Strict enforcement
- Leaving the car where parking is not allowed is a violation, however short the time.
- Besides the police, private parking wardens contracted by the police also issue parking tickets.
- Never leave the car anywhere other than a parking area. Even if you leave it for a short time, it counts as illegal parking.
- Always use a designated parking area, even for a short stop.
Where you may not park
Examples of places where parking, or stopping, is prohibited:
- At and near intersections.
- On pedestrian crossings and bicycle crossings.
- Near bus stops and in front of vehicle entrances.
- Near fire hydrants, fire-fighting water tanks and fire alarms.
If you get a parking tag
If you find a parking violation tag on the car:
- Go to the policeGo to a police station in the same prefecture where the tag was issued. Then pay the fine at a bank. The fine cannot be paid at the police station.
- Tell us when you return the carWhen you return the car, show us the documents the police gave you and the receipt for the fine.
If it is not settled before return
If you have not completed these steps when you return the car, we charge an illegal parking fee:
| Vehicle | Fee |
|---|---|
| Ordinary-sized cars | ¥25,000 |
| Semi-medium, medium and large-sized cars (as designated by us) | ¥30,000 |
If you then neither complete the steps nor pay this fee, we report the matter to the police, the Public Safety Commission and the Rent-a-Car Association, and Amaze Auto and the association's member companies in Japan will refuse further rentals.
If you go to the police after returning the car, pay the fine and show us the parking tag and the receipt, we refund the illegal parking fee.
Japanese law
Under Japan's Road Traffic Act:
Fine for the vehicle user (Article 51-4, paragraphs 4 and 5)
- If the driver of an illegally parked car does not pay the penalty, the user of the vehicle is ordered to pay a fine for illegal parking.
- This order is not made if, within 30 days of the ticket, the driver pays the penalty or the case is prosecuted (for minors, tried at a family court).
- The driver is normally responsible. If the driver cannot be held responsible, the vehicle user is. The "user" is normally the person named as user on the vehicle inspection certificate: for a rental car, that is us, which is why we charge the fee above.
- The fine is the same amount as the penalty the driver would have paid.
Collection
- If the fine is not paid by the due date, a demand letter is sent. If it is still not paid in time, it may be collected compulsorily.
Private parking wardens (Articles 51-8 to 51-11)
- Checking illegally parked cars and attaching tags can be contracted to private companies, so private wardens patrol the streets.
- They patrol according to guidelines in which the police chief sets the places and times for stricter enforcement, based on residents' requests. The guidelines are published in advance, for example on the police station notice board.