Japan rental car refuelling: fuel type, full-tank return and receipt
Checked against 7 official sources. 5 minute read.
Edited by Yamanaka, the site's owner-editor based in Japan.
What to know first
Fill up with the fuel your car takes, near the return branch, and keep the receipt. Pump nozzles are colour-coded by law: red for regular petrol (レギュラー), yellow for high-octane (ハイオク), green for diesel (軽油). Most rental cars take regular, and 軽油 is diesel, not fuel for small kei cars. Return the car full: if you don't, Times charges by distance driven and Nippon by distance or the fuel gauge, both more than the pump price. If you put diesel in a petrol car or petrol in a diesel, don't start the engine.
- Nozzle colours
- Regular red, high-octane yellow, diesel greenSet by law
- 軽油 (keiyu)
- Diesel, for diesel enginesIt isn’t kei-car fuel
- Returning the car
- Full, with the receiptOtherwise a refuelling fee applies
On this page
The rules here come from Times Car Rental, Nippon Rent-A-Car, Toyota Rent a Car and OTS; your own rental papers decide the terms for your booking.
Key facts, checked 11 October 2026
Nozzle colours, set by law: regular red, high-octane yellow, diesel green.
軽油 (keiyu) is diesel, for diesel engines. It isn't kei-car fuel, and the size of the car has nothing to do with the fuel type.
Wrong fuel (JAF): with diesel in a petrol car or petrol in a diesel, don't start the engine or switch on the power; the tank must be drained at a garage. Regular in a high-octane car generally does no damage if you avoid hard acceleration, and high-octane in a regular car is basically no problem.
Times Car Rental: return the car full; staff direct you to the nearest station, and a staffed station is recommended if you can't read Japanese. Show the receipt, or a refuelling fee based on distance driven applies.
Nippon Rent-A-Car: return the car full after filling up at the station nearest the return branch, and show the receipt. Otherwise you are charged by a kilometre conversion or the fuel gauge, which Nippon says is "higher than the actual refueling amount". Wrong fuel counts as a fault in use and isn't covered.
Nippon roadside refuel: if you run out, up to 10 litres on the spot, free once per rental.
Toyota Rent a Car and OTS (Okinawa): both ask for a full tank or charge a distance-based fee. OTS checks the receipt from your last fill-up, and Toyota hybrids can use Hybrid Fuel Charging instead of refilling.
Sources for this section: JAF: nozzle colours and diesel (Japanese) · JAF: gasoline/diesel misfuelling response (Japanese) · Times Car Rental: pick-up, return and refuelling · Nippon Rent-A-Car: beginner guide and return procedure · Nippon Rent-A-Car: fuel and return terms · Toyota Rent a Car: important items · OTS Rent-a-Car: fuel rules
Choose what to do at the pump
You can't read the pump screens: use a staffed station (フルサービス) and say "レギュラー、満タン" (regyurā, mantan: "regular, full").
A self-service pump: pick the red nozzle for regular, touch the static pad, choose 満タン (full) and pay.
A Times rental: fill up near the branch, keep the receipt and hand it over at return.
A Nippon rental: fill up at the station nearest the branch, keep the receipt and show it at return.
A Toyota hybrid: ask at pick-up about Hybrid Fuel Charging, which bills the fuel used with no refill.
Diesel and petrol mixed up: don't start the engine; tell the station staff and call the branch.
Regular in a high-octane car: drive on gently, then tell the branch.
You ran out of fuel in a Nippon car: call roadside help for up to 10 litres, free once per rental.
Sources for this section: JAF: nozzle colours and diesel (Japanese) · JAF: gasoline/diesel misfuelling response (Japanese) · Times Car Rental: pick-up, return and refuelling · Nippon Rent-A-Car: fuel and return terms · Toyota Rent a Car: important items
Worked example: return day, Nippon branch at 15:00, flight at 18:30
1. At pick-up on day 1: the label inside the fuel flap says レギュラー. Note it.
2. Return day: the branch return is booked for 15:00 and the flight is at 18:30. Leave the last sight at 13:45.
3. 14:25: stop at a station about 2 km from the branch. It's self-service and the screens are in Japanese, so drive on to a staffed one, or ask the attendant (self-service stations have staff on site). At the pump, use the red nozzle and choose 満タン.
