A packed guide to travelling overland in Japan with info on paperwork, roads, visas, navigation, tips and loads more.
Motorcycle Travel Guides
JAPAN
Budget
Cheap: £20-£50 per day
Mid: £50-£100 per day
Money: Card is accepted but cash is king. ATMs are found in 7-Elevens and Family Marts.
Currency: Yen ¥
Food: Cafe £6. Restaurant £22.
Accommodation:
Plenty of government run free campsites. Paid campsites are £10 – £15. Dorms £22. Business hotel double room £75
Petrol: £1.11 litre
When to go
Blossoms: April-May
Autumn: Sep-Nov
High: Apr and May is cherry blossom season and peak travel time. Sights are more crowded, accommodation is more expensive and usually fully booked. Mountainous regions are popular in August.
Mid: Jun-Jul and Sep-Nov. October is our favourite time to travel because of cooler temperatures. Autumn is gorgeous but draws big crowds.
Low: Dec-Mar. Sights are quiet and accommodation is at its cheapest (except ski resorts). Many businesses close over the New Year period (end of Dec to early Jan).
Paperwork
Visa: Free on arrival 90 days
Carnet required: Depends
Visa: Many countries are offered a free visa on arrival for 90 days.
Carnet: You need a Carnet if you enter/exit via shipping or freight.
Temporary Import: You can use a TIP instead of a Carnet if you enter/exit with a ferry.
International Driver’s Permit: Compulsory. You must have an IDP to operate a vehicle in Japan.
Insurance: Compulsory. You must have insurance to operate a vehicle in Japan.
Don't miss
Hokaido: Wild West
South: Stunning nature
Hakuba is incredible for biking and known as Japan’s Little Switzerland.
Hokaido is Japan’s wild west.
A Big Four Museum Tour is a must for bike fans.
Kochi and Kumamoto are beautiful places to ride too.
Getting in/out
Ferry: SK or Russia
Shipping: Worldwide
As Japan is an island, your only options for entering are via ferry from either South Korea or Russia; or shipping your motorcycle from another country.
If you’re flying in and renting a bike then check out our Motorcycle Rental and Tour Companies page for recommended options in Japan.
Japan is a phenomenal blend of culture, architecture, stunning scenery and fascinating ancient history. And riding a motorcycle through this incredible country is the best way to explore it and uncover its hidden gems. Japan is seriously addictive and you’re going to love it.
Japan Motorcycle Travel Guide and Paperwork
You don’t need a Carnet de Passage to take your vehicle to Japan! There is another way – the Temporary Import.
Confused about what paperwork you need for Japan? This guide will explain everything, including carnets, temporary imports, permits and insurance.
Japan Motorcycle Shipping
International Motorcycle Shipping Companies in Japan including freight forwarders, agents, custom brokers, ferry services, guides and more.
Here’s how to get from Japan to South Korea (or vice versa) by ferry with info on customs, prices and contacts.
This guide will explain the details needed to travel by ferry from Vladivostok to Japan or South Korea with a vehicle.
Japan Travel Blogs
Five months and 4,000 miles of Shinto Shrines, mystical mountains and crazy islands; here’s what it’s like riding in Japan.
Five months and 5,000 miles have passed since arriving in Japan and it’s been epic. Now it’s finally time to leave.
We found a beautiful balance of culture, stunning scenery and history. But Japan also has a weird side and it’s addictive
Japan Motorcycle Rentals, Tours and Museums
Welcome to the Japan Rentals and Tours page. Here you’ll find our recommended rental companies, prices, info and guides.
Here’s what each of Japan’s Big Four motorcycle museums are like. Welcome to our Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki virtual tour.
Things to do in Japan on a Motorcycle
Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Japan’s spectacular Vine Bridges and what else to see in Iya Valley.
Here’s a mini-guide with info on how to book yourself onto one of the best traditional Japanese tea ceremonies in Tokyo.
Edo Wonderland is an incredibly authentic Edo recreation village in Japan. It’s an insanely cool experience and you must go!
Snow monkeys swing down to thermal hot springs and bathe in the hot water to warm up. Here’s how to visit.
The Ritsurin Garden is the most famous and beautiful garden in Japan. Here’s what you need to know before you go.
The Moai statues in Japan sit in Sun Messe Nichinan, a Japanese park dedicated to Polynesian Culture. Here’s how to visit.
This is the best places in the world to row a boat. Takachiho Gorge is stunning and shrouded in legend.
Japan’s Rabbit Island is a must. It’s a beautiful island filled with thousands of free roaming rabbits and a dark past.
There’s a sleepy little village in Japan where people don’t do much… probably because 200 of its inhabitants are lifelike scarecrows.
The Otagi Nenbutsu-Ji temple is Japan’s most continuously ruined temple… but that hasn’t stopped its 1,200 happy buddhas from smiling!
This guide is full of info on the Hiroshima and Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museums, what’s there and which one’s best.
Five months and 5,000 miles have passed since arriving in Japan and it’s been epic. Now it’s finally time to leave.