The Case Study: Scenario and Assumptions

This comparison is based on the experience of a real family of four traveling on a two week trip in Japan. The first nine days would move from Osaka and Kyoto to regional and semi-rural areas, before taking a train to Tokyo for the remainder of the trip.

The car was not chosen to "go off-trail," or visit remote places. The initial reason for wanting a car based trip was mobility issues for the elder parents - to reduce walking and stairs wherever possible while staying "on the beaten path. They were happy to take advantage of the side benefits a car gave them as well.

Having the car available actually changed how they planned, so it's impossible to do a clean one-to-one comparison of how much a nine day trip in general would cost and throughout this article, public transport costs reflect what it would have taken to complete the exact same itinerary.

In practice, many travelers without a car would simplify the route, skip stops, or rely on package tours - not because destinations are inaccessible, but because mid-day logistics (especially luggage) become the limiting factor.

To keep the comparison grounded and conservative, a few clear assumptions were used:

• All prices use standard rates at the time of writing.

• Public transport assumes no rail pass, since the goal is flexibility rather than staying within pass rules or coverage areas.

• Parking uses real published parking rates for the specific locations visited.

• Expressways are only included where they meaningfully reduce time. Scenic or local roads were used where they made sense, even if slower.

• Fuel and taxi estimates are from Navitime. While fuel prices fluctuate, they're small at the distances involved.

Logistics are treated conservatively

In reality, these logistics are often what determine whether a multi-stop day is practical at all. Excluding them keeps the comparison conservative, but also means public transport appears simpler on paper than it often feels on the ground.

• No package tours added: Common alternatives to having a rental car - such as guided Nakasendo or countryside day tours - are intentionally excluded, even though many travelers would realistically rely on them without a car.

• No accommodation tradeoffs counted: Potential savings from staying farther from major stations (which a car makes practical) are not included, even though they could change the totals.

• No value assigned to time or comfort: Waiting, transfers, walking distance, fatigue, and mental overhead are not monetized - even though they strongly influence how days actually feel.

In short, the price shown is skewed in favor of public transportation. If the family had truly tried to use public transportation, the total cost would undoubtedly be higher, but the pure cost of getting from point A to point B, renting a car is a fixed expense that cannot be adjusted on a micro basis in the moment - unlike deciding to walk instead of taking a taxi, skipping a stop to save a train fare, or trimming a day to reduce costs.

Once the car is paid for, many micro decisions disappear. The question is no longer "can we?" or "Is it worth it?", it's simply "Do we want to?"

On the other hand, once the car is paid for, many of those decisions disappear. Transportation stops being something that needs constant consideration in terms of cost or timing. The basis of the choice shifts away practicality limitations and add-on-costs, toward what is already possible and how much you want to do or see.

The day-by-day breakdown that follows is meant to illustrate those tradeoffs in context - to show what the extra cost buys, where tradeoffs accumulate when using public transport, and how surprisingly small the difference ends up being.

Day 1 - Arrive Osaka Int. → Kyoto Accommodation

The family arrived at Osaka International Airport on a mid-afternoon flight. As they would be getting a car anyway, it made sense to rent directly from the airport, saving the price of four people's train tickets already. That's less than one day's rental cost, but it was a lot easier for handling luggage.

They didn't have plans to do any special sightseeing in Kyoto for this first day, so they were happy to head directly to their Air B&B and settle in. They were, however, hungry, so they opted to make use of the freedom a car afforded them to stop for something to eat at the food court of a mall along the way. If they had taken the bus, they likely would have settled for some convenience-store snack at the airport and had to wait until they arrive for a proper dinner.

While it may go against conventional wisdom to not stay in the middle of the city, their Air B&B was just on the outskirts of town. They figured that with a car they could choose anywhere that looked good less than an hour drive away. They weren't there for nightlife and besides, it's no different than what a lot of people do, basing themselves in Osaka and visiting Kyoto as a day trip.

