If You Are Booking a Car in Japan, Book One You Can Check
Legal green-plate vehicles, full licences in both Thailand and Japan, drivers you can talk to, and the price you see is the price you pay.
What Makes a Green Plate Different from a White Plate
Japan separates the two by the colour of the number plate. A vehicle carrying paying passengers must have a green plate. A white plate is a private registration, which the law does not allow for paid passenger work.
This is what a green plate looks like
A standard-size vehicle registered to carry paying passengers uses a green plate with white lettering. A private car uses a white plate with green lettering.
On small kei vehicles the colours are reversed: black with yellow lettering for carrying paying passengers, and yellow with black lettering for private use.
The colour of the bodywork means nothing. A white vehicle can still have a green plate, so look only at the plate.
| Point | Green-plate vehicle | White-plate car taking transfer work |
|---|---|---|
| Carrying paying passengers | checkProperly registered under Japanese law | closeThe law does not allow paid passenger work |
| The driver’s licence | checkClass 2 licence, for carrying passengers | closeAn ordinary licence |
| Alcohol check before setting off | checkEvery single time | closeNone |
| Liability if something happens | checkThe operating company is responsible | closeIt rests on the driver alone |
| Vehicle inspection | checkOn the schedule the law requires | closeNo requirement |
| If stopped for a check on the road | checkYou carry on as normal | closeYou risk being stopped mid-journey |
The Things Travellers Worry About Before Booking a Car in Japan
Legal, and you can check it
We have legal green-plate vehicles available, and we are registered as a travel service arranger in Osaka Prefecture under number 7519. Both can be checked in Japan and in Thailand.
You can talk to your driver
Our drivers can communicate in Thai, Japanese, English and Chinese. No translation app needed, and you can speak to the driver directly throughout the journey.
One price, with nothing added later
Fuel, expressway tolls, parking and the driver’s accommodation are all included. You know the total before you decide.
Suited to families
No dragging suitcases up and down station stairs and no standing on platforms. We collect and drop off at the door of your hotel and at each place you visit.
A network of vehicles nationwide
We can arrange a vehicle even in the busy seasons when they are hard to find, covering every region from Hokkaido to Kyushu.
A LINE group looking after you all trip
We add you to a LINE group before you travel. If anything comes up along the way, message us straight away with no one in between.
Ask for a Price and Details
Tell us how many are travelling, how many days, and where you would like to go. We will plan the route and send you a quotation free of charge, with no obligation.