Japan · 16 Oct 2026 – 25 Oct 2026
Japan: Takayama to Tokyo by car
Eight days on the ground (17–24 Oct, inside a 16–25 Oct trip), four friends, a self-drive rental car from Narita to Shinagawa and then three days in Tokyo: Takayama's old town, Hakuba and Matsumoto, a half day on foot in Kamikochi on the way to Fuji, two nights under Mount Fuji and the Five Lakes, Hakone on the way in, then DisneySea and the city.
Luggage: Pangoo Shinagawa is a contactless, unstaffed apartment, so Yamato cannot leave bags there. Ship them at the Yamato counter at Narita on day 1 using "Sales Office Pickup" (eigyosho-dome) to the Yamato Kita-Shinagawa 1-Chome Center (1-10-4 Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku; centre code 036624), arrival date 21 October, and collect them after dropping the car — the office is open until 21:00 and the yellow receipt plus a passport is the only way to get the bags back. Budget ¥13,000–14,000 for the group. JAL ABC, Sagawa and LuggAgent were all rejected for the same reason: none of them holds luggage at a public depot for five days. Driving permit: Japan recognises ONLY the 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit. Japan acceded to the 1949 Geneva Convention on 7 Aug 1964 and is not a party to the 1968 Vienna one, and JAF says it in terms: a permit issued under another treaty, such as the 1968 Vienna Convention, is not valid in Japan. Carry the Geneva booklet with the original Thai licence and the passport; there is no on-arrival substitute, and JAF's translation-instead-of-IDP route covers only six places, none of them Thailand. The Geneva permit runs one year from issue, so it has to be in hand before 17 Oct 2026. Thailand issues both types and the application makes you choose one — choose Geneva 1949, not the 3-year Vienna 1968 booklet, which is the trap. How to get it: the Department of Land Transport now issues the permit fully online through Krungthai's เป๋าตัง (Paotang) app, live since 17 Dec 2024 — no trip to a transport office. In the app: Services → Department of Land Transport → international driving permit; pick the convention (Geneva 1949), fill in the details, verify identity by face scan, upload a straight-on white-background photo taken on the phone, give a delivery address, and pay with Paotang Pay, a Krungthai account or G-Wallet. Thailand Post delivers the printed booklet, about 5–7 working days. You need a Thai ID card and a valid Thai licence of the 5-year, lifetime or commercial class — a 2-year temporary licence does not qualify. Cost 505 THB (500 permit + 5 application) plus 60 THB postage, plus a 10 THB bank fee that Krungthai waived from 17 Dec 2024 to 31 Dec 2025: budget 565–575 THB. The counter still works and takes no appointment — passport, ID card, original licence and two non-glossy 2-inch photos taken within six months, 505 THB, issued while you wait; DLT Smart Queue only books the slot, it does not do the application. Apply by late September so the post has room. Sources, checked 2026-09-17: prd.go.th 23 Mar 2025 and chiangrai.prd.go.th for the Paotang service, fee and steps; Krungthai 26 Dec 2024 for the fee breakdown and 5–7 working days; prd.go.th 22 Feb 2023 for the counter documents, the 505 THB fee and both conventions; JAF english.jaf.or.jp/driving-in-japan/drive-in-japan; UN treaty status XI-B-1 (Geneva 1949) and XI-B-19 (Vienna 1968).
This is my first time in Japan, and the plan shows it.
It started as Fujiyoshida only: a few days under Fuji and back. Then a friend wanted Takayama as well, and by that time the flights, into Narita and out of Haneda, were already booked and could not be changed. So we take the long route: pick up the car at Narita on the first morning and drive all the way to Takayama, then work our way back towards Fuji.
It is not only a road trip, either. We are four, and some of us want DisneySea, so after five days of driving we hand the car back in Shinagawa and spend the last three days in Tokyo. We rent the car and drive it ourselves; nobody is hired. Not the tidiest itinerary, but it is the one we are taking.
