How to book a rental car in Japan: steps, prices and fees

You book a rental car in Japan online by choosing the pick-up and return offices and times, a car class, options and the damage waiver, then registering a credit card. At ORIX Rent-A-Car’s standard rates, 24 hours costs ¥8,250 for the smallest kei car and ¥11,550 for a standard car, tax included. Options such as an ETC card (from ¥330) and a child seat (¥1,100–¥1,650) are extra. Cancelling 7 or more days before pick-up is free at the companies below.

How do I book a rental car in Japan?

Nippon Rent-A-Car describes these steps for visitors. Other companies work in a similar way.

1. Get your documents ready. You need a driving licence that is valid in Japan and your passport. See Can I drive in Japan with my licence? or check your country on the licence checker.
2. Choose where and when. Pick the pick-up office, the return office, and the dates and times.
3. Choose a car class. Classes are groups of similar cars, such as kei (small 660cc cars), compact, standard, minivan and wagon. You book a class, not an exact model.
4. Choose options. For example an ETC card, a child seat, winter tyres or 4WD.
5. Choose the damage waiver. Decide whether to add the collision damage waiver (CDW) and the company’s NOC option. See Japan rental car insurance.
6. Enter the driver details and a credit card, then confirm.
7. At pick-up, show your documents, sign the agreement and pay. Check the car for scratches with the staff.
8. At return, fill the tank, return the car to the booked office, and pay any extra charges such as ETC tolls.

Source: Nippon Rent-A-Car, How to rent a car (checked on 26 October 2026)

How much does a rental car cost in Japan?

ORIX Rent-A-Car publishes a price table on its English site. These are its standard prices for 24 hours, tax included:

Class (ORIX)	Example models	Standard	High season	Hokkaido and Okinawa, 1 July–31 August
KSS (kei car)	Wagon R, Dayz, N-WGN	¥8,250	¥9,900	¥11,550
KS (tall kei car)	N-BOX, Tanto	¥9,240	¥11,110	¥12,980
SA (compact)	Fit, Note 1.2	¥9,900	¥11,880	¥13,860
Standard A	Yaris 1.5, MAZDA2	¥11,550	¥13,860	¥16,170

Source: ORIX Rent-A-Car, Compact car rates and Standard car rates (checked on 26 October 2026)

• High season at ORIX in 2026 is 24 April–5 May, 17–19 July, 7–15 August, 18–22 September and 25 December–2 January. Hokkaido and Okinawa have their own dates.
• Each extra day costs less than the first 24 hours. For example, an extra day in an SA car is ¥7,920 at standard rates.
• The CDW is not included. At ORIX it is ¥1,100 per 24 hours for these classes.
• Prices change by season, region and campaign. The price on the booking screen is the one that counts.

Nippon Rent-A-Car shows prices on its booking screen and lists different rates for regular season, high season and Hokkaido’s summer high season.

How much are the options (ETC card, child seat, winter tyres)?

Option	Nippon Rent-A-Car	ORIX Rent-A-Car
ETC card	¥330 for up to 7 days, ¥1,100 for 8 days to 1 month (tax included)	¥550 per rental (tax included)
Baby or child seat	¥1,100 per rental (tax included)	¥1,650 per seat (babies and children up to about 4); ¥1,100 per seat (ages 4–6)
4WD	¥1,650 per day (charged for up to 15 days)	¥1,650 per day (charged for up to 15 days)
Winter tyres	¥2,200 per day (cars), ¥3,300 (minivans), when not standard	Not listed on the options page
CDW	¥1,100–2,200 per day (tax included)	¥1,100 per 24 hours (¥2,200 for some classes)
NOC option	Extra Coverage Option (ECO); check the price when you book	See ORIX’s insurance page
Car navigation	Free	Free

Source: Nippon Rent-A-Car, Useful services, User guide, Options and How to rent a car; ORIX Rent-A-Car, Options and ETC card rental (checked on 26 October 2026)

ETC card

An ETC card lets you pay expressway tolls automatically. The tolls are not included in the card fee: both companies read the tolls from the card when you return the car, and you pay them in cash or by credit card. If you lose the card, both charge ¥3,000. ORIX says some offices do not have ETC cards. See Japan expressways and ETC cards.

