Vehicle registration plates of Japan

Broadly speaking, passenger automobiles with engine displacements at or smaller than 2000 cc receive 5-series plates, while passenger automobiles with engine displacements larger than 2,000 cc (120 cu in) or more receive 3-series license plates.

Official vehicles of the Self-Defense Forces and the foreign diplomats are required to display other plates.

Private, two-wheeled vehicles with engine displacements exceeding 250 cc have white plates with green text; commercial two-wheeled vehicles with engine displacements exceeding 2000 cc have green plates with white text.

Private, lightweight two-wheeled vehicles with engine displacements of 250 cc or less have white plates with green text; commercial, lightweight two-wheeled vehicles with engine displacements of 250 cc or less have green plates with white text.

The top line contains the name of the issuing office (Tama, shown, is in Tokyo) and a vehicle class code.

The bottom line contains a hiragana character and a four-digit serial number divided into two groups of two digits separated by a hyphen.

Today, cars with an "E" indicate that Japanese sales tax has not been paid and the vehicle will not remain in Japan when the military member departs.

Since the 1980s, military commands have discouraged servicemembers assigned to Japan from shipping their vehicles from the U.S. into the country, so this is rarely seen.

Many opt to purchase second-hand domestic vehicles through used car dealers off-base, and from other servicemembers departing Japan at on-base "lemon lots".

If motorists wish to take their vehicles abroad with them, the Ministry of Transport will issue them with plates with the hiragana and kanji scripts replaced by Roman letters.

The new locations began appearing in 2006 on plates for vehicles registered in certain specific cities, towns and villages in or near the places marked below in green.