Route
1,150km
5 legs, some distances stated, not routed
Driving time
19.3h
Sum of leg estimates, not counting stops
Day by day
- Day 1Takayama· NRT → Takayama, ~460 km / ~5.8 h on the Ken-O, Chuo and Nagano expressways · ¥7,490 tolls
07:45 land at Narita and call the shuttle bus at the Nissan counter in Terminal 1. 09:00 depart for Takayama from Nissan Rent a Car at Narita — the long drive of the trip, seven hours with stops. 16:00 arrive in Takayama and check in at Koto Hikari. Hida beef for dinner at Hidagyu Maruaki, which has to be before 17:00, then the old town at dusk and some shopping for local products.
Stops: Hidagyu Maruaki (Hida beef, before 17:00), Koto Hikari (古都ひかり) — hotel
- Day 2Matsumoto· Takayama → Hakuba → Matsumoto, ~205 km / ~3.5 h (Takayama to Hakuba ~140 km, Hakuba to Matsumoto ~65 km) · ¥790 tolls
07:00 Miyagawa Morning Market. 08:00 back to the hotel and check out. 09:00 the old town — Hida Jizake Kura Hon-ten, with the car at Tee Fuss Takayama Parking Lot. 11:00 brunch. 12:00 drive to Hakuba. 15:00 ao LAKESIDE CAFE. 16:30 Oide Park; 17:15 Snow Peak Land Station Hakuba, The North Face and Patagonia. 18:00 drive to Matsumoto, arriving for dinner at Kobayashi Soba at 19:30 (park at the Yohashira-jinja parking lot, a two-minute walk), and the night at Umehashi (松本城下一棟貸 埋橋).
Stops: Miyagawa Morning Market, Takayama, Hida Jizake Kura Hon-ten (old town), Tee Fuss Takayama Parking Lot, ao LAKESIDE CAFE, Hakuba, Oide Park, Hakuba, Snow Peak Land Station Hakuba, Kobayashi Soba, Matsumoto, Yohashira-jinja Parking Lot, Matsumoto (2 min walk to Kobayashi), Umehashi (松本城下一棟貸 埋橋) — hotel
- Day 3Fujiyoshida· Matsumoto → Sawando ~40 km, then Sawando → Fujiyoshida via Yamanakako ~205 km / ~3.5 h · ¥790 tolls · ¥800 Sawando parking
07:00 drive to Sawando Bus Parking 3 (市営第三駐車場 / かすみ沢駐車場) — private cars are banned beyond it. 08:50 the bus into Kamikochi (¥3,000; ¥800 to park). 09:30 hiking at Kamikochi; 13:20 the bus back to the car. 14:00 the big drive to Fuji. 17:00 Yamanakako Communication Plaza for the sunset, 18:00 dinner, then two nights at HOTEL FUJiTORiiGATE; its roof terrace opens at 04:00 if the morning is clear.
Stops: Sawando Bus Parking 3 (市営第三駐車場 / かすみ沢駐車場), Yamanakako Communication Plaza Kirara, HOTEL FUJiTORiiGATE — hotel
- Day 4Fujiyoshida· Fuji Five Lakes loop, ~80 km / ~2 h (~95 km with the optional Oshino Hakkai) · ¥2,590 tolls
06:00 Ubuyagasaki on Lake Kawaguchi for the morning reflections, then Kogamasao Memorial Park at 07:00. 10:00 Chureito Pagoda — the five-storey pagoda with Fuji behind it, up about 400 steps. 12:00 hoto noodles at Houtou Fudou. 13:30 the Momiji Tunnel, 14:00 Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nemba and its rebuilt thatched roofs. 16:00 west to Lake Motosu (Motosuko Observation Park parking) for the ¥1,000-note view of Fuji, then back to Fujiyoshida.
