[grant]

Hello everyone,

I’m quite late to the discussion here but hopefully this may get bumped somewhere it can be seen and be of use. I holiday in Japan every year for at least a month or two and whilst I absolutely adore the JR Green Car Rail Pass, I love driving more and will usually just hire a car and head into the countryside to explore. I have an Australian Disability Parking Permit and was chuffed to find out a few years ago that it is in fact valid for use in Japan as well as a heap of other countries.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Transport_Forum

The “International Transport Forum” is a global body that regulates certain rules amongst 60 member countries which also includes Japan, Australia and the USA. Long story short, the following applies:

The ITF has adopted Resolution no. 97/4 on Reciprocal Recognition of Parking Badges for Persons with Mobility Handicaps, facilitating reciprocity when it comes to Disabled parking permits between its member states

As I drive a lot in Japan, I’ve had a few occasions where either a police officer, a car parking attendant or just a random someone has approached me and queried my right to park in a disabled parking spot. Obviously as a white guy driving a rental car, I stand out, especially in the boonies that I like to explore but, once I show my International Drivers LIcence and my AU disability permit and explain that it’s valid in Japan, everyone is super nice about it.

I suppose the point is that you can park legally without any guilt and if anyone ever did try to give you a ticket or infringement notice, it would not be valid.