No stopping and no parking in Japan: what to learn for the written test

Updated 8 October 2026

Stopping and parking is the topic with the most numbers on the written test, and the place where learners mix things up most. The summary below is compiled by ViMai from the lessons in the app: first the difference between stopping and parking, then the distances to remember, the rules for parking correctly and the other limits.

5 minloading limit: longer than this counts as parking
5 m / 10 mthe two no-stopping, no-parking distance groups
3.5 mroad that must stay free on your right when parking

Stopping and parking: what is the difference?

In the way the test classes them, parking is a vehicle standing still continuously: waiting for a passenger or goods, or a broken-down car at the roadside. Loading or unloading for more than 5 minutes is also parking. If the driver leaves the car so that they cannot drive off at once, it is parking even for a few minutes, such as leaving the car outside a shop and going in. So parking is not measured by time alone.

Stopping is a short halt that is not parking: letting people in or out, loading within 5 minutes, staying in the seat to talk, or stepping out while still able to drive off at once. Halting for a red light or to avoid danger is not a breach of the no-stopping rule.

The two signs people mix up

Both are round blue signs with a red border:

One red slash means no parking. A short stop is still allowed unless something else bans it.
A red X (two slashes) means no stopping and no parking.

Kerb lines follow the same logic: a broken yellow line means no parking, a solid yellow line means no stopping either. A square blue P sign allows parking, and a square blue sign with the word "stop" allows stopping, even where it would normally be banned. Other look-alike pairs are on Japanese road signs.

Where both stopping and parking are banned

No measuring needed in these places: where a sign or marking forbids it, on tracks, near hilltops and on steep slopes (up or down), and in every tunnel, with or without marked lanes. The distances fall into two groups:

Group	Places
5 m	Inside an intersection and 5 m from its edges; 5 m from a road corner; on a pedestrian or bicycle crossing and 5 m before and after it.
10 m	A railway crossing and 10 m before and after; the left side of a safety zone and 10 m before and after; 10 m around a bus or tram stop post, in every direction, only during service hours.

Practise stopping and parking questions by topic and read the explanation for each one you miss.

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Where only parking is banned

A few places ban parking but not stopping. The distances are measured from the place named:

1 m around a fire alarm post.
3 m around the vehicle entrance of a car park or garage.
5 m from the ends of roadworks.
5 m around the entrance of a fire-equipment store or fire-water tank, and around a fire hydrant or its intake.

Where only parking is banned, a car with the police chief’s permission may park, for example for urgent repairs, loading that cannot finish within 5 minutes, or cars for weddings and funerals.

How to park correctly

Leave 3.5 m free on the right. When parking, at least 3.5 m of road must remain on the right of the car. If a plate gives another figure, such as 6 m, follow it. Exceptions are loading while the driver can drive off at once, and having to park to help someone sick or injured.
Keep to the left edge. With no pavement or strip, park along the left edge of the road. With a pavement, park along the left edge of the carriageway.
Roadside strips and 0.75 m. On a strip 0.75 m wide or less, do not pull in. On a wider strip you may pull in, but leave at least 0.75 m on the left for pedestrians. A strip with two solid lines is for pedestrians; a strip with one solid and one broken line is a no-stopping strip.
No double parking beside a parked car.
Follow what is marked: if a sign or marking sets the method, such as marked bays, park exactly that way.

Time limits and reserved spaces

The road is not a garage: do not park in the same spot on the road for 12 hours or more, or for 8 hours or more at night (sunset to sunrise). In zones with parking meters or ticket machines you may park for the time on the sign; staying on when time is up or taking a new ticket is a violation. Spaces marked for badge vehicles may be used only by the ordinary car named on the reserved-space permit, with the permit inside the front windscreen the whole time.

Leaving the car and enforcement

When you leave a car: set the parking brake, stop the engine and chock the wheels on a slope. Never leave children in the car. When a police officer or warden orders it, move an illegally parked car at once. If the driver is absent, the car may be towed and the driver or person in charge pays for towing and storage. Parking illegally and walking away is punished more heavily than when the driver stays.

These figures are written-test content. Actual fines, where meters are installed and local rules vary, so see your prefectural police guidance. These rules also produce many exam traps; see tricky test questions.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between stopping and parking?

Parking is a vehicle standing still continuously, including loading for more than 5 minutes and the case where the driver leaves so that they cannot drive off at once. Stopping is a short halt: letting people in or out, loading within 5 minutes, or a driver who can still drive off immediately.

What is the difference between the one-slash sign and the X sign?

One red slash bans parking only, and a short stop is allowed. A red X bans both stopping and parking.

How far from an intersection is stopping and parking banned?

Inside the intersection and within 5 m of its edges, 5 m from a road corner and 5 m before and after a pedestrian crossing. At a railway crossing it is 10 m before and after.

How much road must stay free on my right when I park?

At least 3.5 m. If a plate gives another figure, follow that figure.