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Speed limits

The check asks how fast an ordinary car may go on different roads. The legal speed on roads without a centre line was lowered to 30 km/h from 1 September 2026, and signs always come first.

Key rules

• Never go faster than the maximum speed shown by a sign or road marking.
• If no sign or marking sets a speed, an ordinary car's legal speed on a normal road depends on the road type.
• Legal speed is 60 km/h on roads with a centre line or lane markings, and on roads where the two directions are separated by a structure such as a median.
• Legal speed is 30 km/h on other roads, such as narrow local roads with no centre line. This applies from 1 September 2026.
• If a sign shows a speed, that speed applies. A 40 km/h sign on a road without a centre line means 40 km/h, not 30.
• On an expressway main road with no sign, an ordinary car's limits are 100 km/h maximum and 50 km/h minimum.
• Staying under the limit is not enough. Slow down for traffic, weather and poor visibility.
• 徐行 (slow driving) means a speed at which you can stop at once.

Numbers to remember

Common traps

• "60 km/h on every road without a sign" is the old rule. Since 2026-09-01, roads without a centre line are 30 km/h.
• A speed sign beats the legal speed, both when it is higher and when it is lower than 30 or 60.
• "Under the limit means safe" is wrong. You must also drive at a speed that suits the conditions.
• A centre line or lane markings, not the road width, decide whether 60 km/h applies.
• Expressway limits differ by vehicle type. The 100/50 km/h figures are for ordinary cars.

Japan has low legal speeds, and many roads have no speed sign. Check for a centre line: without one, the limit is now 30 km/h.

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