Imamura Rental Car Tsushima Review 2026: Driving Tips

When planning our trip to Tsushima, our biggest debate was whether we should rent a car.

Usually, a trip to Japan for us means relaxing with draft beer, shopping, and delicious food—so we wanted to avoid driving if possible.

However, relying solely on buses in Tsushima makes getting around pretty tough and limits where you can go.

Ultimately, we decided to rent a car, and it was the best decision! Here is our complete review of renting a car in Tsushima, including costs, the booking process, why we chose our rental agency, and our actual driving experience.

Preparation (International Driving Permit + Choosing an Agency)

First things first: you absolutely need an International Driving Permit (IDP).

I made sure to get mine sorted out before the trip. You can find the details on how to apply for an IDP in my previous guide below!

⬇️ International Driving Permit Guide ⬇️

Next, we researched where, what, and which company to book.

After scouring travel forums and blogs, we booked through a reliable comparison site called The Ssan Rent-A-Car.

Totally unsponsored, booked with my own money!

​

Since Tsushima's roads are notoriously narrow, we opted for a compact kei car!

When choosing the actual provider, two names popped up constantly in reviews: YuYu Rental Car and Imamura Rental Car.

📍 YuYu Rental Car - Slightly older fleet, and some reviews mentioned no backup cameras.

​

📍 Imamura Rental Car - Newer fleet, very clean cars, and excellent multilingual/English-friendly customer service reviews.

Since the price difference was barely a dollar, we went with Imamura.

Tsushima Car Rental Costs

We rented the car for just under 24 hours. The base rental fee was ~$45. After adding basic insurance and NOC (Non-Operation Charge), the total came to ~$64.

📌 NOC (Non-Operation Charge) is a fee you pay to cover the loss of use if the car gets damaged or needs repair. It's separate from third-party liability, and we highly recommend adding it for peace of mind!

Once booked, we received our confirmation email the next day around lunchtime.

Pick-up Process

Imamura Rental Car is about a 10-minute walk from Hitakatsu Port. However, you don't actually have to walk! There is a free courtesy phone on the 1st floor of the terminal—just give them a ring, and they’ll send a shuttle to pick you up.

Upon arrival, they checked my IDP, we filled out the agreement form, and watched a quick instructional video on a tablet. Easy!

The paperwork and safety briefing took less than 3 minutes.

The staff also gave us a quick run-through of the car's controls. The blinkers and wipers are on opposite sides (since it's a right-hand drive vehicle), but otherwise, it drives just like any standard car.

Once you keep that in mind, the driving difficulty is actually quite low.

For a compact kei car, it felt surprisingly spacious. It came equipped with USB-C and USB fast-charging ports, and Bluetooth connected instantly so we could blast our road trip playlist.

(Though my passenger was the only one fully enjoying the vibe while I focused on the road!)

Since Tsushima is known for spotty mobile data, we downloaded offline Google Maps beforehand. However, the car's built-in English GPS worked flawlessly, so we didn't even need Google Maps!

The backup camera was crystal clear, and the vehicle was exceptionally clean and well-maintained.

Our first stop was a local supermarket run. Even with a 24-inch and a 20-inch suitcase in the trunk, we had plenty of room left.

If you fold the back seats down, you could easily fit a 28-inch bag or even camp in the back!

Driving Tips & Experience

Although it's a compact kei car, it felt quite roomy. The roads can get incredibly narrow, which was a bit nerve-wracking at first. But whenever the road got too tight, I simply pulled over, and the incredibly polite local drivers happily bypassed us.

As long as you stay mindful of driving on the left side of the road and take it slow, even first-time drivers abroad will do just fine.

📌 Bonus Tip:

When driving from Hitakatsu to Izuhara, Route 382 is much wider, safer, and easier to navigate than Route 39.

If it's your first time, definitely take Route 382!

Returning the Car

The next day, it rained cats and dogs, so we decided to return the car a bit earlier than planned.

The car is handed over with a full tank, so you must return it full. Conveniently, Imamura is located right next to a gas station. The staff helped us refuel, and they accept credit cards.

Since we had full coverage insurance including NOC, they didn't even do a tedious scratch inspection.

After returning the keys, they drove us right back to Hitakatsu Port in our rental car, saving us from dragging our heavy bags through the rain!

Despite the rainy weather cutting our drive short, the seamless pickup, friendly staff, and easy return made our Tsushima road trip incredibly smooth.

If you're hesitant about driving on the opposite side of the road or struggling with bus schedules, we highly recommend renting a car! 😊