First things first. Our car is not pretty. I think the Honda Fit itself is a cute little hatchback. Unfortunately, the paint on ours has faded into what we have started calling "Old Lipstick Red." The rear passenger side door, quarter panel, and rear bumper are a much brighter red, so it was clearly in a little accident at some point.
Other than that, it drives great, and it's quite roomy inside. It has a 1.3 liter engine, too small to be available in the US. It is a 2001 model, and it has 55,000 miles on it, quite low for 11 years by American standards, but I'm told quite high by Japanese standards!
The car is a long-term rental, which we got quite affordably. It is my first time having a car in Japan and my first time driving outside the United States. Over the years, not needing a car was something I often sided as a plus about living in Japan. But that experience was based on where I had lived, and it is true for the majority of the population that lives in urban areas with accessible and affordable public transport.
After moving to Miki, we learned that it does not fall into this category. It is a sprawling town with mediocre bus routes and the most expensive train line in Japan. My current job requires me to travel to three different branches of my school, which means I need to spend a lot of time walking and waiting for trains when driving would be much more convenient. There are also many places around town that are quite exhausting to get to by bicycle, and having a car will really change our lives.
Lastly, while Japanese tollways can be extremely expensive, local trips to Kobe will be so affordable now. For example, IKEA Kobe is about an hour and a half away by car or by train. The round trip cost of gasoline is $6 or $7, but for both of us to go by train is almost $50!
We spent our first night with a car getting our favorite ramen across town. Definitely expect some Japanese road trips in the future!
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