As the number of foreign drivers in Japan continues to rise, authorities are intensifying efforts to address traffic safety challenges linked to navigation errors and misunderstandings of local road regulations. One prominent issue involves mistaken entry onto highways, particularly by cyclists and users of electric scooters relying on map applications for directions.
Yamanashi Prefecture police have implemented multiple measures to reduce accidental highway entries, including instructing bike rental customers to verify that their navigation devices are set to bicycle mode rather than car mode. Officials have also increased signage and road markings at highway interchanges to alert and deter unauthorized entry.
Similar problems have emerged in the Tokyo metropolitan area, where nearly 500 cases of illegal entry onto the Metropolitan Expressway were recorded in 2025. While some incidents involved impaired or cognitively impaired individuals, the majority were attributed to reliance on GPS and map apps that default to car routes, inadvertently guiding users onto restricted expressways. Of the 288 cases involving bicycles, low-powered motorbikes, and electric scooters on the Metropolitan Expressway last year, 183 were linked to this navigational issue.
Foreign nationals accounted for more than 20% of such incidents overall and made up over half of cases involving bicycles. Specific locations like the Komagata interchange along the Sumida River and the area near the popular tourist district of Asakusa have seen particularly high rates of these occurrences. Unlike Yamanashi, where no severe incidents have been reported from such highway entries, the Metropolitan Expressway has experienced fatal outcomes; notably, a foreign cyclist died in September 2023 after entering the expressway near Yokohama.
To mitigate risks, highway operators have installed reflective poles, multilingual signage, and pictograms explicitly prohibiting bicycles and scooters from entering the expressway at vulnerable interchanges. These efforts are part of a broader push as Japan moves toward making all toll gates electronic toll collection (ETC)-only by around fiscal 2030.
The transition to ETC has presented challenges for foreign drivers unfamiliar with the system. ETC relies on cards inserted into vehicle readers to automatically deduct toll fees, usually linked to credit cards. Although cash or credit card payments remain possible at certain gates, these are decreasing in number. As a result, drivers without ETC cards often need to use support lanes and communicate with expressway officials via intercom, which can be difficult for non-Japanese speakers. Additionally, unpaid toll bills sometimes arise from tourists lacking permanent Japanese addresses.
Metropolitan Expressway officials acknowledge the need to improve communication with foreign drivers. In response, they have increased outreach efforts including distributing flyers in airport arrival areas at Haneda and Narita, running advertisements on trains servicing those airports, and posting information on online platforms such as YouTube. Collaborations with car rental companies aim to promote ETC card inclusion or rental as an add-on service, typically costing around ¥300 ($1.90).
In parallel, Japanese authorities emphasize strict enforcement of the country’s zero-tolerance policy on drinking and driving, which extends to cyclists following a recent legal amendment. Unlike many countries where low levels of alcohol consumption may be legally tolerated, Japan prohibits driving after any amount of alcohol intake, with penalties applied when breath alcohol content reaches 0.15 mg/l (equivalent to a 0.03% blood alcohol concentration) or higher. Punishments range from fines up to ¥500,000 and imprisonment for up to three years at this threshold, escalating to a maximum five-year prison term and ¥1 million fine at higher intoxication levels.
Lawyer Daisuke Matsumura, who represents foreign clients in Japan, highlights that many visitors and residents are unaware of these stringent regulations, which differ significantly from laws in their home countries. Beyond drivers, passengers and those providing alcohol to drivers can also face criminal charges. Since April, cycling while intoxicated has been legislated as an offense, subject to penalties including criminal records.
Matsumura also warns that foreign residents causing serious traffic accidents may face imprisonment and potential deportation, underscoring the grave consequences of both traffic violations and alcohol-impaired driving or cycling under Japanese law. With Japan experiencing a surge in inbound tourism, officials and advocacy groups are focusing on raising awareness to prevent accidents and ensure safer roads for all users.