Vehicle Weight Tax Calculator (Japan)

Select your vehicle weight class (for regular/compact cars) or kei car, the inspection type (new registration or renewal), and the eco-car tax reduction category to estimate Japan's vehicle weight tax, including the 13-year and 18-year aged-vehicle surcharge.

Last updated: 2026-10-17

What Is Japan's Vehicle Weight Tax?

Japan's vehicle weight tax (jidosha juryozei) is a national tax paid at vehicle inspection (new registration or renewal inspection), based on the vehicle's weight. Just by choosing your vehicle type (regular/compact car or kei car), weight bracket, inspection type, and eco-car reduction category, this tool instantly estimates the tax due, the period it covers, and the equivalent yearly amount.

Regular and compact cars are taxed using a table based on 0.5-tonne weight brackets, while kei cars use a flat rate regardless of weight. Because the eco-car reduction is decided only once, at new registration, we recommend double-checking the amount shown on your vehicle inspection certificate or tax notice when estimating a renewal inspection.

Sources used in this calculation

Statutory figures such as tax and insurance rates come from the public bodies listed below. They change when the law is revised, so please also check the primary source before relying on the result for an important decision.

Motor vehicle weight tax table for private vehicles by eco-car reduction band — Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (国土交通省) Effective 2026-05 to 2028-04 ／ Last checked 2026-09-18

How we source and maintain these figures

How to Use the Vehicle Weight Tax Calculator

Choose your vehicle type Select "Regular/compact car" or "Kei car." Each uses a different tax table based on vehicle weight.
Choose your weight bracket For regular/compact cars, round up to the nearest 0.5-tonne bracket shown on your inspection certificate. Not needed for kei cars.
Choose the inspection type Select "New registration (3 years)" for a brand-new car, or "Renewal inspection (2 years)" for any shaken after that.
Choose the eco-car reduction category For a new-vehicle inspection choose from exemption, 75%, 50% or 25% reduction, standard rate, or outside the eco-car reduction; for a continuing inspection choose from exemption, standard rate, outside the eco-car reduction, 13+ years or 18+ years.
Check the result The estimated tax, covered period, and per-year equivalent appear automatically, and update instantly as you change your inputs.

Tips for getting more out of it

Check the "vehicle weight" field on your vehicle inspection certificate (shaken-sho) and choose the nearest bracket rounded up (e.g. 0.5t or less, 1.0t or less).
Choose "New registration (3 years)" right after buying a brand-new car, and "Renewal inspection (2 years)" for every shaken after that.
The eco-car reduction category is decided only at first registration. To confirm which category applies at a renewal inspection, check the tax amount printed on your shaken paperwork or tax notice.
The continuing-inspection (shaken) tax table has no 50% or 25% reduction columns: its categories are exemption, standard rate, outside the eco-car reduction (no relief), 13+ years and 18+ years. So 50% and 25% reductions cannot be selected for a continuing inspection, for regular and kei cars alike.
The aged-vehicle surcharge (13-year / 18-year) applies uniformly to older cars regardless of environmental performance, and can never apply together with the eco-car reduction.

When This Calculator Helps

Checking a shaken quote

Verify whether the vehicle weight tax listed on a garage or dealer's inspection quote is reasonable given your vehicle's weight and eco-car category.

Estimating costs for a new car

Compare the weight tax due at new registration across different eco-car reduction categories when budgeting for a new vehicle.

Reviewing running costs for an older car

See how much the 13-year or 18-year aged-vehicle surcharge adds, to help weigh keeping your current car against replacing it.

Comparing kei cars and regular cars

Estimate both under the same inspection type and eco-car category to compare running costs when choosing a vehicle.

Glossary

Vehicle weight tax: A national tax paid at vehicle inspection (new registration or renewal), based on vehicle weight. Introduced in 1971 to help fund road maintenance.
New registration inspection: The inspection performed when a new car is first registered. Passing it means paying three years of vehicle weight tax at once.
Renewal inspection (shaken): The periodic inspection required for an already-registered car to keep using public roads. Passing it means paying two years of vehicle weight tax at once.
Eco-car reduction: A scheme that exempts or reduces the weight tax by 75%, 50% or 25% according to how well a vehicle meets the fuel-efficiency standards. It is mainly determined at a new car's first registration, and the standards are revised every few years.
Standard rate: The baseline rate for vehicles that meet the eco-car standard. Vehicles that do not meet it pay the higher "outside the eco-car reduction (no relief)" rate (at a continuing inspection, ¥4,100 instead of ¥2,500 per 0.5 t per year).
Aged-vehicle surcharge: An increased vehicle weight tax rate applied uniformly, regardless of environmental performance, once 13 or 18 years have passed since new registration. It never applies together with the eco-car reduction.
Weight bracket: The basis for calculating regular/compact car vehicle weight tax — the vehicle weight shown on the inspection certificate, rounded up to the nearest 0.5-tonne increment.

Frequently asked questions

The vehicle weight tax is a national tax based on vehicle weight, paid in a lump sum at every shaken (vehicle inspection). Automobile tax / kei car tax, on the other hand, are prefectural / municipal taxes based on engine displacement or vehicle type, paid annually. Both are required to keep a car on the road in Japan.

The eco-car reduction mainly applies at a new car's first registration (the first three years). Some very efficient cars remain exempt at the next inspection. From the second inspection on, cars that meet the eco-car standard pay the standard rate, cars that do not pay the higher "outside the eco-car reduction (no relief)" rate, and cars older than 13 or 18 years pay the aged-vehicle surcharge.

To encourage owners to replace older, less efficient vehicles, Japan applies a surcharge to both the vehicle weight tax and automobile tax once a car passes certain age thresholds since first registration. The policy aims to accelerate the shift toward vehicles with better emissions and fuel efficiency.

If a car is permanently deregistered (eikyū-masshō tōroku) with more than one month remaining on its current shaken, the remaining portion of the vehicle weight tax can be refunded. A temporary deregistration alone does not qualify, so check with your local transport bureau or an administrative scrivener (gyōsei shoshi) for the exact procedure.

Side Note — Why the vehicle weight tax is based on weight

The vehicle weight tax was created in 1971 to fund road construction and maintenance, on the reasoning that heavier vehicles put more strain on paved roads — hence weight as the tax base. It was originally an earmarked tax dedicated to road projects, but a 2009 tax reform folded it into general revenue, so today the money can be used for any government purpose.

The eco-car tax reduction was introduced in 2009 to encourage owners to switch to more environmentally friendly vehicles. It grants exemption or 75%, 50% or 25% reductions depending on how far a vehicle meets current fuel-efficiency standards (at a new-vehicle inspection the same categories apply to regular and kei cars) — and because those standards are revised every few years, a model that once qualified can lose its eco-car status after the benchmark is tightened.

The 13-year and 18-year aged-vehicle surcharge works in the opposite direction, raising the tax burden on older cars. Owners who carefully maintain the same vehicle for many years sometimes object to paying more purely because of its age, regardless of how well it still runs, which keeps this policy a recurring topic of debate between environmental goals and the realities of long-term car ownership.

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