Stops: Ubuyagasaki, Lake Kawaguchi (small parking area), Kogamasao Memorial Park, Chureito Pagoda, Houtou Fudou (hoto noodles), Kawaguchiko, Momiji Tunnel, Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nemba, Lake Motosu (Motosuko Observation Park Parking Lot), Oshino Hakkai (optional, no set time)
- Day 5Tokyo (Shinagawa)· Fujiyoshida → Gotemba → Hakone → Shinagawa, ~160 km / ~3.5 h · ¥2,560 + ¥800 tolls · car returned 19:30
09:00 down to Gotemba Premium Outlets — shopping, or just an early lunch. 14:00 Hakone for the floating torii of Hakone Shrine on Lake Ashi. 16:00 leave Hakone and drive straight into Tokyo. 19:30 return the car at Shinagawa Grand Central Tower / NBF Shinagawa Tower, collect the bags at the Yamato Kita-Shinagawa centre (open until 21:00; the yellow receipt and a passport), then check in at Pangoo Shinagawa for three nights.
Stops: Gotemba Premium Outlets, Hakone Shrine & Lake Ashi (nearest parking), Car return — Shinagawa Grand Central Tower / NBF Shinagawa Tower, Pangoo Shinagawa — hotel
- Day 6Tokyo (Shinagawa)· Tokyo Bay: Shinagawa → Maihama (DisneySea) and back by train, ~35 min each way · no car from today
All day at Tokyo DisneySea, kept as planned. Tickets went on sale exactly two months ahead, on 22 August 2026, and are booked. Train in from Shinagawa — there is no car from today.
Stops: Tokyo DisneySea
- Day 7Tokyo (Shinagawa)· Tokyo east: Tsukiji → Hamarikyu → Asakusa by river boat → Ueno → Shinjuku, by train and on foot
08:00 Tsukiji Outer Market for tamagoyaki, seafood skewers and wagyu (Shinagawa → Higashi-ginza, 32 min). 10:30 Hamarikyu Gardens, ten minutes' walk away, a landscape garden ringed by towers on the edge of the bay. 11:30 the Sumida River water bus, boarded inside the garden, 40 minutes up to Asakusa past the Skytree (by train instead: Shimbashi → Asakusa, 26 min). 12:30 lunch (Ichiran Asakusa or Kamo to Negi), then Nakamise-dori up to Senso-ji. 15:30 Ueno for the Ameyoko market and Takeya (tax free on the 3rd floor); Asakusa → Ueno-Hirokoji is 15 min by train. 18:00 across to Shinjuku: Godzilla street, Kabukicho's neon and dinner in the alleys of Omoide Yokocho.
Stops: Tsukiji Outer Market, Hamarikyu Gardens, Senso-ji Temple, Asakusa, Ameyoko, Ueno, Takeya, Ueno, Omoide Yokocho, Shinjuku
- Day 8Overnight flight HND → BKK· Tokyo west: Meiji Jingu → Harajuku → Omotesando → Shibuya on foot, then Shinagawa → Haneda by train
09:00 check out and leave the bags at the hotel for the day. 09:30 Meiji Jingu, a forest walk inside the city. 11:00 Harajuku: Takeshita Street, then down tree-lined Omotesando. 14:00 Shibuya — the crossing, the Hachiko statue, and the last souvenir shopping at Mega Don Quijote or Miyashita Park, with gyukatsu at Katsugyu. 18:00 back for the bags and a last dinner near the flat. 21:00 to Haneda for NH849, which leaves at 00:05 and lands in Bangkok at 05:10.
