Car hire and driving in Shimonoseki
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 KKJ means 15 km (9 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 Shimonoseki
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shimonoseki to Ube | Japan | 29 km (18 mi) | about 27 min |
| Shimonoseki to Iizuka | Japan | 42 km (26 mi) | about 39 min |
| Shimonoseki to Yamaguchi | Japan | 55 km (34 mi) | about 50 min |
| Shimonoseki to Hōfu | Japan | 59 km (37 mi) | about 54 min |
| Shimonoseki to Fukuoka | Japan | 62 km (39 mi) | about 57 min |
| Shimonoseki to Ōnojō | Japan | 63 km (39 mi) | about 58 min |
| Shimonoseki to Chikushino-shi | Japan | 64 km (40 mi) | about 59 min |
| Shimonoseki to Kasuga | Japan | 65 km (40 mi) | about 59 min |
| Shimonoseki to Kurume | Japan | 81 km (50 mi) | about 1 h 14 min |
| Shimonoseki to Tokuyama | Japan | 82 km (51 mi) | about 1 h 15 min |
| Shimonoseki to Shūnan | Japan | 83 km (52 mi) | about 1 h 16 min |
| Shimonoseki to Beppu | Japan | 91 km (57 mi) | about 1 h 24 min |
| Shimonoseki to Tokyo | Japan | 822 km (511 mi) | about 12 h 32 min |
| Shimonoseki to Yokohama | Japan | 813 km (505 mi) | about 12 h 24 min |
| Shimonoseki to Osaka | Japan | 427 km (265 mi) | about 6 h 31 min |
| Shimonoseki to Nagoya | Japan | 563 km (350 mi) | about 8 h 35 min |
| Shimonoseki to Sapporo | Japan | 1,357 km (843 mi) | about 20 h 42 min |
| Shimonoseki to Kawasaki | Japan | 821 km (510 mi) | about 12 h 31 min |
| Shimonoseki to Kobe | Japan | 398 km (248 mi) | about 6 h 5 min |
| Shimonoseki to Kyoto | Japan | 457 km (284 mi) | about 6 h 58 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 Shimonoseki?
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.