Your First 10 Minutes Driving in Japan — Keep Left, Wait to Turn Right, Let Pedestrians Go First

Before you go

This website provides information based on guidance from the National Police Agency and other authorities to help you prepare before driving in Japan (as of October 2026; this is not a legal explanation). Rules may change. When driving, follow local signs and the official guidance at the end of this article.

You have just left the rental car company’s parking lot. In the first 10 minutes, the easiest mistakes to make do not involve difficult signs.

Here is the answer first.

Drive on the left. When turning right, wait for oncoming traffic. Pedestrians at crosswalks go first.

This article covers those three points and just four more things you will encounter once you start driving: speed numbers, places where you must stop, sirens, and the controls by the driver’s seat. It does not cover every traffic rule in Japan.

Drive on the Left. Take Extra Care After Turning

Japan drives on the left. The steering wheel is on the right.

The National Police Agency warns people who have driven in countries with right-hand traffic that they may end up driving on the right side after turning at an intersection or in similar situations.

After turning, move to the left side first.

Before turning right, move as close as possible to the center of the road. At the intersection, turn just inside the center of the intersection at a speed that lets you stop immediately (what the traffic rules call “proceeding slowly”). After the turn, enter the left side of the road.

Before turning left, move as close as possible to the left edge of the road. Then follow the left edge as closely as possible and turn at a speed that lets you stop immediately (what the traffic rules call “proceeding slowly”).

When leaving the rental car company’s parking lot and entering the road, enter the left side too.

When Turning Right, Wait

Because Japan drives on the left, a right turn crosses the lane of oncoming traffic.

When turning right, vehicles coming straight toward you and vehicles turning left have priority. Do not obstruct them even if your car entered the intersection first.

The National Police Agency’s multilingual guidance says to wait with your turn signal on until pedestrians and oncoming vehicles have passed.

Even when there is a gap in oncoming traffic, do not go immediately. First check that no one is on the crosswalk beyond the turn.

Pedestrians at Crosswalks Go First

A National Police Agency leaflet for visitors from overseas says that in Japan, “pedestrians always have priority.”

When approaching a crosswalk, slow down to a speed that lets you stop before it.

If someone is crossing or is about to cross, stop before the crosswalk and let that person cross first. The same applies at a crosswalk without traffic lights.

The same applies to bicycles. When a bicycle is crossing or is about to cross at a crosswalk or bicycle crossing lane, stop before it and give way.

Whether turning right or left, check the crosswalk beyond the turn before proceeding.

Follow the Number on the Sign First. Since September 2026, Roads with No Number or Center Line Have a 30 km/h Limit

First, follow the number shown on a sign or painted on the road. The sign has a blue number inside a red circle on a white background.

The speed limit set by law for roads without a posted number changed on September 1, 2026 (confirmed on the National Police Agency website on October 22, 2026).

The limit is 30 km/h on an ordinary road that has no center line, no marked traffic lanes, and no fence or similar structure separating traffic traveling in opposite directions. Narrow roads running between homes are one example. The National Police Agency calls these “roads used in daily life.” A road outside a town also has a 30 km/h limit if it meets these conditions. Before the change, the limit was 60 km/h.

The limit remains 60 km/h on the following types of ordinary roads:

Roads with a center line or marked traffic lanes
Roads where traffic traveling in opposite directions is separated by plantings, a fence, posts, or similar structures

A center line may be indicated by a traffic sign as well as by a line painted on the road.

And if there is a numbered speed-limit sign, that number takes priority. If a road without a center line has a 40 sign, the limit is 40. If a road with a center line has a 50 sign, the limit is 50.

Check two things, in this order. If there is a number, follow that number. If there is not, check whether traffic in opposite directions is separated by a line or a barrier. If you are unsure, drive at the lower speed.

Even within the stated limit, drive at a safe speed for the road and weather. Both the National Police Agency and the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department urge drivers to do so.

On expressways, also follow the number on the sign first. For what to know before getting on, see “Japan’s Expressways — Typical Tolls, Plus Just This Before You Get On.”

Two Places Where You Stop, Plus Traffic Lights

At a red inverted-triangle 止まれ (“stop”) sign, come to a complete stop and look both ways.

At a railroad crossing, stop before the crossing and check that no train is coming, even if the alarm is not sounding.

At a red light, stop even if you are turning left. If a green arrow is showing, you may proceed in the direction of the arrow.

For details, see “Japanese Road Signs and Their Meanings — Read the Shape and Color, and Learn the Two Places You Stop First.”

If You Hear a Siren, Move to the Left

If an emergency vehicle such as an ambulance approaches with its siren on, move to the left side of the road and clear the way.

Near an intersection, avoid the intersection, move to the left, and stop.

On a one-way road, if moving left would instead block the emergency vehicle, move to the right.

Try Each Control Once Before You Start Driving

The steering wheel is on the right. This car is new to you, so while you are still in the rental car company’s parking lot, try each of these once before leaving:

Turn-signal lever

Windshield-wiper lever

Hazard lights

How to open the fuel door

Then you will not have to search for the turn-signal lever just before an intersection. If you are not sure, it is fine to ask a staff member. The things to ask at the rental location are collected in “Picking Up a Rental Car in Japan: The First 30 Minutes.”

For the First 10 Minutes, Remember These Three Things

Drive on the left. When turning right, wait. Pedestrians at crosswalks go first.

Then look for the speed number and stop where you must stop. That is enough to get started.