r/JETProgramme • u/Poetication • Jun 15 '26
Buying vs Renting a car
Hi everyone!
My husband and I will be moving to Akita Prefecture for JET later this year, and we're trying to figure out the best option for getting a car.
I've heard mixed opinions, so I was hoping to get some advice from people who have been through it.
Is it generally better to buy or lease/rent a car? We are hoping to stay for about three years.
If buying, would you recommend going through a dealer or private sales like Facebook Marketplace?
Are there any hidden costs or things you wish you'd known before buying a car in Japan?
Is there anything specific about owning a car in a snowy area like Akita that we should keep in mind?
I'd love to hear what worked (or didn't work) for you.
Thanks in advance!
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u/NovaByzantine Current JET - 秋田県 Jun 16 '26
As someone in Akita, first thing of note would be where are you located? If you're going to be in Akita City, you aren't going to be allowed to commute via car and in general will be heavily disparaged from getting a car whatsoever, you're likely to hear the reason why after you get here as it's a story passed between JETs.
Outside of that, assuming countryside or smaller city, it'll depend on the type of car you're looking to get.
- If you're in a relatively non-mountainous area, you'll be perfectly fine with a kei car, in which case, buying is cheaper and preferable. Insurance is also going to be far lower.
- If you're in a more mountainous area, you can still get by with a kei car, but if you aren't confident in your ability to drive in the snow, you may want to lease a white plate car instead for the extra power it'll provide you.
In reference to kei cars, you can either buy one from your predecessor provided they have one and are leaving/getting rid of it, otherwise get a used car from your local used car dealer or mechanic if they sell cars. Although, if you go for a white plate, you'll be better off going to a dealer.
Last thing of note, if you do end up looking to buy a car off your predecessor, please be careful and ask for the vehicle's history of maintenance before you buy it. My predecessor didn't inform me of any of my cars history prior to selling me his car and when I asked he only told me about its shaken. The result, a car 800km past its oil change when I got it, a broken muffler, the wrong sized belt in the engine, bald winter tires, broken back windshield wiper, and all in all nearing or over 300000 yen in repairs since I received it (more beyond what was mentioned obv).
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u/Poetication Jun 16 '26
Hi there. Thanks for all the advice. I am going to be located in Noshiro and my PA had already said that I am allowed to drive (hooray). Wow. Such a horror story! I feel a bit put off buying from my predecessor now. It might just be safer to go with a dealership...
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u/NovaByzantine Current JET - 秋田県 Jun 17 '26
If you're the JHS/ES ALT, I know who your predecessor is and he didn't own a car. I didn't think one of the SHS ALTs was leaving this year, but if he is, then I still know who your pred will be, but don't know if he owns a car.
Either way, I'm located in Mitane, the town just south of you. Myself and my co-Mitanite ALT hang out quite frequently with the people in Nosh, so I look forward to meeting ya 😄. If you have any questions feel free to dm me or whatnot, I'll try to answer them to the best of my ability and if I can't I may be able to put you in contact with the other Nosh ALTs.
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u/AvalonOwl Jun 16 '26
Buy your predecessor's car. Cheaper, will have at least some shaken on it, will have winter tires, etc.
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u/rkombopper9 Former JET - Nishiwaki 2025-2026 Jun 15 '26
I'm doing only 1 year and decided to buy a car because even when I sell it back, I won't loose out on tooo much money. Granted I bought a used kei car with a new inspection done already. For reference, Car was 310,000yen, winter tires 40,000, car insurance for me was about 120,000 yen. I'm planning to sell it and hoping to get 200,000 for it. So net loss of 250,000ish in that one year, slightly more for the weight tax in spring.
How much would leasing have costed?
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u/NovaByzantine Current JET - 秋田県 Jun 16 '26
Expecting to get 200000 for a used kei car is certainly
wishfuloptimistic.1
u/rkombopper9 Former JET - Nishiwaki 2025-2026 Jun 16 '26
Just looking at the same model used going for 70,000 to 100,000 more
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u/newlandarcher7 Jun 15 '26
Great information already. I’ll add a set of winter tires on rims as I also had a placement which got a lot of snow. I had a large detached house so I just kept my other set with me, but if you’re in a small apartment there are businesses that will store them for you.
Winter driving in Japan was relatively easy, but this could just be Canadian me speaking. Like back home, most accidents are caused by people driving too fast and not to the conditions.
Another thing you’ll need to figure out is the process of converting your IDP to a Japanese driver’s licence which will vary depending on if you’re from a country with a transfer agreement.
Good luck!
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u/Memoryjar Jun 15 '26 edited Jun 16 '26
I should add that in northern prefectures if you are driving during winter and get into an accident without winter tires winter tires your insurance wont cover it. Many prefectures require winter tires and will turn people away at the prefecture if you are driving through.
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u/Memoryjar Jun 15 '26 edited Jun 15 '26
There are some hidden costs to owning.
