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Road trips: roadside stations, rest areas & sleeping in your car

Touring by rental car or camper van: how to use Michi-no-Eki roadside stations and expressway service areas, the rules on sleeping in your vehicle, and where staying overnight is welcome.

Travel tips

  • Public transport is limited in rural areas, and the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) recommends driving there.

Good to know

Before you drive

  • To drive on a foreign licence you need an International Driving Permit issued under the Geneva Convention. You may drive for one year from the day you land in Japan or until the permit expires, whichever is shorter.
  • Licences from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan are valid when carried with a Japanese translation issued by a designated body.
  • There are regional flat-rate expressway passes for visitors (Hokkaido, Tohoku, San'in–Setouchi–Shikoku and Kyushu), used with an ETC card from a rental car company. The nationwide Japan Expressway Pass is no longer sold.

Michi-no-Eki (roadside stations)

  • Michi-no-Eki are rest facilities along ordinary roads. Parking and toilets are free and open 24 hours, with road and tourist information and facilities offering local products.
  • There are more than 1,200 across Japan (1,234 as of September 2026). The official site lets you search by prefecture or facilities.
  • Events at individual stations, such as markets, appear in the “news from stations nationwide” section of the official site. Check dates there.
  • The official site also has information on stamp rallies and Michi-no-Eki cards.

Expressway service and parking areas (SA/PA)

  • Service and parking areas are for expressway users to take a break, and parking space is limited.
  • NEXCO East's rules prohibit using fire, camping, barbecues, running the engine unnecessarily, and parking for long periods for purposes other than a rest.
  • Use the bins provided, and do not dispose of rubbish brought in from outside the expressway.
  • Some NEXCO West areas have a “Shower Station” with coin showers and a coin laundry, or a “Highway Hotel” for overnight stays.
  • Some areas can also be entered from ordinary roads (NEXCO West's “Welcome Gate”).

Rules on sleeping in your vehicle

  • Taking a nap at a Michi-no-Eki to recover from driving is fine. However, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism asks people, as a rule, not to use the car parks and other public areas for overnight stays.
  • Some stations provide separate parking spaces for overnight stays. Check each station's own website.
  • Where it gets in the way of people stopping for a rest, you may be asked not to stay long. Some municipalities set rules of use by ordinance. Follow the notices on site.
  • At service and parking areas too, long-term parking for purposes other than a rest is prohibited.

Where overnight stays are welcome

  • RV Parks are overnight sites for vehicles certified by the Japan RV Association. Requirements include 24-hour toilets, 100 V power, rubbish disposal and a bathing facility nearby, and you can stay several days.
  • RV Parks are set up at hot springs, inns, Michi-no-Eki, amusement parks and elsewhere. They are parking spaces for sleeping in your vehicle, so camping activities are not allowed. Some are closed at times, so check before you go.
  • If you want to pitch a tent or cook over a fire, use an auto campsite. You can search on the Japan Auto Camping Federation's site.

Official information

These open external sites. Check prices, times and dates there.

Event dates, operating days, reservation rules and opening hours can change. Please check the official information before you go.

Checked against official information on Nov 15, 2026.

Pages we checked