The Ally for Corporate Vehicle Dispatch! 5 Reasons Why Long-term Car Rentals are Recommended

I’m Kanai from ASAHI MOTORS Long-term Car Rentals. Nowadays in Japan, there are many people who frequently interact with foreigners in various forms, such as having a foreign boss. In such circumstances, some of you may suddenly need to arrange a car for a foreigner.

This time, I would like to introduce long-term car rental contracts that I recommend to such people and explain about “ASAHI MOTORS Rent a Car,” which excels in long-term car rentals.

In this blog, we define “long-term car rental” as a rental contract for use of one month or more. While this may not be very familiar to some, rental cars are not only available for short-term periods like a day or a week but also for long-term contracts of one month or more.

This article is directed at corporate/administrative staff and secretaries who need to arrange vehicles for important guests or visitors from overseas, as well as those who want to handle vehicle dispatch as simply and with as little hassle as possible.

When foreigners living in Japan purchase or lease a car, various problems can arise. There are many cases where it takes more than three months to gather the necessary documents, such as obtaining a seal registration certificate, converting to a Japanese driver’s license, and opening a Japanese bank account. Let’s take a closer look at why “long-term car rentals” are recommended.

Firstly, one advantage is that the procedures are simple. This applies to rental cars in general, but the documents required for long-term car rental are basically:

・A valid driver’s license in Japan
・A residence card or passport

In addition to these, many rental car services require a credit card for payment. However, at “ASAHI MOTORS Rent a Car,” invoice payment is possible for corporate use only. This could be helpful for corporate/administrative staff and secretaries.

※ Rarely, some locations may not accept credit cards, so please make sure to confirm in advance.

Regarding Credit Cards

Many car rental shops accept foreign credit cards. Major rental car companies generally accept credit cards from companies with a high global share, such as ‘VISA,’ ‘MasterCard,’ ‘American Express (Amex),’ and ‘Diners Club.’

Valid Driver’s License in Japan

A “valid driver’s license in Japan” might be a bit confusing. Here are the rules for driver’s licenses that can be used in Japan:

Car leasing is another option for long-term car use. However, car leasing contracts require arrangements for documents such as a ‘seal registration certificate’ and a ‘garage certificate.’ Additionally, there is a screening process, which often requires Japanese language proficiency, and if you fail the screening, you cannot finalize the car lease contract. This process is cumbersome and does not guarantee success even after putting in the effort.

From the perspective of long-term use, “long-term car rentals” have the upper hand in terms of ‘ease of use.’ As salaried employees are often busy, this point is especially recommended for “corporate/administrative staff and secretaries.”

If you have a ‘valid driver’s license in Japan,’ a ‘residence card or passport,’ and a payment method (credit card), you can get a car on the same day!

Compared to car leasing, one of the strengths is the short time required to dispatch the vehicle.

Rental cars can be contracted not only on a daily basis but also on a weekly or monthly basis!

Contracting for a longer period is more cost-effective, so if the length of stay is uncertain, long-term car rentals with flexible contract periods have an advantage over car leasing for stays of less than three years. Additionally, expatriates sometimes have to leave Japan suddenly due to unforeseen circumstances. In such cases, if you leased a car, you would need to pay a penalty, which could result in a large lump-sum payment at the end.

This is why long-term car rentals with flexible contract periods are recommended.

rest assured with 24-hour English support in case of an accident. Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance’s English hotline provides solid support. With dedicated staff, we can also offer comprehensive support for living in Japan.

“ASAHI MOTORS Rent a Car” provides a wide range of vehicles, from mid-range cars like Aqua to high-grade models like Lexus. We can offer vehicle choices tailored to the economic situation of your company or the important guests visiting Japan.

We have explained that ‘long-term car rentals’ are not overpriced, are easier to handle than car leases, and offer many benefits for corporate/administrative staff and secretaries when dispatching vehicles.

This service is especially user-friendly for foreigners and corporate/administrative staff and secretaries. Additionally, “ASAHI MOTORS Rent a Car” offers car purchase and lease contracts. You can consider switching to purchase or lease after trying the rental car.

Please contact ASAHI MOTORS Rent a Car first.