See also: Speed limits by country. Statutory speed limit in Japan defaults to 100sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 for divided national expressways and 60sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 for any other roads, unless otherwise posted.[1] Urban two-way streets are usually zoned at 40sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 or less.[2]
The highest speed limit in Japan is 120sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 on sections of Shin-Tōmei Expressway (E1A) and Tōhoku Expressway (E4), and expressways in the Kantō Plain leading to Tokyo.[3] [4]
The statutory maximum speed limits are 100sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 on divided national expressways and 60sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 on other roads. Statutory speed limits for heavy trucks with GVWR over 8sigfig=4NaNsigfig=4 are 90sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2, while trailers and three-wheelers are restricted to 80sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 on divided national expressways.[5] There are no separate urban or rural statutory limits. Urban and rural limits are set by zoning rather than statute.
Implementation of speed limits in Japan can be summarized as:
A threshold for speed cameras in Japan is set at a minimum of 39sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 above the limit on an expressway and a minimum of 29sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 above the limit on other streets, where drivers will face criminal charges instead of traffic infractions. This is due to legal precedents dating back to 1969 restricting police from filming an individual unless a criminal offence is immediately being committed.[6]
Although there is no official tolerance for exceeding the speed limit, most drivers in Japan tend to drive over the speed limit on major roads.[7] [8] Police enforcement varies depending on the jurisdiction, officers, traffic flow and street types, but above the speed limit on an expressway and above the limit are generally tolerated on other streets.[9]
In 2020, a total of 1,162,420 speeding tickets were issued across Japan, and only 199 tickets were issued for speeding between over the limit.[10] Of the 199 tickets for speeding over the limit, Iwate Prefectural Police alone issued 166 tickets. For speeding between over the limit, Hokkaido, Aichi, Kyoto, Osaka and Fukuoka had the largest shares of tickets issued.
In contrast, Okinawa did not issue any tickets for speeding between over the limit. Tokyo Metropolitan Police issued a total of 68,693 speeding tickets, but gave out only seven tickets for speeding between over the limit. Some jurisdictions, such as Tokyo Metropolitan Police, release traffic enforcement locations on their websites.[11]
There is also a major distinction between and in terms of speed limit regulations, with different criteria applied for each.
Although some surface streets such as viaducts, trunk and bypass roads are built to expressway standards, many are not legally classified as expressways and are typically distinguishable by the colour of direction signs: surface streets use blue direction signs while expressways use green signs.
Speed limits for surface streets are set within ±10sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 of the reference speed limit below. Reference speed limits do not apply to expressways.
In Japan, speed limit cannot exceed 60sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 for any streets with at-grade intersections or where pedestrians or cyclists are permitted. To exceed the 60sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 threshold, the street must undergo costly grade separation to become a controlled-access highway.
| 1 | Urban | 2 lanes | rowspan="2" | - | High | 51.9 km/h | 40 km/h | Urban and high pedestrian volumes |
| 2 | Low | 57.1 km/h | 50 km/h | Urban | ||||
| 3 | 4+ lanes | Yes | High | 59.0 km/h | 50 km/h | Urban and high pedestrian volumes | ||
| 4 | Low | 64.1 km/h | 60 km/h | Urban | ||||
| 5 | No | High | 58.7 km/h | 50 km/h | Urban, high pedestrian volumes, and undivided | |||
| 6 | Low | 63.9 km/h | 50 km/h | Urban and undivided | ||||
| 7 | Rural | 2 lanes | rowspan="2" | - | High | 58.2 km/h | 50 km/h | High pedestrian volumes |
| 8 | Low | 63.3 km/h | 60 km/h | Maximum speed set by police | ||||
| 9 | 4+ lanes | Yes | High | 65.3 km/h | 60 km/h | Pedestrian | ||
| 10 | Low | 70.4 km/h | 60 km/h | Maximum speed set by police | ||||
| 11 | No | High | 65.0 km/h | 50 km/h | High pedestrian volumes and undivided | |||
| 12 | Low | 70.1 km/h | 60 km/h | Undivided | ||||
| 30 km/h (±0 km/h) | 20 km/h limit may be set on case-by-case basis for the following:
| ||||||
and has low crash rates
| 70 km/h or 80 km/h (±0 km/h) | For speed limits 70 km/h and above, the road should be closed to pedestrians, cyclists, and mopeds in principle. Note: This criterion only applies to surface streets and does not apply to expressways and motorways. See Speed limits in Japan#Expressways for expressway adaptation speeds. | ||||||
Definitions
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Speed limits for expressways are set at 100sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 or lower speed. The speed limit is set with the lowest "structure compatible speed" (構造適合速度, kōzō tekigō sokudo) criteria below, that is based on design speed in some factors. Unlike surface streets, there is no range limit such as ±10 km/h. Therefore, the speed limit can be modified without limit, but the speed should be "respected".