Stops: Meiji Jingu Shrine, Takeshita Street, Harajuku, Shibuya Crossing, Mega Don Quijote, Shibuya, Miyashita Park, Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu (กิวคัตสึเกียวโตคัตสึกิว)
What I looked at vs what I booked
| Item | Looked at | Booked | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Koto Hikari (古都ひかり), Takayama Sat 17 Oct Stay · Whole house · Machiya whole-house rental, 1 night (17 Oct), 4 people | ¥30,911 17 Sep 2026 | ¥30,911 | |
Matsumoto Castle Town Rental Umehashi (松本城下一棟貸 埋橋) Sun 18 Oct Stay · Whole house · 130 m² century-old house, 1 night (18 Oct), 4 people | ¥32,233 17 Sep 2026 | ¥32,233 | |
HOTEL FUJiTORiiGATE, Fujiyoshida Mon 19 Oct · 2 nights → Wed 21 Oct Stay · Hotel · 2 nights (19–20 Oct), 4 people, bunk/sofa-bed layout | ¥60,404 17 Sep 2026 | ¥60,404 | |
Pangoo Shinagawa, Tokyo Wed 21 Oct · 3 nights → Sat 24 Oct Stay · Apartment · Self-service apartment, 3 nights (21–23 Oct), 4 people | ฿18,222 17 Sep 2026 | ฿18,222 | |
Alpico Kotsu — Sawando ⇄ Kamikochi shuttle Fare · 4 × return bus (19 Oct) plus a day at Sawando Bus Parking 3 | ¥12,800 17 Sep 2026 | Not booked | ¥3,000 per person return × 4 + ¥800 parking = ¥12,800. Bought at the Sawando terminal on the day; private cars cannot go beyond Sawando. The budget's "Kamikochi & Others" row is ¥15,000 / ฿3,450 for the group, which also covers odds and ends. |
ANA (All Nippon Airways) Fare · BKK–NRT NH808, 16 Oct 23:35 → 07:45; HND–BKK NH849, 25 Oct 00:05 → 05:10 | ฿82,700 17 Sep 2026 | ฿82,700 | 4 pax — ฿82,700 is the whole party, ฿20,675 per person. |
Yamato Transport — Sales Office Pickup (eigyosho-dome) Fare · Group luggage, Narita counter (17 Oct) → Kita-Shinagawa 1-Chome Center, code 036624, arrival 21 Oct | ¥13,000 17 Sep 2026 | Not booked | ¥13,000–14,000 (≈฿2,990) for the group, size-160 bags at ¥3,160–3,500 each. Bought at the Yamato counter at Narita on day 1 — nothing to book in advance. The yellow receipt plus a passport is the only way to get the bags back; the office closes at 21:00. |
Nissan Rent a Car Rental · Self-drive rental car, 5 days — pick up at Narita Airport (17 Oct), return at Shinagawa (21 Oct 19:30); the four of us drive, nobody is hired | ¥75,570 17 Sep 2026 | ¥75,570 | ¥75,570 ≈ ฿17,381.10 for 5 days. Shuttle bus from the arrivals hall to the Nissan counter. Needs a 1949 Geneva IDP plus the Thai licence — see the trip notes. |
Tokyo DisneySea Tour · 4 × one-day tickets, 22 Oct | ฿9,060 17 Sep 2026 | ฿9,060 | Booked (confirmed 2026-09-17): tickets went on sale exactly 2 months ahead, on 22 Aug 2026. ฿9,060 for 4 tickets. |
Full ledger
Every category in JPY, THB and USD, with its basis — estimate until it is booked or a receipt replaces the line.
Flights
- Flightsreceipt
฿20,675
$627
Vehicle & fuel
- Car Rentalreceipt¥18,893
- Highway Tollsestimate¥3,558
- Fuelestimate¥2,338
¥24,788
฿5,701
$173
Lodging
- Accommodations (Road Trip)receipt¥30,887
- Accommodations (Pangoo)receipt
part in JPY
฿11,295
$342
Food
- Food & Drinkestimate¥54,150
¥54,150
฿11,263
$341
Activities
- DisneySeareceipt
฿2,265
$69
Extras
- Luggage Deliveryestimate¥3,250
- Kamikochi & Othersestimate¥3,750
¥7,000
฿1,610
$49
Total per person (at 4 sharing)
partly in JPY — no full JPY total
฿52,808· ฿211,233 for the party
$1,600
Entries from this trip
Entry 001-C
Together 001 · Japan road trip, the full 8 days
Entry 001-G
Together 001 · Japan road trip cost from Bangkok, 8 days for four
Entry 001.0
Together 001.0 · Japan road trip, 8 days — Part 0 at home
Entry 001.1
Together 001.1 · Takayama to Tokyo by car, days 1 to 2
Entry 001.2
Together 001.2 · Fuji Five Lakes road trip, days 3 to 5
Entry 001.3
Together 001.3 · Tokyo 3 day itinerary, days 6 to 8