They had booked a place that was just a 30 minute drive into town. It was quiet and had fewer (no) tourist crowds, and with the side benefits of inexpensive overnight parking and, more importantly, it cost considerably less than an equivalent accommodation in downtown Kyoto would have been.

Day 2 - Arashiyama → Kinkakuji → Nishiki Market → Riverside → Gion

Today was their first full day in Kyoto and followed a very typical sightseeing pattern, moving between several well-known areas spread across different parts of the city. The basic outline of the plan once in Kyoto was not altered in any way because of the car. It did, however impact their morning slightly.

While the most common advice is to start early to avoid crowds, their non-central location made it feel somewhat excusable to disregard that advice. There would be no 5 am wakeup to see a tourist-free temple and they honestly didn't feel that they were missing out on much.

But... one of their big goals for the trip was to eat like a local, so instead of heading straight into town, they stopped for breakfast at a Komeda Coffee shop on the outskirts of Kyoto. While the coffee itself is not objectively any better or worse than a Starbucks in central Kyoto near the major sights, they did enjoy what felt like a little glimpse into every day life of people who were there as part of their routine, rather than being surrounded by other tourists all plotting their day's plan of attack.

After breakfast, though, the general flow of the day was pretty much just the same as all the other tourists. Arashiyama in the morning, Kinkakuji around mid-day, and the Nishiki Market, Pontocho, and Gion area later in the afternoon and evening.

Often, parking is described as a nightmare, which scares a lot of people off from driving, but as this family found it's actually very straightforward. In many cases, unless driving around in search of the absolute cheapest parking lot, it's usually much less hassle than navigating the stations.

Parking lots are plentiful, affordable, and often as close or closer to the main sights than nearby train or bus stops. Granted, in a place like Kyoto, the difference in distance between the station and a parking lot is usually not that big, but one of the main reasons for renting the car was to reduce walking as much as possible for the elder parents. Even fifty meters here and there adds up and counts. In this particular family's case, renting a car was like having a taxi. Everyone could be dropped off as close as possible, while only the driver finds someplace to park further away.

In addition to parking close to the attractions, cumulative travel time by car came to roughly half that of using public transport.

One potential downside of the car that they were initially worried about was that it would mean the group has to stay together throughout the day. There would be no option for anyone to just head back to the hotel for a break and meet up later. Luckily they were able to work around that by taking things slow, and by evening still able to enjoy dinner and a relaxed walk along the river through Gion and Pontocho.

At the end of the night, one person went to retrieved the car, then come back to pick up the others before driving about half-hour back to their accommodation outside the city.

Had they stayed in the area, within walking distance, it may or may not have taken the same amount of time to get back. Or, depending on how tired they were, perhaps they would have opted for a taxi.

Day 3 - Kiyomizudera → Miyama Kayabuki-no-sato

This day they decided to fully take advantage of having a car by adding Miyama Kayabuki-no-sato, a thatched-roof village roughly a 2 ~ 2.5 hour bus ride away, to the itinerary.

While they would certainly have found something else to do if they hadn't gone that far, it had been highly recommended by friends, and having the car meant they could prioritize it over closer attractions that would be easier to reach by public transport alone. Or, if they really wanted to go, and the public transportation was too restrictive, there are package day tours from around ¥8,000~ per person.

One benefit to driving themselves versus a package day tour was that they controlled the schedule, allowing them to start the day with Kiyomizudera. Knowing that traffic into the city can be heavy in the morning, they set out early, arriving ahead of the main tourist crowds and even before the busiest rush-hour traffic. Once again, parking was straightforward and no farther from the entrance than the nearest subway access.

Since they had no set time to catch a bus for Miyama, they were able to spend as much time as they like in Kiyomizudera , followed by a stroll along the nearby Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka, ending around the Kodaiji area. While the rest of the family took a break at a cafe. Once again, the son retrieved the car for a curbside pick up, saving their energy for later in the day.