Intercity expressways typically have higher speed limits, while urban expressways within major cities often have 60sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 limits and two-lane expressways, typically in rural and remote areas, have 70sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 limits for simplified division such as guide posts and 80sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 limits with physical separation.
Most expressways outside of cities have active variable speed limit signs and maximum speeds are lowered according to road conditions such as congestions, accidents, constructions and severe weather. When the statutory speed limits are in effect on national expressways, variable speed limit signs are left blank to indicate the statutory speed of 90sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 for trucks over 8 t, 80sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 for trailers and three-wheelers and 100sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 for other vehicles. Two sets of variable speed limit signs are installed when the regulatory speed exceeds statutory speed of 100sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 on national expressways or 80sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 on other roads to regulate the maximum speed of trucks, trailers and three-wheelers to 80sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2.
Even some 4-lane expressways have 70sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 speed limit,[15] there is no 90sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 speed limit although it is allowed.[16]
Speed limits can be set at maximum 120sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 if it has low crash rates, both the lowest adaptation speed and design speed is 120 km/h, the length is 20sigfig=2NaNsigfig=2 or more. Other expressways are set maximum 100 km/h including many 120 km/h adaption speed expressways.
| Adaptation Speed | Design standard | Exceptional | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superelevation (%) Inclusive-Exclusive | ||||||||||
| 0 - 1 | 1 - 2 | 2 - 3 | 3 - 4 | 4 - 5 | 5 - 6 | 6 - 7 | Curve radius (m) | |||
| 1134 | 1031 | 945 | 872 | 810 | 756 | 709 | 120 km/h | (710) | (570) | |
| 716 | 656 | 606 | 562 | 525 | 492 | 463 | 100 km/h | (460) | (380) | |
| 420 | 388 | 360 | 336 | 315 | 296 | 280 | 80 km/h | (280) | (230) | |
| 218 | 202 | 189 | 177 | 167 | 157 | 149 | 60 km/h | (150) | (120) | |
| 141 | 131 | 123 | 116 | 109 | 104 | 98 | 50 km/h | (100) | (80) | |
| 84 | 79 | 74 | 70 | 66 | 63 | 60 | 40 km/h | (60) | (50) | |
| 47 | 44 | 42 | 39 | 37 | 35 | 34 | 30 km/h | (30) | ||
| 21 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 20 km/h | (15) | ||
| 210 m ≤ | 120 km/h | |
| 160 m - 210 m | 100 km/h | |
| 110 m - 160 m | 80 km/h | |
| 75 m - 110 m | 60 km/h | |
| 55 m - 75 m | 50 km/h | |
| 40 m - 55 m | 40 km/h | |
| 30 m - 40 m | 30 km/h | |
| < 30 m | 20 km/h |
| Below 10% | 120 km/h | |
| 10% but below 10.5% | 80 km/h | |
| Above 10.5% but below 11.5% | 50 km/h |
| 5% and below | 120 km/h | |
| Above 5% but less than 6% | 100 km/h | |
| Above 6% but less than 7% | 80 km/h | |
| Above 7% but less than 8% | 60 km/h | |
| Above 8% but less than 9% | 50 km/h | |
| Above 9% but less than 10% | 40 km/h |
lane width (3.5 m ≤ : 120 km/h, < 3.5 m : 80 km/h)
shoulder width (1.75 m ≤ : 120 km/h, < 1.75 m : 80 km/h)