Starting a trucking business in Japan — how to choose the premises and the garage before you sign

In short: for a general trucking business (green plate), the first things to check on a property are four. Are the office and garage outside an urbanisation control area? Is the distance between office and garage within the published limit? Can the garage hold every vehicle, and does it front a road wide enough for the trucks you will run? Can a rest facility be attached to the office or the garage? All four can be confirmed before the lease is signed.

"All that is left is the property." Then you sign, and the project stalls because the licensing requirements are not met. The same backtracking that happens with care-service premises and clinics happens with trucking. This article is for small operators and independent drivers setting up a general trucking business (green plate) in Tokyo, and for landlords considering a trucking tenant. Final confirmation always rests with the District Transport Bureau and the Transport Branch Office with jurisdiction over the office.

Where does a trucking property first fail?

Before the use zone, it fails on whether the site is in an urbanisation control area (shigaika chosei kuiki).

Under Article 3 of the 貨物自動車運送事業法 (Motor Truck Transportation Business Act, Act No. 83 of 1989), anyone intending to run a general trucking business must obtain the permission of the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Article 6 sets the criteria; item 2 requires "an appropriate plan for continuing the business with respect to the number of business vehicles, the scale of the vehicle garage and other matters specified by Order of the Ministry." Whether the office and garage qualify is assessed within this criterion, as not conflicting with related laws — the City Planning Act, the Agricultural Land Act, the Building Standards Act and others.

The first gate here is the 都市計画法 (City Planning Act, Act No. 100 of 1968). Article 7, paragraph 1 provides for dividing an area into an urbanisation promotion area and an urbanisation control area; paragraph 3 states that "the urbanisation control area is an area where urbanisation is to be restrained." Article 43, paragraph 1 then provides that within an urbanisation control area, outside the development areas that have received development permission, no one may newly build, rebuild or change the use of a building without the permission of the prefectural governor, except for certain buildings such as those for agriculture, forestry and fisheries.

In other words — building an office (a building) in an urbanisation control area, or converting an existing office into a trucking office, cannot, in principle, be done as-is. Even an open-air garage with no building requires a separate agricultural-land conversion procedure if the land category is farmland.

Location of the property	Office (building)	Garage
Urbanisation promotion area	Subject to use-zone restrictions	If no building, City Planning Act building restrictions in principle do not apply
Urbanisation control area	In principle not allowed (permission under Art. 43 (1) required)	Same permission if a building is erected; agricultural-land conversion too if the land is farmland

Agricultural-land conversion permission is the work of an administrative scrivener. Whether the candidate site for the office and garage conflicts with related laws, including this procedure, can be checked before signing. How the use zone and floor-area ratio move land prices is covered in this article.

How far apart may the office and garage be?

There is an upper limit on how far apart they may be, and it varies by area.

Attaching the garage to the office is simplest, but trucking businesses often place the garage elsewhere. In that case the distance between office and garage is fixed as an upper limit on the straight-line distance, by area, by Ministry of Transport Notification No. 340 and the public notices of each District Transport Bureau (the processing policy for permission of a general trucking business and for approval of business-plan changes).

Location of the office (within the Kanto District Transport Bureau)	Straight-line distance, office to garage
Tokyo special wards, Yokohama City, Kawasaki City	Within 20 km
Other areas	Within 10 km

These figures differ by District Transport Bureau (5 km, 10 km, 20 km and so on). Sign the office first and then look for a distant garage, and you may find the distance limit exceeded — forcing you to redo both. The office and garage are chosen together, with the distance condition in view.

At least five business vehicles must be assigned per office, and the garage must be large enough to hold all of them. The size of the garage is worked back from the number and type of vehicles.

What size and frontage must the garage have?

"Every vehicle fits" is not enough. There must be spacing between vehicles and the garage boundary, and the frontage road must meet a width condition.

The garage must be large enough to hold all the business vehicles assigned, with a clearance of, in principle, at least 50 cm between vehicles and between a vehicle and the garage boundary or wall. Rough per-vehicle areas by vehicle type are below, but they change with how the clearance is taken and the shape of the lot, so treat them as a guide only.

