Driving in Tokyo can be both a pleasant and a frustrating experience. The (main) roads are wide and well sign-posted in English and Japanese, but traffic is heavy and there are endless traffic lights to contend with. Buying a car is surprisingly inexpensive, especially second-hand, but they can be expensive to maintain. Petrol is expensive, as is parking.

You need a Japanese driver’s licence to drive in Japan but you can use an international one when you first arrive and then switch over (within the year).

Expect to be behind the wheel for an hour or two if travelling from one side of the city to the other. For journeys to neighbouring wards, count on 15 to 30 minutes. To get out of Tokyo city, you’re looking at a minimum of 90 minutes, with most places of interest around three hours away.