Before you go
This is based on official information from rental car companies and booking sites, as of September 2026.
Choose the size of your rental car by the number of suitcases, rather than the number of people.
There are three things to decide.
1 People and luggage
2 Child seats
3 In winter, winter tires
1 People and luggage
How big is that “one suitcase”?
ORIX Rent a Car lists how many suitcases fit in each class of car.
What matters is the size of that “one.” The way ORIX Rent a Car counts, one suitcase is one whose three sides add up to 115 cm or less, and each within 55 cm × 40 cm × 25 cm. The numbers are a guide and vary a little from car to car.
Try measuring the suitcases you have. If they’re bigger than this, expect to fit fewer than the number listed.
Here’s what ORIX Rent a Car’s numbers look like, with some example classes. Kei cars (such as the Wagon R and N-BOX) seat 4 and take 2 suitcases, and the class with cars like the Fit and Note seats 5 and takes 2–3. Minivans that seat 7–8 (such as the Noah, Serena and STEP WGN) take 3–4, and the Hiace, which seats 10, takes 4. Even with the same car name, hybrid classes may take fewer (the Note e-POWER and Fit Hybrid classes take 2).
Go one size up from the number of seats
Choosing a car that seats more people than you have gives you peace of mind. With every seat full, light or small cars can be slow to pick up speed on expressways and uphill.
Keep your luggage low enough that you can see out the back. If it won’t all fit, go one size bigger.
When there are 5 or more of you, or you have a lot of luggage, a minivan or wagon with three rows of seats works well. Wagons are popular and can sometimes run out, so booking early is the safe bet.
Small cars and kei cars pay off on Japan’s roads
If there are 2 or 3 of you, a small car works well.
Small cars suit Japan’s narrow roads, and they’re roomy enough for 2 or 3 people or a couple.
A kei car (軽自動車) is a small car with a 660 cc engine that seats up to 4. It’s good for getting around town and for day trips.
Parking lots also have spaces just for 「軽」 (kei cars). Narrow alleys and kei-only spaces are no trouble in a small car. The Japanese you’ll see at parking lots is in “Parking in Japanese: A Mini Dictionary for Parking Lots in Japan.”
What about manual cars?
Some companies have only automatic cars (Times Car Rental, Nissan Rent a Car; at Nippon Rent-A-Car, too, all passenger cars and minivans are automatic).
If you usually drive an automatic, you can drive just as you do at home.
2 Child seats
In Japan, the law requires a child seat when a child under 6 is in the car.
Ask for child seats when you book. Toyota Rent a Car asks you to let it know when you book if a child under 6 is traveling with you (at Times Car Rental, you may not be able to rent one if none are available or you didn’t reserve one).
There’s a limit to how many can be fitted. At Times Car Rental, they can’t be fitted in the middle seat, and at Nissan Rent a Car, it’s up to 2 per car. Some companies let you bring your own child seat (ORIX Rent a Car).
When you pick up the car, check for yourself that it’s firmly fixed in place.
If the seats are all ready when you set off, your kids can settle in right from the start.
3 In winter, winter tires
If you’re renting in winter, get a car with winter tires (studless tires).
Even if there’s no snow where you pick up the car, it may snow where you’re going. Apart from Okinawa, even Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya and Fukuoka can get snow. Driving on slippery snowy roads on regular tires without any anti-skid measures isn’t allowed by law (according to Budget Rent a Car).
At Toyota Rent a Car, some offices have winter tires fitted from the start and others offer them as an option you need to book, and bookings open around October or November (it depends on the office). Outside the snowy regions, a car with winter tires may not be available if they’re fully booked.
If you’re traveling Japan by car in winter, book while it’s still fall.
One-way rentals in winter are covered in “Japan Rental Car Q&A — Booking, Pickup, Return, Accidents and More.”
How to drive on snowy roads will be covered in a separate article.
※ Car classes and how much luggage they take, the number of child seats and how they’re fitted, and whether winter tires are available differ by company, office and car, and they can change. When you actually book, check the latest information from the company you’re renting from.
