Renting a Car in Kyushu from Fukuoka: Real 3-Day Self-Drive Costs (Yufuin · Beppu · Nagasaki, 2026)
Checked 2026-09-10
All prices taken from official and booking sites on 10 September 2026, with source links. Rate: ¥100 = RM2.655 (ECB, 9 Sept 2026).
Short answer. Japan drives on the left like Malaysia, a Malaysian licence plus a JPJ International Driving Permit (RM150) is valid, and Kyushu has quiet roads with onsen towns in the hills. A small rental car for 3 days + toll pass + fuel ≈ ¥42,000 (≈ RM1,100) per car. For two people that is ≈ RM554 each, almost the same as trains and a day tour (≈ RM507 each, see the [Kyushu 5D4N article](/kyushu-5d4n-kl-fukuoka-direct/)). For three or four people the car is clearly cheaper, and you can stop anywhere.
1. Before you fly: the International Driving Permit (IDP)
| Item | Details (checked 10 Sept 2026) |
|---|---|
| What you need | A valid Malaysian licence (CDL) and a JPJ International Driving Permit. Carry both while driving, plus your passport |
| Price and validity | RM150, valid 1 year (Motorist.my, 2026 edition) |
| How to apply | MyJPJ app (pay online, booklet couriered in 3–5 working days) or a JPJ/UTC counter with form JPJ L1 and a white-background photo, usually same day |
| Why it is valid in Japan | Malaysia and Japan are both parties to the 1949 Geneva Convention. This type of IDP is valid in Japan for up to 1 year from entry (JAF) |
Without the IDP no rental company will hand over the keys. Apply at least a week before you fly.
2. What a rental car costs in Fukuoka
| Source | Car | Price (checked 10 Sept 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Trip.com, Fukuoka Airport | Honda Fit / Toyota Aqua (S Rent A Car), small car | from US$25–26 per day (≈ RM105); small-car average US$61 per day |
| Toyota Rent a Car, official list | Class C1 (Yaris etc.), tax included | ¥10,340 for the first 24 h, ¥8,690 per extra 24 h → 3 days ¥27,720 (≈ RM736) |
| Toyota Rent a Car, official list | Class C2 (larger, 4 people + bags) | ¥12,100 + ¥9,900 × 2 → 3 days ¥31,900 |
Toyota's list price excludes the collision damage waiver (CDW), normally added at booking; check the final total before paying. Rental counters are on the 1st floor of Fukuoka Airport's International Terminal, with a free shuttle of 3–5 minutes to the pick-up lot. Compare companies and prices here: Fukuoka Airport car rental on Trip.com.
Choose a small car. Streets in Yufuin and the onsen areas are narrow, and city hotel parking is usually charged; ask the hotel when booking.
3. A 3-day driving plan (sleep in Fukuoka on the first and last nights)
| Day | Route | Tolls (standard car, checked 10 Sept 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive on MH56 at 7:05 am. Fukuoka on foot: Ohori Park, Canal City, yatai stalls in Nakasu. No car needed today | — |
| Day 2 | Pick up the car in the morning → Yufuin (Dazaifu IC → Yufuin IC 104 km, 1 h 12 min) → Lake Kinrin, Yunotsubo Kaido → Beppu (Yufuin IC → Beppu IC 24 km, 19 min), Umi Jigoku, night in Beppu | ¥2,950 + ¥810 |
| Day 3 | Beppu → back to Fukuoka via Dazaifu (128 km, 1 h 31 min), stop at Dazaifu Tenmangu shrine | ¥3,440 |
| Day 4 | Nagasaki round trip (Dazaifu → Nagasaki 145 km ≈ 2 h; Peace Park, Glover Garden, Mount Inasa night view) → return the car that evening or on the morning of day 5 | ¥3,920 + ¥3,540 |
| Day 5 | Shopping in Tenjin, MH57 home | — |
Total tolls at standard rates: ¥14,660. This is where the pass comes in.
4. Kyushu Expressway Pass (KEP): the toll pass for foreign visitors
| Duration | Price (NEXCO West, checked 10 Sept 2026) |
|---|---|
| 2 days | ¥6,200 |
| 3 days | ¥8,400 |
| 4 days | ¥10,600 |
| 5 days | ¥12,800 |
KEP is an unlimited expressway pass covering all 7 Kyushu prefectures, for non-Japanese passport holders only. It is sold only through participating rental companies and used via the ETC card they supply; reserve it together with the car. For the plan above, a 3-day KEP (¥8,400) saves ¥6,260 against standard tolls (¥14,660). Important note: on 10 September 2026 the NEXCO West site listed Toyota Rent a Car, Budget and ORIX as "currently not accepted" for KEP; Times, Nippon Rent-A-Car and Nissan are on the list. If you want KEP, pick your company from that list.