Vehicle type	Rough area per vehicle
2 t truck (light)	about 15 m²
4 t truck (medium)	about 28 m²
10 t truck (heavy)	about 45–50 m²

The frontage road is also an issue. The business vehicles using the garage must front a road wide enough for them to pass under the Vehicle Restriction Order. If the frontage is a private road, a passage consent may be needed; where width is in doubt, a width certificate from the road administrator may be required. A garage meant for heavy trucks that fronts only a narrow street a heavy truck cannot pass — this is a point you can catch at the viewing stage.

All of this can be settled before the lease. If "the frontage is too narrow" or "the clearance cannot be taken" emerges after signing, the budget moves. A comparable case, where the fire and municipal checks have to come before the lease, is covered here; a case where the use zone bites first for commercial premises is here.

Where do the rest and sleeping facilities go?

The rest facility is attached to either the office or the garage. It cannot stand alone.

A general trucking business must secure a facility where drivers can rest, and this rest facility must be attached to the office or the garage. A rest facility standing apart from both the office and the garage is not accepted.

A sleeping facility is not always required. But where the actual operation involves runs that cannot secure a continuous eight-hour rest period for the driver, a sleeping facility becomes necessary. If you handle long distances, where to place the sleeping facility becomes part of the property conditions.

Facility	Where it goes	When it is required
Rest facility	Attached to the office or the garage	Always
Sleeping facility	The office or the garage (with the rest facility)	For runs that cannot secure a continuous eight-hour rest period

So, when choosing the office and garage property, you also look at whether the layout can take the rest space (and, if needed, the sleeping space). Which clauses of a Japanese lease to read is covered here, and why the same backtracking happens with care-service premises here. See also investment and commercial property and company formation and choosing an office.

Who handles the lease, and who the trucking permit?

The property (real estate) and the permit and registration (administrative procedure) fall to different people.

Setting up a trucking business runs several procedures in parallel. Finding and signing for the property, and obtaining the permit and registering the vehicles, are handled by different parties. Registering a business vehicle (green plate) does not, in principle, require the police garage certificate (proof of parking space) that a private car needs. Because the garage is secured within the trucking permit, you instead file a "business vehicle liaison note" (jigyoyo jidosha to renrakusho) with the Transport Branch Office to register.

Matter	Party / counter
Property investigation and brokerage; lease of the office and garage	Licensed real estate agent
Trucking (general) permit application; assessment of office and garage requirements; documents for submission to public authorities	Administrative scrivener
Agricultural-land conversion where a garage sits on farmland	Administrative scrivener
Registration of the business vehicle (green plate); business vehicle liaison note	Transport Branch Office
Incorporation registration when forming a company	Judicial scrivener
Disputes over rent, restoration, eviction	Attorney
Tax	Licensed tax accountant

The lease is a precondition for the permit, because the office and garage meeting the requirements is assessed within the permit application. Decide the property alone first, and you risk a redo if it fails the requirements — which is exactly why points 1 to 4 above are lined up and checked before signing.

Who should you consult?

Property investigation, brokerage and the sale or lease contract are handled by Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd. (licensed real estate agent, Tokyo Governor (1) No. 113304). The trucking (general motor truck transportation business) permit application, the assessment of office and garage requirements, and the preparation of documents submitted to public authorities such as agricultural-land conversion are handled by Yotsuba Administrative Scrivener Office.

These are two independent business entities, engaged separately and directly by you. We neither pay nor accept referral fees or introduction commissions.

Vehicle registration is at the Transport Branch Office; incorporation registration is for a judicial scrivener; tax for a licensed tax accountant; disputes over rent or eviction for an attorney — each engaged by you directly. Consultation is free of charge.

Frequently asked questions

Q. Can a trucking company put its office and garage in an urbanisation control area?
A. An urbanisation control area is "an area where urbanisation is to be restrained" under Article 7, paragraph 3 of the 都市計画法, and Article 43, paragraph 1 means that, outside development areas with development permission, no building may be newly built or have its use changed without the prefectural governor's permission. An office (a building) cannot, in principle, be placed there as-is. Even a garage without a building requires a separate agricultural-land conversion procedure if the land is farmland. Feasibility varies by property; confirm with the specified administrative authority and the District Transport Bureau before you start.