The regular route to Kayabuki-no-sato with public transport typically takes over two and a half hours with transfers. Combined with limited departure times, the logistics alone are often enough to rule it out for independent visitors without a car or without joining an organized tour.

By car, it was a scenic one hour and forty minute drive. Along the way, they stopped at Jingo-ji an impressive but far less-crowded temple tucked into the mountains outside Kyoto's urban area, and stumbled across Japan's first tea plantation at Kosanji. It did end up taking a little time away from their time in Miyama, but they were glad they went there. If they needed more time, they would have rather cut their morning in main Kyoto city shorter, to spend more time here without the crowds.

At Miyama Kayabuki-no-sato, they were free to walk around at their own pace without worrying about bus departure times, allowing them to stay later. After the last of the buses had left, clearing out most of the day visitors, they had the village to themselves to wander. The small museums had already closed as well, but it was the most peaceful moment they had had since arriving in Japan.

Before leaving, they stopped at Miyama Kajika Onsen, right next to the village, for their first onsen experience. That too was almost like having a private bath now that most people had left, and tourists spending the night were already having dinner at their inns. Evening traffic was light, making the return drive simple. There was no place really to stop, so it was door-to-door onsen to Air B&B. By public transport, this would have required some coordination with evening bus departures and train connections, followed by either taxi or another subway back to any hotel in the city.

Day 4 - Nara → Hikone → Small Japanese Inn

Instead of treating Nara as a separate day trip, having a car allowed them to include it as a stop while traveling between Kyoto and their next destination near Hikone, making what would normally be two separate travel days - a round-trip visit to Nara and a later transfer toward Hikone into a single day that combined transit and sightseeing.

Carrying full-size suitcases through sites like Nara Park or Hikone Castle would not have been realistic, so without a car, attempting the same plan would have required forwarding luggage. While coin lockers exist in most locations, availability is unpredictable, and repeatedly moving luggage in and out would eat up some small, but still valuable time.

Even with luggage forwarded, they would still need to carry two days' worth of clothing and essentials in a smaller day pack - easier than a full suitcase, but still inconvenient while sightseeing.

Driving themselves, their bags just stayed in the car. At any location all they needed was a purse, camera and maybe an umbrella.

After Nara, they continued toward Hikone. Rather than taking the expressway, they chose local roads. The drive took about an hour longer than the toll road but was still comparable to train travel. More importantly, it gave them the freedom to explore and stop along the way. One such stop was Kusatsu-juku, a quiet post town on the historic Nakasendo. Most people don't bother with it because it requires a train stop and short walk, but with several excellent small museums and none of the crowds it was more relaxed than the better-known towns like Magome or Tsumago. They would not realize it until they actually visited Magome in a few days, but the people of Kustatsu-juku seemed warmer and more welcoming, probably, because there are not nearly as many tourists that make the effort to stop there.

They wished they could have stayed longer in Kusatsu, but even with a car they needed to keep an eye on the clock in order to reach Hikone Castle with enough time to explore before closing.

While Himeji is more famous, they weren't dedicated castle enthusiasts. They were happy just to see a castle, but didn't want to make a full day trip to Himeji. With Gujo Hachiman Castle and Nagoya Castle planned later, although Hikone was a natural fit for the route, they would not have been crushed if they had arrived too late, but having the car made it a non-issue.

After visiting the castle they continued on to a small Japanese-style inn in the mountains. There was a local train station nearby, so public transport would not be impossible, but reaching the inn that way would have required a long walk with luggage or likely a taxi for the final stretch.

Because they were not constrained by train schedules or last connections, they didn't need to commit to a fixed arrival or dinner time at the inn. Instead, once settled in, after a little rest it was only a short drive back out for a late meal. That type of flexibility that would have been difficult to replicate using public transport.

