Car hire and driving in Kumamoto
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In Japan traffic drives on the left. Picking up at KMJ means 16 km (10 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q11185210 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648823 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q2807090.
Drives from Kumamoto
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kumamoto to Ōmuta | Japan | 34 km (21 mi) | about 31 min |
| Kumamoto to Honmachi | Japan | 35 km (22 mi) | about 32 min |
| Kumamoto to Kurume | Japan | 59 km (37 mi) | about 54 min |
| Kumamoto to Saga | Japan | 60 km (37 mi) | about 55 min |
| Kumamoto to Isahaya | Japan | 61 km (38 mi) | about 56 min |
| Kumamoto to Nagasaki | Japan | 76 km (47 mi) | about 1 h 9 min |
| Kumamoto to Chikushino-shi | Japan | 79 km (49 mi) | about 1 h 12 min |
| Kumamoto to Kasuga | Japan | 83 km (52 mi) | about 1 h 16 min |
| Kumamoto to Ōnojō | Japan | 84 km (52 mi) | about 1 h 16 min |
| Kumamoto to Beppu | Japan | 92 km (57 mi) | about 1 h 24 min |
| Kumamoto to Fukuoka | Japan | 92 km (57 mi) | about 1 h 24 min |
| Kumamoto to Iizuka | Japan | 92 km (57 mi) | about 1 h 25 min |
| Kumamoto to Tokyo | Japan | 887 km (551 mi) | about 13 h 31 min |
| Kumamoto to Yokohama | Japan | 874 km (543 mi) | about 13 h 20 min |
| Kumamoto to Osaka | Japan | 492 km (305 mi) | about 7 h 30 min |
| Kumamoto to Nagoya | Japan | 631 km (392 mi) | about 9 h 37 min |
| Kumamoto to Sapporo | Japan | 1,472 km (915 mi) | about 22 h 27 min |
| Kumamoto to Kawasaki | Japan | 883 km (549 mi) | about 13 h 28 min |
| Kumamoto to Kobe | Japan | 465 km (289 mi) | about 7 h 6 min |
| Kumamoto to Kyoto | Japan | 528 km (328 mi) | about 8 h 3 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in Kumamoto?
The left, as everywhere in Japan.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.