To rent a car in Hakuba, foreign drivers need:

• A valid driver's license from their home country

• An International Driving Permit (IDP) based on the 1949 Geneva Convention

• A passport for identification

Yes, most foreign visitors require an IDP based on the 1949 Geneva Convention to legally drive in Japan. It must be used together with your original license. Check out this guide from Toyota – the same guidance applies to Hakucar. If you have any questions about this. please email bookings@hakucar.com.

Main requirements (what you’ll be asked for at pick‑up):

• A valid driving credential accepted in Japan: typically an International Driving Permit (IDP) issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention, OR a Japanese translation of your licence (or a converted Japanese licence). The JAF and Japanese police list these as the lawful ways to drive without a Japanese licence. (english.jaf.or.jp)

• Your passport (or other proof of entry) to confirm the date you landed in Japan — we require this when you show an IDP because driving with an IDP is limited by date of entry. We may refuse service if entry cannot be verified.

• The IDP’s validity limit: an IDP is generally valid for one year from its issue and typically allows driving in Japan for up to one year from your date of entry.

Yes, as long as you register additional drivers with us (no extra charge) and the additional driver carries all required licenses while driving, additional drivers are allowed.

As long as the driver is fully licensed and meets all requirements included in the International Driver’s Permit requirements, we will rent to customers 20 years and older.

We accept credit card and debit card directly through our safe and secure payment partner Stripe.

For all bookings, we charge a fully refundable security deposit of ¥20,000 when you collect your vehicle.

This covers things like missing snow brushes, late returns, fuel tanks returned only partially filled.

The deposit is returned at the end of your booking.

When you return your Hakucar rental vehicle, we will check the vehicle with you and ask if there is anything we need to know. Typically, we will refund the deposit on the same day as the end of your booking. Please note: while you will often see your deposit back in your account on the same day, Stripe advises that processing can take up to 3-5 days.

No, absolutely not.

We operate on the basis of honesty, kindness, and a love for the mountains. When we quote you a price, that is what you will pay.

All of our Hakucar rental cars in Hakuba come with complete insurance for you.

We also recommend you have travel insurance that includes any excess on car rental insurance in the unlikely event of a claim.

Your Hakucar vehicle with 4WD/AWD, ski and snowboard racks, snow tires and insurance.

All our rentals include unlimited mileage. We want you to explore the Hakuba Valley, and travel further to see more of Japan.

We request that all Hakucar rental vehicles are returned with a full tank. We reserve the right to charge ¥5,000 per quarter of tank unfilled.

If you need tips on visiting the fuel station, just let us know. We will be glad to assist.

Yes, subject to availability. Please request your booking extension directly to bookings@hakucar.com or our Whatsapp on +81 70 6952 2183. Booking requests are subject to approval and will be approved if available.

We offer flexible delivery for Hakucar customers. Car collection is available from our Hakucar depot, Hakuba Train Station, Hakuba Bus Station and we deliver to accomodation throughout the Hakuba Valley.

We also offer Nagano pick-up and drop-off and one-way rentals from and to the Tokyo area, and other towns and cities in Japan.

Simply make your request when booking and we’ll take care of the rest.

Yes! The last thing you want to do is organise transport to a rental car depot after your long journey.

We are proud to deliver your car to your hotel in the Hakuba Valley, meet you to hand over the keys at the Hakuba Train Station or Hakuba Happo Bus Terminal, and we can even meet you in Nagano or Matsumoto, and other locations.

Simply select your preferred option when booking and we’ll handle the rest.

Yes, we offer one-way car rentals between Hakuba and major cities like Nagano, Tokyo, or airports including Narita and Haneda.

We are also happy to work with you on an intinerary that makes the most of your travel in Japan. Let us know what you’re thinking!

Additional fees may apply—please contact us for details.

Hakucar offers delivery to all hotels across the Hakuba Valley. Simply request this service at the time of booking, or at a later date, to take advantage of the ultimate in convenience.

For airport car rental, can meet you at Narita or Haneda airport with your rental car – as a Hakuba business, this service is subject to availability and a service fee will be charged.

Alternatively, we can meet you in Nagano or at any location in Hakuba.

Also, if you’re looking for the easiest way to get from Tokyo airports Haneda or Narita to Hakuba, our partner business HanaMomo Express will transport you and your gear for only a little bit more than the trains. No more lugging large baggage, HanaMomo will get you to Hakuba stress-free.

All our rental cars are snow-ready. They come with snow tires, roof racks for skis or snowboards and AWD/4WD standard.

Renting from companies in the bigger cities like Nagano often come with snow tires, but ski and snowboard essentials like racks and AWD/4WD are much harder or impossible to come by.

Yes, our cars include Apple Carplay or Android Auto functionality. Rather than using Japanese GPS that can be tricky to understand, we recommend using Google Maps and similar to navigate. We’re happy to offer tips to help you navigate across Nagano and Japan.

Our rental cars are subject to availability, so specific models are allocated based on the needs of our inventory. This means your exact model may change, but we’ll make sure it meets your specifications.

Let us know what you are after and we will try and accomodate you at the time of booking.

Hakucar offers affordable rental Kei cars, Family cars, and luxury Premium BMW SUVs. In winter, all our cars feature 4WD/AWD, ski/snoboard racks and snow tires.

We also offer campervans through our partner business HakuCamper. If you’re looking for a campervan in Japan for a snow trip or a green-season sightseeing adventure, please contact us.

Firstly, do not worry. Your car is insured.

However, it’s important to go throught the right process. Please contact us at bookings@hakucar.com or Whatsapp on +81 70 6952 2183 as soon as the event has occured.

It is an essential requiement that any incident in Japan is reported to police, even if it is trivial.

In the event of an accident, please wait for police to arrive, even if it is just a small scratch. It is a simple requirement. Thank you!

We are here to help. If you need anything, the best way to contact us is via Whatsapp on +81 70 6952 2183 or on bookings@hakucar.com.

Our standard contact hours are 9am to 5pm. However, if your reservation pick-up and drop-off hours are outside of these times, we will be available.

During winter, roads in Hakuba can be icy and snowy, but with the right equipment it is perfectly safe and stress-free. All our rental cars are 4WD and equipped with snow tires in winter months.

Head here to our guide to read our tips for safe and stress-free driving in the valley.

This can be stressful, especially when you have little or no Japanese skills. We understand.

However, with a few key words and some basic knowledge, you can find this process to be not just easy but a pleasant part of your time in Japan.

There are two types of fuel stations in Japan. One is self service, and the other is full driveway service.
For self service, you will use the machine to start the process by parking next to the pump, selecting your payment method, choosing the correct fuel, and filling up. Payment will be made at the pump or you will take the receipt to the payment station.

For driveway service, which is most common in Hakuba Valley, you simply tell staff what you need. Say “mantan kudasai” (満タンください)) to ask to fill it up. Alternatively, say if you have a particular amount of ¥ in mind, request your amount by the thousands: “ichi zen yen” for ¥1,000, “ni zen yen” for ¥2,000, “san zen yen” fo ¥3,000, “yon zen yen” for ¥4,000, and so on.

For more guidance on this, head to our blog and we’ll give you some handy tips.