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According to a survey conducted in July 2025, car owners in Japan traveled with their private vehicles approximately **** thousand kilometers per year on average, decreasing from around **** thousand kilometers in the previous year.

Maintaining a car in Japan is costly

Consumer estimates regarding car maintenance surpassed the 10,000 Japanese yen benchmark: fuel, insurance, automobile taxes, and vehicle inspection were the most burdensome costs. While it is possible to mitigate some of those, ownership-inherent taxes, inspections, and insurance are unavoidable. Throughout the ownership, vehicle owners pay an annual tonnage tax (at least yen; weight-based) plus an automobile tax or mini-vehicle tax (at least * yen for cars; displacement-based in principle). Mandatory vehicle liability insurance adds to the overall costs, as do vehicle inspections, which can range between 10,000 yen and * yen every other year. For single households, vehicle-related costs are more often than not unreasonable. Most families, on the other hand, invest in a car. 

How to save on car maintenance expenses in Japan

Driving economically and avoiding Japan’s expensive toll roads might be the simplest way, but the vehicle choice might be even more impactful. For example, regular automobile taxes are considerably more costly than mini-vehicle taxes. Kei cars are light vehicles that typically belong to a lower tonnage tax class and have superior fuel efficiency, making them an economic vehicle choice. Unsurprisingly, kei cars are quite popular in Japan.

Electric vehicles might be even more economical considering all maintenance expenses since they also receive various exemptions and subsidies. The downside: their purchase price is still a reason for many to dismiss them. Yet another popular option in Japan is not to buy but to rent, lease, or share a passenger car, reducing expenses significantly and saving worries about maintenance altogether.