4. 14:40: keep the receipt, arrive at the branch at 14:50 and hand it over. Staff check the gauge and the car.
5. If you'd skipped the refill: Nippon charges by a kilometre conversion or the gauge, which it says costs more than the fuel itself, and the time saved is about 15 minutes.
6. If you'd picked the green (diesel) nozzle: don't start the engine. Tell the station staff and call the branch. Nippon treats wrong fuel as a fault in use, so the repair isn't covered by its waiver.
Sources for this section: Nippon Rent-A-Car: beginner guide and return procedure · Nippon Rent-A-Car: fuel and return terms · JAF: nozzle colours and diesel (Japanese)
Match the nozzle colour to your car's fuel
Nozzle colours are set by law: red for regular petrol (レギュラー), yellow for high-octane (ハイオク) and green for diesel (軽油). Match the colour to the fuel your car takes, as written on the label inside the fuel flap or on your rental papers.
軽油 (keiyu) is diesel. It is not fuel for kei cars (軽自動車), which run on petrol (JAF).
Sources for this section: JAF: nozzle colours and diesel (Japanese)
If the wrong fuel goes in
If diesel and petrol may have been mixed, don't start the engine or switch the power on. Tell the station staff and the rental branch; the tank has to be drained at a garage, so don't try to fix it yourself.
If you put regular in a high-octane car, JAF says the engine generally isn't damaged; drive gently, without hard acceleration. High-octane in a regular car is basically fine.
Sources for this section: JAF: gasoline/diesel misfuelling response (Japanese)
Refill near the return branch and keep the receipt
Times and Nippon both ask you to return the car full after filling up near the return branch, and to show the receipt. Times recommends a staffed station if you can't read Japanese, because staff will fill the car with the right fuel.
Leave time for traffic, the fuel stop and the return procedure rather than planning to reach the counter at the last minute. If you return the car without a full tank, the company charges its own refuelling fee: by distance at Times, Toyota and OTS, and by distance or the fuel gauge at Nippon.
Sources for this section: Times Car Rental: pick-up, return and refuelling · Nippon Rent-A-Car: beginner guide and return procedure · Toyota Rent a Car: important items · OTS Rent-a-Car: fuel rules
Do this now
1. At pick-up, look inside the fuel flap and write down the fuel type and its nozzle colour.
2. Ask the branch for the nearest station and save it in your map app.
3. On return day, plan to reach that station 30 minutes before your return time, and keep the receipt.
Sources for this section: Times Car Rental: pick-up, return and refuelling · Nippon Rent-A-Car: beginner guide and return procedure
Questions about this guide
Which fuel does my Japan rental car take?
Almost always regular petrol (レギュラー, red nozzle). It's written on the label inside the fuel flap and on your rental papers. Diesel is 軽油 (green nozzle) and high-octane is ハイオク (yellow). Despite the name, 軽油 isn't for kei cars: they run on petrol.
Do I need to return the car with a full tank and the receipt?
Yes at Times, Nippon and OTS, which all ask for a full tank and the receipt. Toyota asks for a full tank; keep the receipt anyway. Fill up close to the return branch so the gauge still reads full.
What happens if I return the car without a full tank?
The company charges its own refuelling fee: by distance driven at Times, Toyota and OTS, and by distance or the fuel gauge at Nippon. Nippon says this costs more than the fuel you used.
I put the wrong fuel in my rental car. What should I do?
If it was diesel in a petrol car, or petrol in a diesel, don't start the engine or switch on the power; tell the station staff and call the branch. The tank has to be drained at a garage. If it was regular in a high-octane car, JAF says the engine generally isn't damaged: drive gently and tell the branch.
Read next
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- The documents you need to drive in JapanFind the driving-document and translation route relevant to your licence, then prepare for rental-car pickup.
- Japan coin parking for tourists: flap locks, maximum rates and paymentUse Japanese coin parking without getting stuck: spot flap-lock, gate or camera lots, read the maximum-rate sign, then pay. A lost ticket can cost ¥30,000.
Sources & review
Official pages for this guide
The rules in this guide come from the official pages below. Japan, Booked. does not book or submit requests on your behalf.
