JDM Self-Drive and Daikoku Tours in Tokyo: 7 Compared

Daikoku and JDM tours from Tokyo come in three formats: a ride in a JDM car with a driver, a self-drive tour where you drive the operator's car yourself, or a van tour that takes you to the cars without a ride in one. On the operators' own booking pages compared here, a passenger ride starts at ¥35,000 for one guest, a car you choose at ¥60,000, and a self-drive car at ¥50,000. The bigger difference is what happens when Daikoku PA is closed, which can happen without notice: the operators here that state a policy go somewhere else or run the rest of the route, and none of them promises a refund for a closure.

Below are seven tours from six operators that start in Tokyo, can be booked in English on the operator's own site, and take you to Daikoku PA. They are grouped by format and numbered for reference, not ranked. Prices and terms are those shown on each operator's official page on 23 September 2026. They change by date, car and group size, so check the booking page before you pay.

How to choose a Daikoku or JDM tour

Before comparing operators, choose which of the three ways to experience JDM cars in Tokyo fits your license and travel style:

1. Format and cars. On a passenger ride a driver takes your group in one JDM car. On a self-drive tour you drive the operator's car, at JDM TOUR and on Samurai Car Japan's plan behind a guide car. A van tour takes you to the PA to look at the cars, but you don't ride in one. Check that the listing names the cars you will ride in or drive.
2. Price basis. Some prices are per car and some are per person, and some rise with each extra guest. Work out the total for your group before you compare.
3. If Daikoku is closed. Daikoku PA is a public rest area on the Metropolitan Expressway, not an event venue. The PA's official page warns that it may close temporarily for emergency maintenance or security reasons, and Shutoko's parking area FAQ says it closes parking areas, Daikoku among them, in cooperation with the police as the situation requires, to deal with dangerous driving and nuisance and to cut noise for local residents. No tour can promise it will be open. Read each operator's closure wording: those here that state one take you to another spot or run the rest of the route, and none states a refund for a closure.
4. Cancellation. Terms differ and are often missing. Tokyo Supercars gives no refund for cancellations less than 72 hours before; Niche Drive refunds in full for weather-related reasons; Samurai Car Japan moves your date for extreme weather, natural disasters or an official road closure. The other pages here do not state a cancellation policy, so ask in writing before you pay.
5. Start point and duration. Tours start in Shibuya, Okusawa in Setagaya or the Haneda area, or collect you from your hotel, and last about 3 to 4.5 hours. Check the meeting point, the start time and where the tour ends.

Daikoku and JDM tours compared

All seven tours side by side, numbered in the same order as the details below.

The seven tours in detail

Passenger rides (numbers 1 and 2). A driver takes you in the car. You don't drive, so you don't need a driving license. Both operators here limit each car to three guests (C1 Experience Tokyo allows four in its Chaser).

Self-drive tours (numbers 3 to 6). You drive the operator's car on public roads. Normal speed limits and traffic laws apply. Because you are driving, you need a permit that is valid in Japan and the original documents on the day; see driving in Japan with a foreign license. For day rentals from these and other companies, see JDM car rental in Tokyo.

Van tours (number 7). Some tours sold as "JDM tours" or "Daikoku tours" take you to the PA in a van. You walk around the parking area and look at the cars, but you don't ride in one.

Each card lists the same facts in the same order and links directly to the operator's official booking page. "Not stated" means the operator's page does not say.

1. C1 Experience Tokyo: pick the car, priced from the first passenger

• Format: Passenger-seat ride
• Cars: R35 GT-R, BNR34 GT-R V-spec II, JZX100 Chaser and S15 Silvia Spec R
• Price: for the first person, ¥45,000 (S15), ¥50,000 (Chaser), ¥55,000 (R35) or ¥65,000 (BNR34); each additional person adds ¥20,000. Up to 3 people per car, or 4 in the Chaser.
• If Daikoku is closed: the tour visits another well-known night driving route or Umihotaru PA instead
• Cancellation: Not stated
• Start point: Not stated
• Duration: about 3 hours
• Booked on: the operator's site (C1 Experience Tokyo), via Instagram, WhatsApp or a contact form

For two people in the BNR34, the total is ¥85,000. Ask for the meeting point and the cancellation terms before you pay.

