Pick-up is arranged at your designated location. The hand-over and briefing take about 30–40 minutes.

Your passport, your home driving licence, and either an International Driving Permit (1949 Geneva Convention) or — for licences from countries such as Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium and Taiwan — an official Japanese translation of your licence (e.g. from JAF). We can arrange the JAF translation for you; just ask when booking. All drivers must be 21 or older, and a second driver is free.

All drivers must be present at pick-up to show licenses and sign the contract. Additional drivers cannot be added afterward.

Open year-round (closed on select public holidays), 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM.

Yes, upon prior request and subject to availability and extra fees.

We don’t register your credit card or place a card hold. The only deposit is a refundable ¥20,000 ETC (expressway toll) deposit paid with your rental fee. Within 7 days of your return we deduct the actual tolls and refund the balance (or invoice any shortfall). Any damage is settled separately under the fixed-rate scratch table or the deductible.

Drivers must be at least 21 years old. There are no extra restrictions or surcharges for drivers under 25 or for those who have held their licence for less than a year. A second driver can be added free of charge — both drivers just need to be present at pick-up with their passport and licence.

Your van comes with a full tank, and we ask you to return it full — please fill up at a petrol station within 3 km of the return point. Fuel type differs by van (the M1 and M3 run on diesel, the M2 and M4 on regular gasoline) and is marked next to the fuel cap, so please double-check before filling up.

Please return the van on time. If a late return means the next guest can’t start their rental as scheduled, you will be charged that guest’s rental fee. If you’re running late for any reason, contact us on WhatsApp as early as possible so we can help.

No — all of our vans are strictly non-smoking. Please step outside if you’d like to smoke.

We don’t provide child seats. Japanese law requires a child seat for children under 6, so please bring your own if you’re travelling with young children.

Yes — a bike rack is available on the M3 only. If you’d like to bring bikes, let us know when you book so we can reserve the M3 for you.

No need to take your rubbish with you — simply leave it in the van and we’ll take care of it. We clean and reset every van between guests. A cleaning fee of ¥4,500 applies to rentals of 6 nights or fewer; for 7 nights or more, cleaning is included.

Every van comes with a bed and bedding (duvet, pillows and sheets), a fridge, a sub-battery with USB and 12 V ports, a cooking stove with pots, pans, a kettle and cutlery, bath and tea towels, cleaning equipment, a 20 L water tank, and a camping table and chairs for relaxing outside. Just bring your clothes and food.

Japan is very campervan-friendly. Michi-no-eki (roadside stations) are found all over the country and most allow overnight rest stops, with clean toilets and often an onsen or restaurant nearby (camping-style set-ups outside the van aren’t allowed there). RV parks and campsites offer power hook-ups and showers for a small fee, and in cities 24-hour coin parking is convenient and inexpensive. Our Japan Road Trip Guide has plenty of recommended spots and route ideas.

No — our vans don’t have a toilet or shower, which keeps them compact and easy to drive and park. In Japan you’re never far from a clean toilet: michi-no-eki, convenience stores and parks all have free facilities, and a visit to an onsen or sento (public bath) is one of the highlights of a Japanese road trip. Many RV parks and campsites also have coin-operated showers.

Every van is fitted with an ETC card and reader, so you can drive straight through the ETC lanes on Japan’s expressways without stopping to pay. We collect a refundable ¥20,000 ETC deposit with your booking; after your trip we deduct the actual tolls and refund the balance (or invoice the difference if your tolls exceed the deposit).

Yes — you’re welcome to take the van on ferries, for example to Hokkaido. Just let us know your plans when booking, and we’re happy to help you reserve a ferry if needed.

Yes — winter road trips to ski resorts such as Hakuba are popular with our guests. Studless (winter) tyres are available as an option for ¥1,500 per day and are essential for snowy or mountain routes. Please note that the M2 has no built-in heater, so we provide an electric blanket for winter trips — just ask when booking.

No — the water in the tank is for washing dishes and hands only, not for drinking. Drinking water is easy to find at any convenience store or supermarket along the way.

Yes. Every van has USB and 12 V sockets running off the sub-battery, so you can keep phones, cameras and other small devices charged while you travel, even with the engine off.