Day 5 - Shiga Inn → Sekigahara → Gujo Hachiman

The family left the inn and made their way toward Sekigahara. This stop was included specifically because one member of the group was a fan of the Shōgun television series and had also seen the 2017 film, Sekigahara. It really mattered the most to one person, but without a car it would have required giving the stop a much more prominent place in the itinerary, at the expense of other sights that were of broader interest to the group.

Sekigahara is reachable by train, but the battlefield sites themselves are spread well beyond the station area. While technically walkable with enough time, visiting more than one or two points without a car quickly becomes impractical with limited time or, like in this case, limited mobility. A train-based stop would likely have been limited to a brief visit near the station, offering only a partial sense of the site and little context for the broader landscape of the battle.

The car was helpful to easily and quickly move between the multiple important historical spots without the stop turning into a half-day commitment. They were able to satisfy one member's wishes but it didn't dominate everyone else's day.

After Sekigahara, they continued toward Gujo Hachiman, stopping only at a few small places that caught their eye along the way. There was no pressure to arrive at a specific time, since seeing Gujo itself was planned for the following day and only required arriving by night.

With no fixed sightseeing deadline to work toward, they chose local roads instead of the expressway. This added roughly an hour compared to the toll road (not counting stops), but the overall travel time remained comparable to taking the train, with the added benefit of scenic stretches and the freedom to stop for lunch or short detours.

By contrast, the train-and-bus combination would have taken a similar amount of time but required transfers and offered far less flexibility to stop along the route and limited chance for a relaxed lunch break.

They arrived in Gujo Hachiman with time to walk around town and settle in before sundown. With another full day already set aside there before continuing on to Takayama, there was no need to rush or try to squeeze the visit into a single afternoon.

Day 6 - Gujo Hachiman → Takayama

They had arrived early enough to explore a little of Gujo Hachiman the previous afternoon and Takayama was also planned as an overnight. The main reasons for Takyama was to see the morning market, which they would see the following day so there was no rush to get there early. This meant they had a little more time to sleep in or explore Gujyo in the morning with no worries about bus times or reservations.

Although Takayama is often paired with Shirakawago in most suggested itineraries, having already visited Miyama Kayabuki-no-sato earlier relieved any FOMO pressure to include it here, although it was still an option on the table up until that morning when they decided to just take it slow. If they had been moving with public transport, probably they could have gotten bus tickets at the last moment, but no gaurantees and it would have limited their options.

There is a toll road to Takayama, but the scenic road to Takayama added less than thirty minutes, so they stuck with that. Their only time concern was the opening hours of the Hida Folk Village. But since they were driving, they could go directly, well before closing time. By public transport, this would have meant first reaching Takayama Station and then transferring to a local bus, adding another layer of transfers and timing to manage.

After visiting the folk village, they drove into central Takayama to explore any shops still open and just enjoy the feel of the street. Although parking here is slightly more expensive than in smaller, more rural towns, they found spaces closer to the main sights than the train/bus station.

Their accommodation that night was a hot spring resort slightly outside town that offered a free hourly shuttle from the train station. While this would have reduced taxi use if traveling by public transport, having the car still made the end of the day simpler and reduced walking for the elder parents.

Day 8 - Kiso → Nakasendō → Iwamura

This day was set aside to spend as much time as needed on the Nakasendo, specifically Magome and Tsumago, without pressure to fit the walk into a tight schedule.

Most visitors experience these towns as a long day trip or as a two-day walk between them. While the route is beautiful, it can be physically demanding, particularly for this family's older members. Magome itself sits on a steep slope, with the main bus stop at the bottom, completely doable, but not ideal for this group. Having a car made it possible to enjoy the historic streets without turning the day into a physical challenge.

They left Kiso Fukushima in the morning and drove first to Tsumago to explored the preserved streets, shops, and small museums. From there, they drove on to Magome and parked at the upper entrance. Walking downhill through the town allowed everyone to enjoy the scenery comfortably, while one person later returned to retrieve the car and pick the group up at the lower end. Lunch was open to discretion, at a small local restaurant in Magome, or drive a short way to more options.

