Expressway tolls and ETC in Japan: how to pay in a rental car
Most expressways in Japan are toll roads. Here is how to pay without an ETC card, which interchanges near us no longer take cash, and what a typical trip from Tokyo costs.
How tolls work
Pay by distance
On most expressways you get a ticket (or your ETC card is read) when you enter, and you pay at the exit. The toll depends on the distance and the size of the car.
ETC lanes
ETC is Japan’s electronic toll system. ETC lanes are marked in purple. With a card in the car’s ETC unit, the gate opens as you drive through slowly.
General lanes
Lanes marked 一般 (general) are for drivers without ETC. Take a ticket at the entrance and pay at the exit in cash or by credit card. Some lanes are marked ETC/一般 and take both.
How Japan’s ETC differs from tolling at home
A card, not a sticker
In Australia an e-tag, and in Taiwan an eTag sticker, is linked to your account. In Japan the ETC unit in the car reads a separate ETC card that you insert, and tolls are charged to that card.
No pay-later option for visitors
At home, a car without a tag can often be billed later by its number plate. In Japan, there is no simple pay-later account for visitors. Without an ETC card, plan to pay at the exit in a general lane.
Cash lanes still exist, for now
Taiwan’s freeways are fully electronic. In Japan, most interchanges still have general lanes for cash or credit card, but more are becoming ETC-only, including two near our office.
Some interchanges no longer take cash
Japan is gradually turning toll gates into ETC-only gates. Near our office in Suwa, two interchanges changed in spring 2026:
- Suwa-Minami IC (Chuo Expressway): ETC-only since 23 March 2026
- Shiojiri IC (Nagano Expressway): ETC-only since 30 March 2026
- Smart interchanges (スマートIC): all are ETC-only
- Without an ETC card, use an interchange that still has a general lane, such as Suwa IC, and check the signs before you turn in
More gates will change over the next few years, so check before you set off. If you drive into an ETC-only lane by mistake, do not reverse. Drive into the lane marked ETC/サポート or サポート (support), stop, and press the call button. Staff will tell you how to pay.
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Typical tolls from Tokyo
Tolls for an ordinary car and a kei car (a small Japanese car), from NEXCO’s toll search. Kei cars pay about 20% less.
Weekday tolls checked in October 2026. Tolls on Tokyo’s inner-city expressways (Shutoko) are extra. On weekends and holidays, ETC users get about 30% off on rural sections; this discount is not available when paying cash.
Can visitors get an ETC card?
Usually issued with a Japanese credit card
Most ETC cards come with a credit card from a Japanese card company, so they are hard to get on a short stay.
ETC Personal Card
A version without a credit card exists, but it needs a deposit, an annual fee and a Japanese bank or Japan Post account, and takes about two weeks to arrive.
Visitor expressway passes
The Japan Expressway Pass and the Central Nippon Expressway Pass are no longer sold. The passes still offered cover Hokkaido, Tohoku, San’in-Setouchi-Shikoku and Kyushu, not Nagano.
Tolls when you rent with us
Every car has an ETC reader
All our cars have an ETC reader, GPS navigation and a dashcam. We do not supply ETC cards. If you have a Japanese ETC card, you can use it in our cars. If not, use the general lanes and pay in cash or by credit card. Tolls, fuel and parking are not included in the rental price. See our rates and cars.
RECOMMENDED CARS
Cars for this kind of stay
Every car is 4WD, with a dashcam, GPS navigation and an ETC reader. Prices include tax and insurance.
Kei car
Suzuki Hustler, Daihatsu Taft · 4 seats
- 1 week
- from¥27,700
- 1 month
- from¥73,700
Plus the required CDW: ¥20,000 per month
Get a quote for this car
Compact car
Toyota Yaris, Toyota Roomy · 5 seats
- 1 week
- from¥30,250
- 1 month
- from¥80,250
Plus the required CDW: ¥20,000 per month
Get a quote for this car
SUV
Toyota Yaris Cross · 5 seats
- 1 week
- from¥38,700
- 1 month
- from¥112,200
Plus the required CDW: ¥20,000 per month
Get a quote for this carSee all cars and rates →Car images show the class, not the exact car.
Questions about tolls and ETC
Q. Can I drive on Japanese expressways without an ETC card?
Yes. Use the general (一般) lanes, take a ticket at the entrance and pay at the exit in cash or by credit card. Some interchanges are ETC-only, so check the signs before you enter.
Q. Which interchanges near Suwa are ETC-only?
Suwa-Minami IC on the Chuo Expressway (since 23 March 2026) and Shiojiri IC on the Nagano Expressway (since 30 March 2026). Smart interchanges are also ETC-only.
Q. What happens if I enter an ETC lane without a card?
Do not reverse. Drive into the lane marked ETC/サポート or サポート, stop, and press the call button. Staff will explain how to pay.
Q. Is the Japan Expressway Pass still available?
No. The Japan Expressway Pass and the Central Nippon Expressway Pass have ended, and none of the current visitor passes cover Nagano.
Q. Do your rental cars come with an ETC card?
No. Every car has an ETC reader, but we do not supply ETC cards. You can pay tolls in cash or by credit card in the general lanes.
Q. Is Japan’s ETC the same as an Australian e-tag or Taiwan’s eTag?
No. In Japan you need an ETC card inserted into the car’s ETC unit, and visitors are not billed later by number plate. Without a card, use the general lanes and pay at the exit.
Need a car for your stay in Nagano?
Tell us your dates and where you are staying. We reply with a total price, including delivery, within one business day.
You are welcome to write to us in English through our web form or LINE. We reply in Japanese, so please use a translation tool to read our reply.
NEXCO East: paying tolls without ETC
Central NEXCO: ETC-only interchanges (Japanese)
Central NEXCO: 2026 ETC-only conversions (Japanese)
Central NEXCO: ETC Personal Card (Japanese)
JNTO: expressway passes
Drive Plaza: toll search (Japanese)
Wikipedia: Electronic Toll Collection (Taiwan)
NSW Government: paying tolls (myE-Toll help)