Okinawa Rental Car: IDP, Naha Bus Lanes, Tolls, Typhoons

This guide covers what is different on Okinawa Island. For the general Japanese licence and translation rules, see renting a car in Japan: IDP and translations. For how ETC works in a rental car, see expressway tolls, ETC and the expressway pass.

Which licence lets you drive in Okinawa?

Okinawa has no rules of its own on foreign licences. The national rules apply. According to the National Police Agency's guide for foreign licence holders, you can drive with either of these:

• An International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format. Japan does not accept permits from countries that are not party to that convention, or permits that are not in the format it sets.
• A licence from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan, with a Japanese translation. The list is current as of 1 April 2026. The translation must come from the issuing authority, that country's embassy or consulate in Japan, or a body the National Public Safety Commission has designated. A translation from a certified private translator is not enough.

Either way, you can drive for up to one year from the date you land in Japan, or until the permit or licence expires if that comes first. An IDP itself is valid for one year from its issue date. Bring your home licence and passport to the rental counter as well.

Picking up the car at Naha Airport

Most rental companies serving Naha Airport do not hand over cars at the terminal. You check in at the company's desk or meeting point and take its shuttle to an off-airport branch. The airport's own rental car information counter is on the 1st-floor arrivals level and is staffed from 09:00 to 19:00. How long the shuttle and paperwork take varies by company and season. No official source publishes waiting times, so ask your company how early you need to be at the meeting point, especially if you are returning the car before a flight.

Do not arrange to meet anyone at the kerb. A notice from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Okinawa police says the 3rd-floor kerb is for dropping off and picking up passengers only. Waiting there with the driver in the car counts as a parking violation. The notice sends drivers who are waiting to the airport car park, where the first 30 minutes are free.

When can you drive in Naha's bus lanes?

This rule catches out the most visitors. On multi-lane main roads around Naha, the lane next to the pavement becomes a bus-only lane on weekday mornings and evenings. The Okinawa Prefectural Police's current map, valid from 2 May 2025, lists these hours:

The map shows the regulated sections on Route 58 between Asahibashi in Naha and Isa in Ginowan, Route 330, Route 329 and Route 507, as well as prefectural roads 29 and 82. In a bus-only lane, ordinary cars must stay out. On some single-lane roads the police use a different sign: buses, taxis, motorcycles and permit holders may use the road, and other traffic may not enter.

The police page warns that the two kinds of sign look different and carry different rules. It also has an English leaflet. If you are unsure during those hours, keep out of the kerbside lane.

Driving in a lane reserved for another class of vehicle is a lane violation (通行帯違反). Under the national fine table, that costs 6,000 yen for a car, the same anywhere in Japan.

Kokusai-dori has its own rule. According to the Okinawa Bus Association, it becomes a transit mall every Sunday from 12:00 to 18:00, and all buses except route 10 are diverted around it. Do not plan a drive along it on a Sunday afternoon.

Parking in Naha

Park only in a car park. Leaving the car in the street is expensive under the national fine table. For a car left unattended, the fine is 18,000 yen where stopping is banned and 15,000 yen where parking is banned. If you stay in the car, the fines are 12,000 and 10,000 yen. Holding a phone while driving costs 18,000 yen. Rates at private coin car parks near Kokusai-dori and the hotels vary widely and change often. Check the sign at the entrance, which shows the rate and the daily maximum, if the car park has one.

How much does the Okinawa Expressway cost?

The Okinawa Expressway (E58) runs from Naha IC to Kyoda IC, near Nago. It is the fastest way from Naha to the north of the island. NEXCO West's toll search gave these prices for a 10:00 weekday departure on 23 September 2026:

The trip is 57.3 km, and the search estimated 43 minutes without congestion. The difference between ETC and cash is large here, so ask whether the car has an ETC unit and whether the company lends or rents an ETC card. The search tool also shows lower rates for weekday commuting hours. Those discounts depend on how many times the card is used in a month, so a visitor should not count on them.

Worked example: a day trip from Naha to the Churaumi Aquarium

Two adults in a regular rental car with ETC, leaving a Naha hotel on a weekday:

The aquarium says the drive from Naha Airport takes about two hours using the expressway. Leave Naha after 09:00 on a weekday so you are not caught in the morning bus-lane period on Route 58. Aim to be back south of Ginowan either before 17:30 or after 19:00. The aquarium also warns that the car parks are some distance from its entrance, so allow time to walk. Fuel is left out because pump prices change and the rental company decides whether you return the car full.

Typhoon season and your rental plans

Typhoons are the main reason Okinawa driving plans change. According to Japan Meteorological Agency normals for 1991-2020, 7.7 typhoons a year come within 300 km of the Okinawa region. The peak months are August (2.2) and September (1.9), followed by July (1.5) and October (1.1). The JMA's yearly counts were between 6 and 8 in each year from 2021 to 2025.