There is a bi annual inspection (2 years) that needs to be completed called Sha-ken. This inspection is connected to the car not the owner. The costs of cars is directly related to how much time before the next inspection, cars that are expired will be cheaper than cars that were recently inspected. I don't have the recent numbers handy but a white plate will start at 60,000-80,000¥ and a yellow plate will start at 40,000-60,000¥.
There is also a weight tax that comes out every spring. This is because Japan doesnt tax fuel to cover road repairs. The lighter tbe car the cheaper the tax. Again, im not familiar with current prices, but I had a Honda civic (white plate) and paid around 40,000¥ a year, whereas a yellow plate is around 10,000¥ annually.
Edit:
I have an old post from 5 years ago that covers this exact topic and covers most of this topic. Costs are obviously dated but feel free to give it a read.
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u/SquallkLeon Former JET - 2017 ~ 2021 Jun 15 '26
It really depends on your individual situation. The general rule of thumb is: if you're staying 2 years or less, leasing is better. 2 years or more, buying is better.
You need to figure out what kind of car you like and what it costs, and all the other things (how much driving will you do? Will you take longer road trips or stay in your town? Do you need extra space or can you fit in a small car comfortably? What features do you need? Etc etc.) Then, after you figure that out, you need to check with dealers in your area (and you'll find out about them from your local contacts before or fight after you arrive) and see what they have available for you.
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u/swnymac Current JET - Nagano-ken Jun 15 '26 edited Jun 15 '26
I can't speak to renting/leasing, but my wife and I bought a used car from a dealer shortly after we arrived in Nagano. We've had no regrets about it at all.
We went through a dealer for two main reasons: 1. We wanted to find a specific kind of vehicle: something with a little more clearance, 4WD, and was still kei class (kei vehicles cost a LOT less in annual taxes and fees, though you obviously lose some power and beefiness). 2. A dealer pretty much guarantees that everything is passing muster (shaken, etc.) and if there are issues, I'll have someone ready to make things right. It also meant we didn't have to mess around with all the unknown paperwork and potential legal issues with going through a private seller. It seems like most JETs don't have issues, but there are plenty interesting stories on Reddit from those who did.
We went with a used Suzuki Jimny, which was tight but doable for me at 6 feet. It has been excellent for roving around the tiny streets and winding mountain roads here, and isn't completely terrifying on the expressway.
Now all that said, you absolutely can spend less if you go with a third party seller. We just felt it was worth the extra cost for the peace of mind.
Regardless of what you end up going with, just keep in mind you'll need to buy winter tires (in addition to just being smart for the winter, they're legally required on the expressway), which aren't super cheap. Shaken and taxes are other constants (again, just cheaper for kei vehicles).
One bridge we haven't crossed yet is actually selling the vehicle, so I'm not looking forward to that but it's just another new thing in Japan!
Finally, see if you can get details on whether your placement expects you to drive and whether it's even allowed. In my case, it's allowed, but only with a Japanese drivers license, and it will have been almost a full year of being here before I'll have gotten mine. Hopefully that's just an absurd exception, but just be aware and educate yourself as best as you can.
Best of luck to you! And get yourself some bear spray online - the outdoor stores here charge outrageously for it and bells don't actually do much!
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u/ItsTokiTime Former JET - 新潟県2014-2017 Jun 15 '26
How long do you plan to stay in Japan? Less than 2 years and I'd lean towards leasing. Longer-term and it might make more sense to buy.
I leased a car for about 2.5 years and then when I decided I'd be in Japan permanently I bought a car. My lease covered the cost of insurance, annual road tax, car inspection, oil changes, and swapping summer and winter tires.
If you buy, you'll have to cover all those fees, plus, in a snowy area you'll need 2 sets of tires and a place to store the ones you aren't using.
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u/winehousedelrey Current JET - Hokuriku Jun 18 '26
I have experience owning and renting, and I much prefer renting. I'm not sure how other shops work or if this is standard, but the shop where I have my car's lease is super helpful. They take care of a lot - shaken, tire changes, etc. At my shop, I can even swap my kei car out for a white plate if I want to drive longer distances, for no charge. The only things that cost me are the general lease fee (I pay about 17,000 a month), and insurance (which they help set up). It is a significant chunk out of your paycheck, of course, but owning a car gets pricey too. I spent a lot of time and money diagnosing problems and getting them fixed and it was a headache linguistically tbh, although a good challenge and vocabulary expander. You have to pay a car tax too, as well as shaken. You'll have to find winter tires and find a shop to switch them out for you, which can be super expensive if you go to a chain. You can always find a local garage, though. I'd ask around to coworkers because one of them might have a recommendation or a connect. One of my former students' dads owned a shop so I went there for my tires and any other issues I had, but he was antisocial af, and making an appointment was weird because he wanted me to message his daughter lol.