2. Samurai Car Japan: a guided night tour with hotel pickup

• Format: Passenger ride with a driver, up to 3 guests per car
• Cars: on the Special Car Plan you choose from cars such as an R34, R35, RX-7 or Supra; on the Random Car Plan the car is chosen for you
• Price: Special Car Plan from ¥60,000 per car. Random Car Plan from ¥35,000 for one guest, ¥50,000 for two and ¥65,000 for three, per car. Friday to Sunday prices are 10% higher.
• If Daikoku is closed: the tour still runs the full Tokyo night route. The page says Daikoku can be restricted depending on traffic and safety conditions, more often on Friday and Saturday nights.
• Cancellation: for extreme weather, a natural disaster or an official road closure, the company works with you to move to another date. Other cancellation terms are not stated.
• Start point: Shibuya or your hotel. Hotel pickup in Shibuya and Minato wards is included on the Special Car Plan.
• Duration: 3 hours, with about an hour at Daikoku PA when conditions allow
• Booked on: the operator's site (Samurai Car Japan)

This is the lowest price here for one person riding in a JDM car. The page says time at Daikoku is not guaranteed.

Self-drive tours: you drive the car

You drive the operator's car on public roads. Normal speed limits and traffic laws apply. Because you are driving, you need a permit that is valid in Japan and the original documents on the day; see driving in Japan with a foreign license. For day rentals from these and other companies, see JDM car rental in Tokyo.

3. JDM TOUR: a 4-hour lead-car drive from Setagaya

• Format: Self-drive in a guided convoy behind the company's lead car
• Cars: Skyline ER34 (automatic), R35 GT-R (automatic) and R34 GT-R V-spec (manual)
• Price: per vehicle: ER34 from ¥80,000 to ¥100,000 depending on the car, R35 GT-R from ¥90,000, R34 GT-R V-spec from ¥150,000
• If Daikoku is closed: Not stated
• Cancellation: Not stated
• Start point: 5-38-8 Okusawa, Setagaya; meet 30 minutes before
• Duration: 4 hours: Friday to Sunday 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm, Monday to Thursday 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm
• Booked on: the operator's site (JDM TOUR)

The route runs through Shibuya, over the Rainbow Bridge, along the Wangan expressway and past Tokyo Tower to Daikoku PA. Drivers must be 23 or older and carry valid driving documents for Japan.

4. ONLY JDM: a 4-hour self-drive night tour from the Haneda area

• Format: Self-drive night tour
• Cars: JDM cars with automatic or manual gearboxes, GT-R and RX-7 models, and a Lexus LC 500
• Price: ¥50,000; ¥80,000 for the Lexus LC 500; ¥90,000 for GT-R and RX-7 models. The page does not say whether prices are per car or include tax.
• If Daikoku is closed: Not stated
• Cancellation: Not stated
• Start point: the Haneda Airport Store, 2-20-14 Omori-minami, Ota (not in the airport terminal)
• Duration: 4 hours at night; 2-hour weekend daytime tours are also sold, at ¥35,000 to ¥60,000
• Booked on: the operator's site (ONLY JDM night tours)

The tour page does not give age or license rules. On ONLY JDM's rental pages, the R35 GT-R needs a driver aged 26 or over and the ER34 Skyline 23 or over, each with 3 years' license, so ask which rule applies to the car you book.

5. Samurai Car Japan: an R34 Skyline behind a lead car

• Format: Self-drive behind a lead car
• Cars: R34 Skylines fitted with GT-R body kits, which the company says are mechanically regular Skylines. One Bayside Blue car is manual; the others are automatic.
• Price: per car: ¥50,000 (white, automatic), ¥60,000 (Bayside Blue or silver, automatic) or ¥70,000 (Bayside Blue, manual). Fuel and expressway tolls are included.
• If Daikoku is closed: Not stated for this plan
• Cancellation: Not stated
• Start point: Shibuya Station; the drive ends at Daikoku PA
• Duration: 3 hours
• Booked on: the operator's site (Samurai Car Japan self-drive plan)

Drivers must be 23 or older and hold an International Driving Permit or an official translation.

6. Tokyo Supercars: a 3-hour Daikoku drive in a GT-R or supercar

• Format: Self-drive experience. The page lists an option at +¥20,000 to drive by yourself or with a guest passenger.
• Cars: more than 40 cars, from a Skyline R34 GT-T at ¥75,000 to European supercars; the R34 GT-R (manual) is ¥150,000
• Price: per experience, from ¥75,000
• If Daikoku is closed: Not stated
• Cancellation: no refund for cancellations less than 72 hours before
• Start point: Shibuya
• Duration: 3 hours, with about 1.5 hours and 75 km of driving
• Booked on: the operator's site (Tokyo Supercars Daikoku PA driving experience)

Insurance, fuel, expressway tolls and photos at three stops are included. You must be 26 or older with your license and an IDP or JAF translation, and the R34 GT-R carries a refundable ¥100,000 deposit.