Q. How far apart may the office and garage be and still be permitted?
A. Ministry of Transport Notification No. 340 and each District Transport Bureau's public notice set an upper limit on the straight-line distance by area. Within the Kanto District Transport Bureau, the limit is 20 km where the office is in the Tokyo special wards, Yokohama or Kawasaki, and 10 km elsewhere. The figures differ by bureau, so choose the office and garage together, checking with the Transport Branch Office with jurisdiction.

Q. How large must the garage be?
A. It must hold all the business vehicles assigned (at least five per office), with a clearance of, in principle, at least 50 cm between vehicles and between a vehicle and the boundary or wall. A rough guide is about 15 m² per 2 t truck, about 28 m² per 4 t truck, and about 45–50 m² per 10 t truck, though this changes with shape and clearance. Check too that the frontage road is wide enough for the trucks under the Vehicle Restriction Order.

Q. Does registering a business vehicle require the police garage certificate?
A. A business vehicle (green plate) for a general trucking business does not, in principle, require the police garage certificate (proof of parking space) that a private car needs at new registration. Because the garage is secured within the trucking permit, you instead file a "business vehicle liaison note" with the Transport Branch Office with jurisdiction over the office. Practice can change, so confirm with the Transport Branch Office when you start.

Sources (primary)

• e-Gov "貨物自動車運送事業法" (Motor Truck Transportation Business Act) — Act No. 83 of 1989. Art. 2 (2) (definition of general trucking business); Art. 3 (permission); Art. 6 item 2 (an appropriate plan regarding the number of business vehicles, the scale of the garage and other matters specified by Order). Current text as amended by Act No. 63 of 2023, in force 21 May 2026. Accessed 23 August 2026.
• e-Gov "都市計画法" (City Planning Act) — Act No. 100 of 1968. Art. 7 (1) (area division); Art. 7 (3) (the urbanisation control area is an area where urbanisation is to be restrained); Art. 43 (1) (permission of the prefectural governor for new building, rebuilding or change of use in an urbanisation control area outside permitted development areas). Current text as amended by Act No. 23 of 2026, in force 27 May 2026. Accessed 23 August 2026.
• Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the District Transport Bureaus, "Processing policy for permission of a general/specified trucking business and for approval of business-plan changes (public notice)" and "Guide to preparing the permission application for a general trucking business (excluding LTL consolidated transport)" — at least five business vehicles per office; the office-to-garage distance as an area-based upper limit on the straight-line distance under Ministry of Transport Notification No. 340; a garage that holds every vehicle with a clearance of, in principle, at least 50 cm between vehicles and boundaries; a frontage road of a width compliant with the Vehicle Restriction Order; a rest facility attached to the office or garage; a sleeping facility where a continuous eight-hour rest period cannot be secured; and the office and garage not conflicting with the City Planning Act, the Agricultural Land Act, the Building Standards Act and other related laws. Accessed 23 August 2026.

The office-to-garage distance, garage size, and rest and sleeping facility requirements differ by the public notice of the District Transport Bureau with jurisdiction over the office and may be amended; the figures are a guide as of the access date. Confirm with the Transport Branch Office with jurisdiction when you start. Whether an office or garage is feasible in an urbanisation control area, and whether agricultural-land conversion is required, depend on the area division, land category, city plan, existence of development permission and ordinances. This article does not assess any individual property. This article is general information. It does not judge or guarantee the feasibility of any particular property or the grant of any permit. Final confirmation rests with the specified administrative authority, the District Transport Bureau (Transport Branch Office) and the agricultural committee. Property investigation, brokerage and sale or lease contracts are undertaken by Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd. (licensed real estate agent); the trucking permit application, agricultural-land conversion and other documents for submission to public authorities are undertaken by Yotsuba Administrative Scrivener Office — two independent business entities, engaged separately and directly. We neither pay nor accept referral fees.

About the author

Joji Uramatsu — licensed real estate transaction specialist (Tokyo Governor registration No. 293544) and administrative scrivener (registration No. 25087022). Representative Director, Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd. (licensed real estate agent, Tokyo Governor (1) No. 113304); principal, Yotsuba Administrative Scrivener Office. Kohinata, Bunkyo, Tokyo, about five minutes' walk from Myogadani station. Property and paperwork are put on the same table. Full profile: author page.