With daylight still available, they chose to continue on toward Iwamura, a small historic merchant town, roughly forty-five minutes away. Along the way, they noticed they had time for an unplanned stop at the Hiroshige Museum of traditional woodblock prints in Ena, adding another layer to the day without disrupting anything else.

Using public transportation, both Ena and Iwamura are easily reached from Nagoya. However, because they sit close to the more famous Nakasendo towns, they are usually passed over when travelers have to choose just one destination for a day trip or brief stop between Kyoto and Tokyo. Given more time, perhaps more people would include them. Having a car made it possible to do so without extending the trip or adding extra nights. Having the car was also a major help for luggage handling as getting around with suitcases is not viable, so without a hotel base, it becomes an issue with public transport.

Knowing they would have the following day to explore the town before returning the car in Nagoya they felt no need to rush. They arrived in the early evening, checked in, and accepted that much of the town was already closed. Dinner was from a nearby supermarket, allowing them to eat when they felt like it rather than planning around restaurant hours.

One main philosophy of this trip as a whole was that each day was structured so that, as much as possible, time didn't matter. They wanted to be flexible in the moment. If something was more interesting than expected, they could stay longer. If something unplanned appeared, they could detour or adjust without worrying about connections or last trains.

Day 9 - Nagoya (car return)

This was the final day with the car. With Nagoya only about two hours away, there was no need to rush. They spent the morning exploring the ruins of Iwamura Castle and wandering the quiet historic streets before beginning the drive back.

Once again they avoided the toll road, only about one hour more total driving, but they were in no hurry. This made it possible to pass through Seto and Toki, both well known towns for traditional Japanese ceramics. These aren't places that most travelers make a special effort to visit unless they already have a specific interest, but passing through with time to spare made it easy to stop and explore a few shops and learn something they hadn't expected.

When planning their trip, they had briefly considered returning the car earlier and continuing on to Tokyo that evening by train, or even to by early afternoon. In the end, they chose not to, following their idea that they should live in the moment, and not try to rush. They didn't want this entire day to simply be about transit and arriving late would not have meaningfully changed the following day, but it would have turned their last day with the car into basically just a chore to return it, rather than a day to enjoy. Keeping the car allowed the day to stand on its own.

In Nagoya, the family was dropped off at the front door of their downtown hotel while one person returned the car to the rental office. Public transport would have required a short taxi ride to get themselves and luggage from the station.

The one-way drop-off incurred a ¥35,000 fee for returning the car in a different prefecture. This felt significant, but it was still far more practical than backtracking all the way to Osaka, especially since the next stage of the trip would continue onward by shinkansen. The drop-off fee was a lot less than if they had done a round trip ending back in Osaka.

Practical Tips for Planning with a Rental Car in Japan

Here are just some practical tips to help get the most out of renting a car in Japan.

• Local roads vs. toll roads

Decide what you're optimizing for that day: time, cost, or the experience of the drive.

Unless you are driving across the country, toll roads are often only 30-60 minutes faster and may cost ¥2,000 or so. Sometimes that hour matters - especially if what you care most about is at the end of the drive. Maybe you need to make it before something closes.

Other days, when the drive itself is part of the experience, local roads make more sense.

Google Maps estimated times are usually very close. The phone version give and idea of the toll fee. Navitime is better, but requires Japanese or using a translation app.

As a rough mental model:

• Toll roads = faster, predictable, more expensive
• Main roads = free, slightly slower, visually repetitive
• Side roads = slowest, free, often the most interesting - and part of the adventure

• Scan the map for small stops, not just destinations

Google Maps will automatically try to route you onto the fastest route. This means even for non-toll routes, it will stick to major non-toll highways. Even though they are free, these are usually lined with the same chain stores found everywhere in Japan. Many of the more interesting places sit just off those roads, but reaching them and navigation the turns and dead ends will add some time. Just be sure to plan in extra time if that is what you are looking for.