Van tours: a ride to Daikoku, not in the cars

Some tours sold as "JDM tours" or "Daikoku tours" take you to the PA in a van. You walk around the parking area and look at the cars, but you don't ride in one.

7. Niche Drive: a 4.5-hour van tour with several stops

• Format: Small-group van tour, up to 15 guests
• Cars: a Toyota Alphard Executive Lounge or a modified Toyota Grand Hiace
• Price: ¥35,000 per person
• If Daikoku is closed: the page says police may restrict or close parking areas without notice, and guides adjust the itinerary where reasonably possible
• Cancellation: full refund for weather-related reasons
• Start point: central Tokyo; the tour ends near Shibuya, Shinjuku or Shimbashi and Tokyo Station
• Duration: about 4.5 hours
• Booked on: the operator's site (Niche Drive Daikoku tour)

Stops include an Autobacs car-accessory store, the C1 loop, the Wangan expressway, Tatsumi PA, Daikoku PA and the Rainbow Bridge. It costs the same per person as Samurai Car Japan's lowest solo ride, but you ride in a van rather than a JDM car.

Choose by your situation

• You have no valid permit for driving in Japan. Book a passenger ride (numbers 1 and 2) or the van tour. You don't drive, so no license is needed.
• You are travelling alone. Samurai Car Japan's Random Car Plan starts at ¥35,000 for one guest. C1 Experience Tokyo starts at ¥45,000 for one person in its S15.
• You are a group of two or three. Samurai Car Japan's Random Car Plan is ¥50,000 for two and ¥65,000 for three per car. At C1 Experience Tokyo, three people in the R35 pay ¥95,000 in total.
• You want a specific car. C1 Experience Tokyo lists four named cars, and Samurai Car Japan's Special Car Plan lets you choose your car.
• You want to drive behind a guide car to Daikoku PA. Samurai Car Japan's plan starts at ¥50,000 per car and ONLY JDM's night tour at ¥50,000. JDM TOUR and Tokyo Supercars offer an R34 GT-R at ¥150,000.
• You want to rent a JDM car and drive your own route without a guide. See JDM car rental in Tokyo, which compares 6 self-drive rental companies (ONLY JDM, Ichioku Tours, Omoshiro Rent-a-Car, Tokyo Supercars, Samurai Car Japan day rentals, and Car Rental Tokyo) plus JDM TOUR.
• You want hotel pickup. Samurai Car Japan's Special Car Plan includes pickup in Shibuya and Minato wards.
• You are staying near Haneda Airport. ONLY JDM's night tour starts at its Haneda Airport Store in Omori-minami.
• You were thinking of going on foot or by taxi. Shutoko's FAQ says pedestrians, bicycles and mopeds cannot enter Daikoku PA, and there is no taxi stand or bus stop there. You need a tour or a car on the expressway.
• You mainly want to see the cars. Niche Drive's van tour costs ¥35,000 per person and makes several stops, but you won't ride in a JDM car.

Before you book

1. Read what you ride in. Look for car names on the booking page. "Van" means you walk around the PA rather than ride in the cars.
2. Ask how the ride is licensed. Under Japan's Road Transport Act, running a business that carries passengers by car needs a permit from the transport minister, and a private car may not be used to carry people for payment except in a few listed cases. A leaflet for visitors from the Kinki District Transport Bureau and Osaka police says licensed taxis have green number plates while private cars have white or yellow ones, and that a passenger injured in an unlicensed taxi may not be covered by any insurance. We have not checked how any operator in this guide is licensed or how its fee is structured, so ask the operator in writing what permit covers the ride and what insurance covers passengers.
3. Check the price basis and group size. Per car, per person, or a first-person price plus a charge for each extra guest. Check whether weekend prices are higher.
4. Read the closure clause. It may say another spot, the rest of the route, or nothing. If it says nothing, ask the operator in writing before you pay.
5. Note the cancellation terms. Many pages here do not state them. Ask before you pay.
6. Confirm the start point, time and end point. Some operators give the meeting point only after booking, and night tours may end after trains stop running.
7. For self-drive, check the documents and extras. Bring the original permit or translation, your passport and a credit card. Ask about the deposit, insurance and the NOC.
8. Behave at the PA as at any public rest area. Follow your guide and any instructions from PA staff or police.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Daikoku tour?

A guided trip from Tokyo to Daikoku PA, a parking area on the Metropolitan Expressway in Tsurumi, Yokohama, known for the car owners who gather there. On the tours compared here you ride in a JDM car, drive one yourself, or ride in a van. They last about 3 to 4.5 hours, and part of that is spent at the PA: about an hour on Samurai Car Japan's guided tour, when conditions allow.

