Japan: avoid the small traps

A Japan trip can go sideways over things that feel tiny at home: a missing passport, the wrong driving document, or a roadside argument that turns into a police stop. Japan’s own tourism, police, and embassy guidance reads like a checklist for avoiding exactly those headaches. (jp.usembassy.gov) If you are visiting Japan, you are required to carry your passport at all times, and Kanagawa Prefectural Police says officers can ask to see it and that failing to carry it can bring a fine of up to 100,000 yen. That turns “I left it in the hotel safe” from a travel habit into a legal problem. (police.pref.kanagawa.jp) The driving trap is even more specific. The United States Embassy in Japan says visitors need a valid International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention, and people treated as residents can face fines or arrest for using an international permit instead of converting to a Japanese license. (jp.usembassy.gov) Japan’s tourism office adds one detail that catches people: the permit has to come from a country or region covered by that 1949 convention, and it has to match the convention’s format. A rental counter can look like a formality until one missing paper turns it into “you cannot drive today.” (japan.travel) For drivers from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco, and Taiwan, Japan uses a different system. The Japan Automobile Federation says those license holders can drive with their home license plus an official Japanese translation, which means “international permit” and “translation” are not interchangeable documents. (english.jaf.or.jp) Even the translation system changed this month. The Japan Automobile Federation says the fee for a Japanese translation of a foreign driver’s license rose to 6,000 yen on April 1, 2026, which is the kind of last-minute detail that matters if you are sorting documents right before departure. (english.jaf.or.jp) A lot of visitor trouble now comes on two wheels, not four. Tokyo Metropolitan Police says cyclists ride on the left side of the road in principle, and its English traffic guide now warns that cyclists can be ticketed for traffic offenses. (keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp) The phone-in-hand habit can also become a criminal matter. Tokyo Metropolitan Police says using a mobile phone while cycling became a punishable offense on November 1, 2024, with penalties as high as six months in prison or a 100,000 yen fine, and up to one year or 300,000 yen if the behavior creates danger in traffic. (keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp) Electric scooters have their own trap because Japan splits them into different legal categories. Tokyo Metropolitan Police warns riders to check which kind they are using, because the rules differ and a machine that looks like a toy can be treated more like a motor vehicle. (keishicho.metro.tokyo.lg.jp) If something does go wrong on the road, Japan’s police and the Japan Automobile Federation both point to the same first move: report it properly. Tokyo police says call 110 for an accident or incident, and the Japan Automobile Federation’s customer support checklist includes reporting to police and contacting insurance. (police.pref.kanagawa.jp) (english.jaf.or.jp) That is why the safest Japan packing list is not just shoes and rail passes. It is your passport on your person, the exact driving document Japan recognizes, and clear insurance and license copies that let a routine stop stay routine. (english.jaf.or.jp))