Looking at the map ahead of time helps you decide whether a detour is worth it before you're already tired or late. It's often better to plan those in the morning when still feeling fresh and adventurous.

• Take a deep breath and drive with less urgency

Missing a turn is rarely a problem. Let the navigation reroute you. Unless you're on the expressway, a mistake usually costs only a few minutes.

If you feel stressed, pull into a parking lot, take a breath, and reset. Driving calmly matters more than shaving off a minute or two and you will enjoy it a lot more.

In cities, think one or two blocks at a time. The rules don't change - driving two blocks in Kyoto is no different from driving two blocks in the busiest intersection of a smaller town.

• Put distances into perspective

An hour of driving can feel long - until you compare it to urban travel.

If you wouldn't think twice about spending 40-60 minutes crossing Tokyo by subway, it's worth asking why the same time feels unreasonable by car.

The same logic applies to accommodation. If you'd stay 40 minutes away by train, staying 40 minutes away by car - in another town or on the outskirts - can make just as much sense. Just keep morning traffic in mind when heading into cities.

• Look beyond city centers for accommodation

With a car, staying outside the center often means quieter surroundings, lower prices, and cheaper parking.

Compare the savings against parking costs and drive time. Unless you would spend every day in the same neighborhood as your hotel in the city, proximity matters less than it does with public transport.

• Think in terms of forward movement, not day trips

A car makes it easier to turn round-trip excursions into pass-through days, reducing backtracking extra ticket costs.

Even planned day trips can sometimes be repositioned. For example, a stop like Miyama Kayabuki-no-sato could function as a pass-through if the next destination lies in the same general direction.

Keep this in mind when you find that the only real reason you are making something into a day trip instead of overnight, or pass-through is because you don't want to mess with luggage. Keeping a hotel as a "base" for luggage is not needed when you have a car.

• Use the car selectively in major cities

Even in places like Kyoto, a car can help with luggage handling, mobility needs, or linking distant areas - but it doesn't need to be used for every short hop.

Parking location matters more than distance driven. A reasonably priced 24-hour spot can still be worthwhile even if the car stays parked most of the day, especially if moving it later resets the timer.

• Treat dispersed sites differently from single attractions

Many places are not highly rated simply because they are not easy to get around on public transport, so not many people go, and it does not get the publicity.

Places spread across a wide area - like the Sekigahara battlefield in this posts example, rural villages, plateau regions - are often technically reachable by public transport but function very differently without a car.

Train-based visits often cover only what's near the station. When researching, look not just at stations, but at what sits just beyond comfortable walking distance. Places closer to stations often have higher review counts, even when equally good options exist farther out.

• Don't underestimate luggage logistics

Forwarding services help, but they introduce timing constraints. Keeping bags in the car allows days to connect naturally without planning around lockers, cutoff times, or station access.

A lot of places that would be highly rated as worth seeing do not get the attention because even though the attraction is great, on the same level or better than other places it's perceived as not worth the luggage hassle.

• Let time, not distance, be flexible

With a car, days can stretch or compress naturally. If something is more interesting than expected, you can stay. If energy runs low, you can move on without reorganizing everything that comes next.

• Be intentional about where the car adds value

The biggest cost differences tend to appear in dense urban days. The biggest benefits usually emerge once travel becomes regional or multi-stop.

You don't need the car everywhere for it to be worthwhile, and every single day does not have to have overall savings. Make a plan and spread it out. Decide if it is worth it overall.

• Don't spend too much time trying to scrimp on parking

People have the idea that parking is super expensive. It can be, but you will find that places even a few blocks from the station are more affordable, or have max limits. Once you find something in your range, don't spend twenty minutes driving in circles to find something 200 yen cheaper.