Published · Based on official sources · no affiliate links
Official sources
These official sources explain the rules and conditions used in this guide. Live availability and your own booking, admission or service outcome still need to be confirmed for your trip.
- JAF: nozzle colours and diesel (Japanese)
What this confirms: Explains that nozzle colours are set by law (red, yellow, green) and that 軽油 is diesel, not kei-car fuel.
Last checked - JAF: gasoline/diesel misfuelling response (Japanese)
What this confirms: Gives what to do after diesel and petrol are mixed up, and after regular or high-octane is used in the wrong car.
Last checked - Times Car Rental: pick-up, return and refuelling
What this confirms: Gives the full-tank return, the advice to use a staffed station, the receipt and the distance-based refuelling fee.
Last checked - Nippon Rent-A-Car: beginner guide and return procedure
What this confirms: Gives the full-tank return at the station nearest the branch, the receipt, and the charge by kilometre conversion or fuel gauge.
Last checked - Nippon Rent-A-Car: fuel and return terms
What this confirms: States that wrong fuel counts as a fault in use and gives the free roadside refuel of up to 10 litres once per rental.
Last checked - Toyota Rent a Car: important items
What this confirms: Gives the full-tank return or distance-based fee and Hybrid Fuel Charging for hybrids.
Last checked - OTS Rent-a-Car: fuel rules
What this confirms: Gives the full-tank return, the check of the last fill-up receipt and the distance-based fee.
Last checked
About this guide
Return a Japanese hire car without a fuel charge: red nozzle for regular, green for diesel (軽油 isn't kei-car fuel), fill up near the branch, keep the receipt.
Last checked 11 October 2026 · Check again by 8 April 2027. Fuel-colour and wrong-fuel advice comes from JAF; refuelling rules come from each rental company's English pages.
How we checked this
Sources and limits of this guide
These dated notes clarify what is confirmed by official sources—and what you still need to verify yourself.
If columns are cut off, scroll sideways. Keyboard: focus the table, then use Left/Right Arrow keys.
| Question | What we found | Where it comes from | What this means for your trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Which nozzle do I use? | The colour for your car's fuel: red for regular, yellow for high-octane, green for diesel. | JAF: nozzle colours and diesel (Japanese) | Most rental cars take regular, but check the label inside the flap. |
| What if I return the car without a full tank? | The company charges its own refuelling fee by distance or gauge, which costs more than the pump price. | Nippon Rent-A-Car: beginner guide and return procedure | Fill up near the branch and keep the receipt. |
| I put the wrong fuel in. What now? | Diesel and petrol mixed: don't start the engine; regular in a high-octane car: drive gently. | JAF: gasoline/diesel misfuelling response (Japanese) | Tell the station staff and call the branch either way. |
| What if I run out of fuel in a Nippon rental car? | Nippon refuels up to 10 litres on the spot, free once per rental. | Nippon Rent-A-Car: fuel and return terms | Call Nippon's roadside service before you try to fetch fuel yourself. |
Based on official sources, linked below.
Guide updates Reviewed
When this guide was checked and what changed
- First published
- Last checked
- Check again by
- What we checked
- JAF, Times Car Rental, Nippon Rent-A-Car, Toyota Rent a Car and OTS pages, checked 8 October 2026.
- Latest update
- : Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources. Corrected a quotation so it holds Nippon Rent-A-Car's own words.
The date above reflects when these checks were last run. If an individual source was rechecked later, you’ll see that date next to it below. Other copy edits are listed in the update history.
Who edits this guide
One editor looks after this guide
Japan, Booked. is run and edited from Japan. The same editor checks the Japanese and English sources, writes the traveller-facing guidance and keeps the correction history up to date.
What changed
Update history
- Scheduled recheck
Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources. Corrected a quotation so it holds Nippon Rent-A-Car's own words.
- Rebuilt as a full guide
Rebuilt as a full guide with key facts, a chooser, a worked example and FAQs, checked against official sources on 8 October 2026.
- First published
Published in English as a short problem guide.
If an operator, organiser or product changes in a way that affects the guide, we check it again sooner. Reader reports help us spot what to investigate, and we verify them against current official information before publishing. Read our update and corrections policy. See every guide's review schedule. Suggest an improvement to this guide.