5. Fuel and the total per car
Regular petrol in Kyushu is ¥173 per litre (Kyushu-Okinawa regional average, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy survey of 7 Sept 2026; national average ¥170). Our assumption: a small hybrid does about 20 km per litre (not an official figure), so ≈ 650 km (the route above ≈ 550 km plus city driving) needs ≈ 33 litres ≈ ¥5,700. Treat this as an estimate; your real route and driving style decide.
| Item | ¥ | RM (¥100 = RM2.655) |
|---|---|---|
| Small car, 3 days (Toyota C1, list price) | 27,720 | 736 |
| KEP 3 days | 8,400 | 223 |
| Fuel (estimate, 650 km) | 5,700 | 151 |
| Total per car | 41,820 | 1,110 |
| Per person, two travellers | 20,910 | 555 |
| Per person, four travellers | 10,455 | 278 |
With the cheapest car on Trip.com (US$25 per day) the total drops to ≈ ¥25,000 (≈ RM660) per car. Compare the train + tour route in the [Kyushu 5D4N article](/kyushu-5d4n-kl-fukuoka-direct/): Yufuin-Beppu tour ¥7,000 and Nagasaki ¥6,050 each way, ≈ ¥19,100 per person. For two it is a tie; for three or more the car wins. Add the time saved waiting for trains and the freedom to stop at small onsen.
Hotels for nights 1, 3 and 4: search "Hakata" or "Tenjin" and filter free cancellation and "parking" on the Fukuoka hotel list on Trip.com (double rooms US$110–150 per night on 24–28 Oct 2026, checked 9 Sept).
6. Five things Malaysians should know
- Left-hand traffic, same as home. What differs: expressway speed limits are lower than in Malaysia and camera-enforced. Match the local cars.
- Zero alcohol and child seats. Japan has no tolerance for driving after drinking. Small children must use a child seat; reserve one with the car.
- ETC card. Even without KEP, rent an ETC card from the rental company so you do not stop at every toll gate; you pay when returning the car.
- Halal is easier with a car. Muslim-friendly restaurants in Yufuin and Beppu are very few; with a car you can carry food from a Fukuoka konbini and choose where to eat. Bring the [label cheat sheet](/halal-labels-japan-convenience-store/).
- Season. October–November is the best driving window (dry roads, autumn colours in Yufuin and Beppu). December–February the mountain road to Yufuin can ice over; ask for winter tyres if you drive then.
If you would rather not drive, the day tour from Fukuoka remains the easy option: Kyushu One-Day Tour Yufuin & Beppu on Klook (¥7,000 per person, checked 9 Sept 2026).
I update this article when KEP prices, rental rates or the KEP company list change.
Links in this article may be affiliate links (Trip.com, Klook). The price you pay does not change; it helps me keep the numbers current.
Sources
- Kyushu Expressway Pass, prices and participating companies (NEXCO West): https://global.w-nexco.co.jp/en/kep/
- KEP example routes and tolls (VISIT FUKUOKA, Fukuoka Prefecture Tourist Association): https://www.crossroadfukuoka.jp/en/articles/kep
- Toll calculator Dazaifu–Yufuin, Yufuin–Beppu, Beppu–Dazaifu (NEXCO DoRaPuRa, checked 10 Sept 2026): https://en.driveplaza.com/dp/SearchQuickEN?startPlaceKana=DAZAIFU&arrivePlaceKana=YUFUIN
- Toyota Rent a Car list of fees (official): https://rent.toyota.co.jp/eng/pricelist.aspx
- Fukuoka Airport car rental prices (Trip.com, checked 10 Sept 2026): https://www.trip.com/carhire/to-japan-78/fukuoka-248/fukuoka-airport-fuk/
- Petrol prices by region, survey of 7 Sept 2026 (Fukui Shimbun, citing the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy): https://www.fukuishimbun.co.jp/articles/-/2694499
- JPJ IDP 2026: fee and how to apply (Motorist.my): https://www.motorist.my/article/6032/jpj-international-driving-permit-idp-how-to-apply-in-malaysia-2026-edition
- Driving in Japan with a foreign licence (JAF): https://english.jaf.or.jp/driving-in-japan/drive-in-japan/switch-to-japanese-license
- ECB exchange rate (Frankfurter): https://api.frankfurter.dev/v1/latest?base=JPY&symbols=MYR
Book for this trip
Affiliate links may be used; your price does not change.
- Hakata/Tenjin hotel for nights 1, 3 and 4, double room US$110–150 per night (24–28 Oct 2026), filter "free cancellation" and "parking": Fukuoka hotel list on Trip.com
- Small car for 3 days from Fukuoka Airport, from US$25 per day (price 10 Sept 2026), compare companies that accept KEP: Fukuoka Airport car rental on Trip.com
- Not driving: Yufuin & Beppu day tour, 10 h 30 min, ¥7,000 per person (price 9 Sept 2026): Kyushu One-Day Tour on Klook
- Direct KUL–Fukuoka flights (≈ RM1,932 return, MH promo up to 30% until 14 Sept 2026): Trip.com search KUL–Fukuoka
- Free: "Read a Japanese food label in 60 seconds" cheat sheet — get it here