Owning a car in Japan costs far more than the sticker price. Parking alone runs ¥10,000–¥50,000 a month depending on the city.
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The purchase price is only the beginning. A standard car driven 8,000km a year costs roughly ¥500,000 to ¥700,000 annually once you count parking, fuel, automobile tax, both kinds of insurance, the shaken inspection and maintenance. Spread over twelve months that is ¥40,000 to ¥60,000, comparable to a second rent.
Parking is the item that varies most. Central Tokyo runs ¥30,000 to ¥50,000 a month, suburbs ¥10,000 to ¥20,000, and rural areas often nothing at all because the house comes with space. In the cities you also need a garage certificate (shako shomeisho) proving you have a parking space before you can register the car at all.
Shaken, the compulsory roadworthiness inspection, is due three years after a new car is registered and every two years after that. It runs ¥100,000 to ¥150,000 for a standard car and ¥60,000 to ¥100,000 for a kei car, including the weight tax and compulsory insurance bundled into the bill.
A kei car is cheaper on almost every line. Automobile tax is ¥10,800 against ¥30,500 to ¥50,000 for a standard car, shaken is roughly ¥40,000 less each time, insurance is lower and fuel economy is better. Across a year the gap is commonly ¥100,000 to ¥150,000, which is why kei cars make up a third of the vehicles on Japanese roads.
In a city with good rail links, not owning a car is often the cheaper answer. At ¥50,000 a month of ownership cost, you could take a ¥1,500 taxi ride most days and still come out ahead. Car sharing services charge around ¥900 an hour including fuel and insurance, and rental for a weekend trip runs ¥8,000 to ¥15,000.
Where a car genuinely pays for itself is outside the big cities: infrequent buses, supermarkets that are a long walk away, and children to move around. The calculator's cost-per-kilometre figure is the useful comparison here, because it lets you weigh the car directly against train fares for the trips you actually make.
Driving 8,000km a year with suburban parking at ¥15,000 a month, excluding the purchase price of the car itself.
| Item | Kei car | Compact | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automobile tax | ¥10,800 | ¥30,500 | ¥36,000 |
| Shaken (per year) | ¥40,000 | ¥60,000 | ¥65,000 |
| Insurance | ¥53,800 | ¥70,000 | ¥75,000 |
| Fuel | ¥70,000 | ¥93,000 | ¥117,000 |
| Parking & upkeep | ¥220,000 | ¥220,000 | ¥230,000 |
| Total per year | about ¥395,000 | about ¥473,000 | about ¥523,000 |
Add the purchase price divided by the years you keep the car. On a ¥2,000,000 car kept eight years with a ¥300,000 resale, that is another ¥212,500 a year.
Around ¥400,000 for a kei car and ¥500,000 to ¥550,000 for a standard car, excluding the purchase price. Including the cost of the car itself, ¥600,000 to ¥750,000 a year is realistic. Parking is what moves the number most.
Roughly ¥100,000 to ¥150,000 a year. The savings come from automobile tax (¥10,800 versus ¥36,000), cheaper shaken, lower insurance and better fuel economy. Over eight years of ownership that is close to ¥1,000,000.
¥60,000 to ¥100,000 for a kei car and ¥100,000 to ¥150,000 for a standard car, every two years. About half is fixed statutory cost — weight tax, compulsory insurance and the inspection fee — and the rest is the garage's labour and any parts that need replacing. Dealer prices are highest; a specialist shaken shop is usually cheapest.
¥30,000 to ¥50,000 a month in central Tokyo, ¥15,000 to ¥25,000 in the suburbs of large cities, ¥5,000 to ¥10,000 in regional cities, and often free in rural areas. You must secure a space before registering the car, because the garage certificate depends on it.
Car sharing wins for anyone driving less than about 4,000km a year in a city. At roughly ¥900 an hour including fuel and insurance, weekend-only use costs ¥50,000 to ¥100,000 a year against ¥500,000 for ownership. Daily use, or anywhere the nearest shared car is far away, tips it back the other way.
Estimates only. Actual costs vary by contract, city and provider. This site is not financial or tax advice.