instead, a winter seasonal rate is added during that period.
If you rent outside snow country, add winter tires when you book. Take the train as far as the gateway to snow country and rent there, and you have one less thing to think about with winter tires.
→ “Winter Tires (Snow Tires), 4WD and Chains“
From which month to which month do I need winter tires? What about October or May?
It differs by company and area.
There are areas in Japan where snow falls from the end of September to May. The period when winter tires come fitted also differs by company. Even in Hokkaido, the period ends on April 20 at Nippon Rent-A-Car and on May 5 at Toyota Rent a Car.
If you rent in early spring or early winter, check on the booking screen or in the company’s information whether winter tires will be fitted.
→ “Winter Tires (Snow Tires), 4WD and Chains“
I can’t choose winter tires on the booking screen. Can I add them later?
You can sometimes ask the company.
At Nippon Rent-A-Car, book with regular tires first, then ask the English-language desk to add winter tires, giving your booking number. Depending on availability, they may not be able to fit them.
At other companies too, if the option doesn’t come up on the screen, ask the company you’re booking with.
→ “Winter Tires (Snow Tires), 4WD and Chains“／”Japan Rental Car Q&A — Booking, Pickup, Return, Accidents and More“
Do I need 4WD?
Winter tires come first. 4WD is no substitute for winter tires.
4WD helps you go uphill, not stop. If your trip has lots of steep climbs or mountain roads, adding it on top of winter tires helps on the way up.
→ “Winter Tires (Snow Tires), 4WD and Chains“
Do I need chains? Can I rent them?
The time you really need chains is when a “chain restriction” is put in place on set sections during exceptionally heavy snow. At those times, you can’t get through without chains on, even with winter tires or 4WD.
Some companies don’t rent out chains (Times Car Rental, Budget Rent a Car). At Toyota Rent a Car, it depends on the branch, so you contact the reservation center after you book.
A chain restriction comes out on days of snow heavy enough that the road would have closed anyway. On that day, instead of pushing across the pass, you can make it a day of hot springs at your accommodation and snow-viewing.
→ “Winter Tires (Snow Tires), 4WD and Chains“
On the days you drive
What if the windows are frozen in the morning? Why do people leave the wipers raised?
Take your time and melt the ice with the heater (defroster). If you pour hot water on it, the temperature difference may crack the glass, or the melted water may freeze again right away. Before you set off, also clear the snow off the roof.
You raise the wipers when you park somewhere cold because wet wipers freeze and stick to the windshield.
Head to the car a little early in the morning. While you wait for the ice on the windows to melt, you can take in the snowy morning scenery.
→ “How to Drive on Snowy Roads“
Can I still slip with winter tires? What’s “black ice”?
Yes, you can. Even with winter tires, packed snow is more slippery than an ordinary road.
A road that looks black and wet but is actually frozen on the surface is called black ice (called ブラックアイスバーン in Japanese). It doesn’t look white, so it’s a road surface that’s hard to notice.
Roads tend to freeze on bridges, at tunnel entrances and exits, and in the shade. Since you can guess where, you can slow down ahead of time, before you get there.
→ “How to Drive on Snowy Roads“
Can roads freeze at night even if it isn’t snowing?
They can.
A road that’s just wet during the day becomes slippery when the temperature drops at night. In the mornings and evenings, when the temperature drops, think of it as a completely different road from the daytime. The time when roads tend to freeze is close to sunset.
Plan to reach that day’s accommodation before the sun goes down.
→ “How to Drive on Snowy Roads“／”Driving in Japan in Winter, Hokkaido Included“
What if I can’t see ahead in a snowstorm?
Slow down.
When the weather starts getting worse, pull in somewhere you can stop, like a convenience store, a bus shelter or a roadside station (Michi no Eki), before you get stuck. Wait there until it’s safe to go back on the road.
For what to do if you get stuck, see “I can’t see ahead in a snowstorm and my car can’t move” below.
On a day when a snowstorm is forecast, you can plan from the start to make it a day for watching the snow from your accommodation.
→ “How to Drive on Snowy Roads“／”Japan Winter Road Conditions: Where to Check Road Closures in English“
When the weather turns bad
Do expressways close in heavy snow? Can I get trapped?
They can close. When heavy snow is forecast, roads may be closed ahead of time, before cars get stuck (preventive road closure). Even cars with winter tires can get caught in long lines of stuck cars.
Still, the bigger the snow, the earlier you’re told. While you’re traveling, check the notices for the roads to where you’re going and the weather every day.
If you have no choice but to go out, make sure you have fuel, take food and water, and load a blanket and a shovel before you set off.
If a notice comes out, swap that day’s pass crossing with plans for another day. If you know ahead of time, you also have time to rearrange your accommodation bookings and the order of your destinations.
→ “Driving in Japan in Winter, Hokkaido Included“／”Japan Winter Road Conditions: Where to Check Road Closures in English“／”Breakdown, Flat Tire, Dead Battery, Locked-In Key, Out of Gas — A Step Card for When Your Car Stops“
Is it OK to drive a rental car on a day with a typhoon or heavy rain?
Make it a day you don’t drive.
JNTO, the national tourism office, writes that during a typhoon you shouldn’t go outside, whether on foot or by car. Some expressway companies put out notices ahead of time when heavy rain or a typhoon looks likely to affect expressways. Where you check the expressway notices is the same as for snow, such as “Dora Tora.”
If you run into heavy rain while you’re driving, never enter areas lower than their surroundings, such as along rivers or the coast, or underpasses; take a detour. You can’t tell how deep a flooded road is just by looking.
