Before you go
If you’re renting a car in Japan, it helps to know a little about parking first.
You don’t have to learn every little rule.
Parking in Japan comes in three main types.
1 Flat, ground-level parking (平置き駐車場)
The spaces are simply marked out on the ground, in the open.
You see them in town, near stations and at sightseeing spots.
You park your own car in an empty space.
Some have a flap in the floor; others read your license plate with a camera.
2 Multi-story and underground parking (立体・地下駐車場)
You find these at shopping malls, department stores, stations and office buildings.
You drive around inside the building yourself and park in an empty space.
Some have a gate at the entrance, where you take a parking ticket (駐車券).
3 Mechanical and tower parking (機械式・タワーパーキング)
This is the type you see in cities.
You get out at the marked spot, and the machine carries your car to a space.
This isn’t the type where you drive around inside looking for a space.
There are limits on height and width, so check the sign at the entrance.
What about the street?
In Japan, it’s hard to tell whether you’re allowed to park on the street, and it’s generally prohibited.
So that an accident or some other trouble doesn’t spoil your trip, make a parking lot your default. There’s more on this in “Free Parking and 月極”.
How do you find a parking lot?
Japanese parking companies’ websites and apps are almost all in Japanese only.
Google Maps’ “find parking near your destination” feature covers select US cities only.
What you can lean on is the car’s own navigation system. Some of them switch to English.
Ask for an English navigation system when you book.
It depends on the company. At least one says it can’t guarantee an English system.
Some parking is free
Not every parking lot in Japan costs money.
Supermarkets, restaurants, hotels and tourist sites sometimes have free parking.
At shopping malls, buying something can get you a certain amount of free parking.
There’s a separate article about free parking.
For now, just these three
Flat (平置き) / multi-story and underground (立体・地下) / mechanical and tower (機械式・タワーパーキング).
Know those three and you’re ready to go.
The articles that follow go through each type in turn, and then how you pay.
※ Names, equipment, how you use them, prices and vehicle size limits differ from one parking lot to another. When you actually use one, check the signs on site and the guidance from the operator.