Is Daikoku PA open every night?

Not always. The PA's official page says it may close temporarily for emergency maintenance or security reasons. Shutoko, the expressway company, says it closes Daikoku and some other parking areas in cooperation with the police as the situation requires, to deal with dangerous driving and nuisance and to cut noise for local residents. No closure schedule is published. Samurai Car Japan's page says Daikoku is restricted more often on Friday and Saturday nights.

What happens to my tour if Daikoku PA is closed?

It depends on the operator. C1 Experience Tokyo goes to another night driving route or Umihotaru PA, Samurai Car Japan's guided tour runs the rest of its Tokyo night route, and Niche Drive's guides adjust the itinerary. None of these states a refund for a closure. JDM TOUR, ONLY JDM and Tokyo Supercars do not state a closure policy, so ask before you book.

Do I need a driving license or IDP for a JDM tour?

Not on a passenger ride or a van tour, because you don't drive. On a self-drive tour you do. Samurai Car Japan asks for an International Driving Permit or an official translation; Tokyo Supercars asks for your license and an IDP or JAF translation; JDM TOUR asks for valid driving documents for Japan. If you hold a 1949 Geneva Convention IDP or official translation and want to collect the keys for 9 to 24+ hours to drive your own route rather than follow a guide car, compare the 7 operators in JDM Car Rental in Tokyo.

Are all JDM tours in JDM cars?

No. Niche Drive uses a Toyota Alphard or Grand Hiace van, and you look at the cars at the PA rather than ride in one. Check that the booking page names the cars.

Is it legal to pay for a ride in a private car?

Not as a general rule. Japan's Road Transport Act says a private car may not be used to carry people for payment except in a few listed cases, and a business that carries passengers by car needs a permit from the transport minister. A Kinki District Transport Bureau leaflet for visitors adds that licensed taxis have green number plates, private cars have white or yellow ones, and a passenger injured in an unlicensed taxi may not be covered by insurance. We have not checked how the operators in this guide are licensed, so ask the questions in Before you book before you pay.

How much does a Daikoku tour cost?

On the operators' own pages here, a passenger ride starts at ¥35,000 for one guest (Samurai Car Japan) and ¥60,000 for a car you choose. Self-drive tours cost from ¥50,000 to ¥150,000 depending on the car. Niche Drive's van tour is ¥35,000 per person.

Is the price per person or per car?

It varies. Samurai Car Japan and JDM TOUR price per car, C1 Experience Tokyo charges for the first person plus ¥20,000 for each extra guest, Niche Drive charges per person, and ONLY JDM's tour page does not say.

How long does a Daikoku tour last?

About 3 hours on most tours here, 4 hours at JDM TOUR and ONLY JDM, and about 4.5 hours on Niche Drive's van tour. JDM TOUR runs from 5:00 pm or 6:00 pm depending on the day.

Can I choose which car I ride in?

At C1 Experience Tokyo and on Samurai Car Japan's Special Car Plan, yes. Samurai Car Japan's Random Car Plan costs less because the car is chosen for you. On the self-drive tours you book a specific car.

Where do Daikoku tours start?

In Shibuya (Samurai Car Japan and Tokyo Supercars), in Okusawa, Setagaya (JDM TOUR), at ONLY JDM's Haneda Airport Store in Omori-minami, or at your hotel on Samurai Car Japan's Special Car Plan. C1 Experience Tokyo does not state a start point, and Niche Drive meets in central Tokyo.

What is the cancellation policy?

Tokyo Supercars gives no refund for cancellations less than 72 hours before. Niche Drive refunds in full for weather-related reasons, and Samurai Car Japan moves your date for extreme weather, natural disasters or an official road closure. The other operators here do not state a policy on the pages we read. A policy for a Daikoku closure is separate, so check both.

Will there be a car meet when I visit?

No one can promise it. Daikoku PA is a public rest area with no organiser or event schedule, and on some nights it is closed. It is also a place where the authorities check cars: on 16 November 2024, the Kanagawa Transport Branch of the Kanto District Transport Bureau and Kanagawa Police inspected 25 cars at Daikoku PA and issued repair orders for 23 of them. Revving an engine without good reason in a way that disturbs others is prohibited under the Road Traffic Act.

Continue planning

To drive a JDM car for a day, see JDM car rental in Tokyo. For the documents you need to drive, see driving in Japan with a foreign license. If you will also rent a regular car during your trip, 6 recommended car rental companies in Japan compares the main companies and explains damage and NOC cover. For facility information on Daikoku PA itself, see the PA's official page.