We sold our last car in 2013, thinking we might miss the convenience. Over a decade later, we haven’t looked back. Living in Tokyo, we’ve found that owning a car just isn’t necessary—and in many ways, it’s more of a burden than a benefit.

Getting Around Is Easy Without a Car

The train station, which connects us to Tokyo’s extensive rail network, is just a few minutes away on foot. Around the station, we have easy access to groceries, restaurants, cafés, and shopping. Everything we need is within walking distance.

In Japan, most companies provide employees with a transportation allowance that covers train fares to and from work. For me, this means commuting is essentially free, since my company pays for it. I also don’t have to worry about parking fees. Why drive when the train is more convenient?

Owning a Car Is Expensive

Just having a car—even if you rarely use it—comes with significant costs. You need to pay for parking, gasoline, and toll fees. On top of that, there are fixed costs like taxes and regular maintenance. Every two years, there’s also the mandatory shaken (vehicle inspection), which can cost hundreds of thousands of yen.

For example, a typical parking spot in Tokyo costs around ¥30,000–¥50,000 per month. That alone is more than what we spend total on public transport to and from work! By not owning a car, we save a significant amount of money while still getting around easily.

When We Need a Car, We Rent One

If we ever do need a car, Tokyo has plenty of car-sharing and rental services. We particularly like Mitsui Carshares because it’s simple: we reserve a car when we need it and don’t pay anything when we don’t. It’s a flexible and cost-effective alternative to ownership.

For Most People in Tokyo, a Car Just Isn’t Necessary

Many people say that buying a car is only worth it if you use it every day, like for commuting to work.

For most people in Tokyo, we don’t.

After more than a decade without a car, we’ve found that Tokyo’s transportation system makes car ownership unnecessary for us. We save money, avoid the stress of maintenance, and still get everywhere we need to go. And if we ever do need a car, renting one is just a few taps away.

For us, living car-free just makes sense.