Even after the rain stops, expressways won’t necessarily reopen right away. If you’ll move by car the next day, check the road notices before you set off.
Most typhoons pass through in less than 24 hours, and the next day is often sunny. Move your outdoor plans to that next day.
For canceling your booking, see “Japan Rental Car Q&A — Booking, Pickup, Return, Accidents and More.”
→ “Japan Rental Car Q&A“／”Japan Winter Road Conditions: Where to Check Road Closures in English“
I can’t see ahead in fog or a downpour
When fog or a downpour makes it hard to see ahead, turn on your lights and slow down.
→ “How to Drive on Snowy Roads“
When you’re in trouble
On the day, I was told there are “no” cars with winter tires
Make that day a day you don’t go onto snowy or icy roads.
At Nippon Rent-A-Car, branches outside snowy areas may not be able to provide a car with winter tires when those cars are fully booked. Budget Rent a Car also says it may not be able to provide one for the period you want if they’re fully booked, and asks you to refrain from driving while it’s snowing.
Don’t drive on snowy roads; make it a day to go see the snowy scenery by train or bus. Next time you rent, add winter tires when you book.
→ “Winter Tires (Snow Tires), 4WD and Chains“／”Driving in Japan in Winter, Hokkaido Included“
I’ve arrived without winter tires. There’s more snow than forecast. Should I go to the mountains tomorrow?
Don’t go into snowy mountains in a car without winter tires.
Budget Rent a Car doesn’t change tires at its branches during winter, and it doesn’t accept customers buying winter tires or changing tires themselves either, except in cases such as a flat tire.
Make tomorrow a day to go see the snowy scenery by train or bus. Use the car on stretches with no snow.
→ “Winter Tires (Snow Tires), 4WD and Chains“／”Driving in Japan in Winter, Hokkaido Included“
I was told “you need chains.” Where do I get them?
First, ask the company you rented from.
Some companies don’t rent out chains. At Budget Rent a Car, you would buy them at a tire shop or car accessory store, and the company can’t tell you which chains fit your tires either.
Still, a chain restriction comes out on days of snow heavy enough that the road would have closed anyway. Make that a day you don’t cross the pass.
→ “Winter Tires (Snow Tires), 4WD and Chains“
The road closed while I was driving. I was made to get off the expressway
If road staff are there, follow their instructions and make a U-turn or take a detour.
After that, your options include checking for a detour, staying at or going back to your accommodation, or changing where you’re going. National highways running alongside the expressway may close too, so you can’t count on getting there by local roads.
On some roads, you’re also told when they’re expected to reopen. You can build the time you wait at your accommodation or a roadside station until the road reopens into your travel plans.
→ “Japan Winter Road Conditions: Where to Check Road Closures in English“
I can’t see ahead in a snowstorm and my car can’t move. What about the engine?
There are four things to do.
Call for rescue right away, and wait in your car.
Clear the snow from around the muffler (tailpipe) from time to time.
After clearing the snow, let fresh air in as well.
Turn off the engine as much as possible while snow is falling.
This is guidance from the Cabinet Office (Disaster Management), the Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau and JAF. If you leave your car in a snowstorm, you may lose track of where your car is. Get out of the car only when you can see a place where you can take shelter, or a place where you can contact rescuers. If the tailpipe gets blocked by snow, exhaust fumes can get into the car and there’s a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Opening a window slightly isn’t enough to prevent it, so do both: clear the snow, and let fresh air in.
Ask the police or other services for rescue (110). After that, also let the rental car company know, using the number on the paperwork you got when you rented.
If your car stopped because of an accident or breakdown, the steps are different. See “If Your Car Stops on the Expressway — Don’t Wait Inside.”
Big snowfalls are announced ahead of time. If you plan from the start to make a day with a snowstorm forecast a day for watching the snow from your accommodation, you’re less likely to ever need this.
→ “Japan Winter Road Conditions: Where to Check Road Closures in English“／”If Your Car Stops on the Expressway — Don’t Wait Inside“／”Japan Emergency Numbers (110, 119) and Japanese Phrases for Accidents and Breakdowns — All on One Card“
I’m stuck in the snow and can’t move
If snow buries the area around the muffler (tailpipe), exhaust fumes can flow into the car, creating a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. While the engine is running, clear the snow from around the muffler from time to time.
The steps are in “Breakdown, Flat Tire, Dead Battery, Locked-In Key, Out of Gas — A Step Card for When Your Car Stops.”
→ “Breakdown, Flat Tire, Dead Battery, Locked-In Key, Out of Gas“
Is roadside assistance not covered when I get stuck in snow?
It differs by company. Some companies say it isn’t covered by roadside assistance when your tires spin on a snowy road and you can’t move.
→ “Breakdown, Flat Tire, Dead Battery, Locked-In Key, Out of Gas“／”Japan Rental Car Insurance Q&A — Contact Your Rental Company First“
I hit a snow wall or something in a parking lot, and no one else was involved
Even for a small accident with no other party, call the police (110) and also let the company you rented from know.
→ “Rental Car Scratch in Japan? Call 110 Even for a Small One — The Police Report You May Need Later“
※Which branches fit winter tires and for what periods, how chains are handled, and how road closures are announced and where the notices appear differ by company, branch, region and road, and they can change. Before you book, check the latest information from the company you’re renting from. If you actually run into trouble in snow or heavy rain, follow the instructions of the police and road staff, and the guidance of the company you rented from.
