Before you go
This site offers information based on guidance from public bodies, rental car companies and others, as a starting point for planning your trip (as of September 2026; it isn’t an explanation of insurance or the law). Coverage names, what they include and the amounts differ from company to company, and they can change. Always check the latest details with the company you book with and in the official information listed at the end of this article.
When you book a rental car in Japan, partway through you’ll reach a screen where you choose your coverage (what people often call rental car insurance).
免責補償 (CDW), NOC, 安心パック (“peace-of-mind pack”). A row of unfamiliar words, and it’s easy to freeze right there.
It’s easier to sort out if you first look at it as three tiers.
Tier 1 The coverage that’s already in the price
Tier 2 免責補償, which waives what you pay yourself in an accident
Tier 3 A plan that waives NOC, the car’s “time off” charge
Some companies split it a little differently, but once you ask “which tiers does this cover?”, the choices on the screen start to make sense.
Tier 1 The coverage that’s already in the price
Even if you add nothing, basic insurance and coverage are included in the rental price (according to Toyota Rent a Car, ORIX Rent a Car, Times Car Rental and Nippon Rent-A-Car).
Injury to other people, damage to other cars and property, damage to the car you rented, and injury to the people in your car. It covers those four.
But there’s still your own share, the amount you pay yourself in an accident.
That’s 50,000 yen for other cars and property, and 50,000 yen for the car you rented (Toyota Rent a Car, ORIX Rent a Car and Times Car Rental, as of September 2026). For large vehicles such as buses, the amount for the rented car goes up.
Tier 2 免責補償, which waives your share
With 免責補償, you don’t have to pay either of those 50,000-yen amounts. In English it’s called CDW (Collision Damage Waiver).
Some companies go out of their way to say it’s “not insurance” (Nippon Rent-A-Car, Times Car Rental).
You’re not adding another layer of insurance — you’re buying a promise that you won’t have to pay your share. That’s the easiest way to think about it.
Tier 3 NOC, the car’s “time off” charge, is separate from CDW
Even with 免責補償, there’s still money you pay. That’s NOC (ノンオペレーションチャージ, Non Operation Charge).
While the car is out being repaired or cleaned, the rental company can’t rent it to the next customer.
The person who rented it covers part of that downtime. That’s NOC.
It applies not only to accidents but also to theft, and to getting the car dirty or damaging it (according to Toyota Rent a Car). It’s paid separately from both the repair cost and your share (as explained by the national rental car association).
It isn’t a fine. It’s a charge for the car’s downtime.
Each company sets its own amount. Some state clearly that it doesn’t change with how bad the damage is or how long the repair takes (Times Car Rental, Budget Rent a Car).
What decides the amount is whether you can drive the car yourself after the accident.
If you can drive it yourself back to the return location you booked, it’s 20,000 yen; if you can’t, it’s 50,000 yen (Toyota Rent a Car, ORIX Rent a Car and Nippon Rent-A-Car, as of September 2026). At some companies, the amount goes up with the size of the car (Times Car Rental, Nissan Rent a Car, Budget Rent a Car).
A Tier 3 plan is the one that waives NOC as well.
Every company calls it something different
Tier 3 plans go by a different name at each company.
At Toyota Rent a Car it’s 安心Wプラン (Double Protection Package), at ORIX Rent a Car it’s レンタカー安心パック（RAP） (Rental car Assistance Pack), at Times Car Rental it’s 安心補償コース (Super Safety Package), and at Nissan Rent a Car it’s フルサポートプラン (Full Support Plan).
Some companies split it differently. At Nippon Rent-A-Car, you add “ECO” on top of 免責補償 to waive NOC.
Some companies also include flat tires, hubcaps and even roadside assistance.
If the names confuse you, just look at which tiers each one covers. You can look up the words on the counter paperwork in “Rental Car Insurance and Coverage in Japan (CDW, NOC): A Mini Japanese Dictionary.”
You decide once, before you set off
Some companies don’t let you add or drop 免責補償 partway through the rental (ORIX Rent a Car, Nippon Rent-A-Car). At Times Car Rental, you choose when you book or when you pick up the car.
In other words, decide on the booking screen, and the coverage section at the counter won’t hold you up.
At the counter, you check the car for scratches together with the staff, and you’re off.
How much coverage to get: four things to weigh
There’s no right answer for which tier to get.
Instead, here are four things to weigh when you decide.
1 Could you pay the amount yourself?
Some companies show the most you’d pay yourself in an accident (as of September 2026).
At Toyota Rent a Car, it’s up to 150,000 yen with Tier 1 only, up to 50,000 yen with 免責補償 added, and 0 yen with 安心Wプラン. With the first two, the actual cost of things like tires is added on top. Even with 安心Wプラン, the cost of some accidents may not be waived.
At Nissan Rent a Car, it’s up to 250,000 yen with the ライトプラン (Light Plan), up to 100,000 yen with the スタンダードプラン (Standard Plan), and 0 yen with the フルサポートプラン (Full Support Plan).
Pick your tier by whether your travel budget could cover that amount.
2 Where you’ll drive
At some companies, coverage for flat tires and hubcaps comes with the plan that waives NOC (Toyota Rent a Car, Times Car Rental).
Some companies leave damage from driving on beaches, riverbeds or forest roads outside their coverage (ORIX Rent a Car).
Picture the roads you’ll drive, and think about what you’d be glad to have covered.
3 Will you drop the car off somewhere else?
Check the return location when you book.
4 The conditions on your card’s coverage
To see whether your own card is enough, go through “Five things to ask before you leave” in “Does My Credit Card or Travel Insurance Cover a Rental Car in Japan?”
The times you pay even with full coverage are in “When Full-Coverage Rental Car Insurance in Japan Still Isn’t Zero.”
For now, just these three tiers
Coverage in the price / 免責補償 to waive your share / a plan to waive the downtime charge.
Know those, and the booking screen won’t stop you.
※ Coverage names and what they include, your share, the NOC amount, and when you can sign up differ by company and by the size of the car, and they can change. When you book, check that company’s booking screen and the information at the counter.
