TOKYO - Traffic accidents involving rental cars driven by foreign visitors are rising sharply in Japan, with some rental car businesses even stopping rentals to overseas tourists as concerns grow over unfamiliar traffic rules and driving practices.
According to the National Police Agency, 212 such accidents were recorded in 2025, the highest number in the past 10 years. A series of accidents believed to involve foreign tourists also occurred in Hokkaido in July 2026.
Ishikawa Prefecture is recording accidents at an even faster pace than last year.
Many foreign tourists using rental cars were visiting Kenrokuen Garden, a popular sightseeing destination in Kanazawa, on September 8.
A visitor from France said the group had traveled there by rental car and had nearly collided with a truck on the way. "We almost hit a truck coming here. But we're fine!"
A visitor from Britain said Japanese roads were easy to drive on and that driving conditions were comfortable.
A parking lot near Kenrokuen was filled with rental cars bearing the "wa" license plate designation used for rental vehicles, including vehicles registered outside Ishikawa Prefecture.
From January through August 2026, Ishikawa recorded 42 traffic accidents involving foreign nationals, 13 more than during the same period in 2025 and about 1.5 times the previous year's pace.
A taxi driver in Kanazawa said foreign drivers can have difficulty understanding Japanese road signs and often make sudden lane changes. "They drive in a way that makes you not want to get close to them," the driver said. "There are a lot of sudden lane changes. The ones I've seen were European. With rental cars, you can tell from the 'wa' plate, so I try to keep my distance."
A Toyota Rent a Car outlet near JR Kanazawa Station has also noticed a rise in accidents.
Kazuya Sakai, manager of the Toyota Rent a Car Kanazawa Station Shinkansen Exit branch, said accidents have increased particularly in recent months as inbound tourism has grown. "There were especially many inbound visitors in April. About 30% of all accidents involved inbound tourists."
Foreign customers now account for nearly half of the company's leisure-related rental car sales in Ishikawa Prefecture. Five groups of foreign customers visited the branch on the day of the report.
To prevent accidents, staff use English-language brochures to thoroughly explain Japanese traffic rules before vehicles are rented.
Among the customers were a parent and child visiting from Sweden who were driving in Japan for the first time.
"In our country, we drive on the opposite side of the road," one of them said. "The traffic rules are also different, so it's a big challenge. I think we'll be all right."
Their journey after sightseeing in Kanazawa involved a roughly three-hour drive to Shirakawa-go, a major tourist destination in Gifu Prefecture.
Despite having to drive on the left side of the road, opposite to Sweden, they were seen carefully handling lane changes and left turns.
"You have to be careful when driving in a new country," the Swedish visitor said. "You don't want to have an accident on the first day."
The investigation also found that some rental car businesses in Gifu Prefecture have stopped renting vehicles to foreign tourists because of the increase in accidents.
As more foreign visitors choose to drive while traveling in Japan, rental car operators and authorities face growing pressure to strengthen measures aimed at preventing traffic accidents.
Source: FNN