Child seat

Nippon Rent-A-Car says Japanese law requires a child seat for children under 6, and that it will not rent the car without one. Reserve a seat when you book, or bring your own. ORIX says you can use your own seat, but you set it up yourself.

Winter tyres and 4WD

At Nippon Rent-A-Car, studless winter tyres are fitted free of charge in these areas and periods (by departure date). The winter season rate applies.

Area	Period
Hokkaido	1 November–20 April
Aomori, Akita, Iwate, Yamagata	1 December–31 March
Miyagi, Fukushima	16 December–15 March
Nagano, Niigata, Yamanashi	1 December–31 March
Fukui, Toyama, Ishikawa	1 December–31 March

Source: Nippon Rent-A-Car, Winter tires (checked on 26 October 2026)

Outside these periods, winter tyres are a paid option and depend on stock. Nippon Rent-A-Car does not rent tyre chains. 4WD is a separate paid option at both companies. For winter roads, see Winter driving in Hokkaido.

Expressway passes

Visitors can get regional expressway passes through the rental company. You always need to rent an ETC card with the pass.

• Nippon Rent-A-Car: Hokkaido and Tohoku only. Both the pick-up and the return office must handle the pass. Contact the company by email or apply at the counter.
• ORIX: Hokkaido (HEP), Tohoku (TEP), San’in-Setouchi-Shikoku (SEP) and Kyushu (KEP). For foreign passport holders. Kei cars are not eligible, and one-way rentals are not eligible except in Hokkaido.

Source: Nippon Rent-A-Car, Useful services and FAQ; ORIX Rent-A-Car, Expressway Pass (checked on 26 October 2026)

None of these pages mentions an expressway pass for Okinawa. Prices of the Hokkaido pass are in Japan expressways and ETC cards.

How do I pay? Do I need a credit card?

	Nippon Rent-A-Car	ORIX Rent-A-Car	OTS Rent-a-car
Credit cards	VISA, Mastercard, JCB, Diners Club, American Express, DISCOVER	VISA, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club, UnionPay, DISCOVER	Major credit cards
Cash	Most classes (not premium and some large vehicles)	Higher classes are credit card only	Japanese yen
Other rules	No prepaid cards or cards without 3D Secure. You cannot pay with a passenger’s card.	The person who books, the renter and the card holder must be the same person.	Edy (electronic money) also accepted. Pay in full on the pick-up day.

Source: Nippon Rent-A-Car, FAQ and User guide; ORIX Rent-A-Car, Payment method; OTS Rent-a-car, Services at a glance (checked on 26 October 2026)

Nippon Rent-A-Car says a debit card is charged each time the card is checked, so a debit card may show more than one charge.

What documents do I need at pick-up?

• A driving licence valid in Japan. For most visitors, this is an International Driving Permit (IDP) under the 1949 Geneva Convention. Licences from Switzerland, Germany, France, Taiwan, Belgium and Monaco are used with an official Japanese translation. See Can I drive in Japan with my licence?
• Your passport.
• The originals for every driver. Nippon Rent-A-Car does not accept copies or digital versions. All drivers must come to the counter. Adding a driver at the counter is free.

Source: Nippon Rent-A-Car, How to rent a car and FAQ (checked on 26 October 2026)

Nippon Rent-A-Car says drivers aged 18 and over can rent.

What is the cancellation fee?

The three companies charge a share of the basic fee, depending on when you cancel:

When you cancel	Nippon Rent-A-Car	ORIX Rent-A-Car	OTS Rent-a-car
7 or more days before pick-up	Free	Free	Free
6–3 days before	20% of the basic fee	20% of the basic fee	20%
2–1 days before	30% of the basic fee	30% of the basic fee	30%
On the pick-up day	50% of the basic fee	50% of the basic fee	50%
Maximum	¥6,000 limit shown (see note)	¥13,200	Not stated

Source: Nippon Rent-A-Car, User guide and How to rent a car; ORIX Rent-A-Car, Cancellation; OTS Rent-a-car, Cancellation charge (checked on 26 October 2026)

• Nippon Rent-A-Car shows “6,000 yen limit” next to its table but does not explain how it applies. Its FAQ also says there is no fee if you cancel on the same day you made the booking. Check your booking confirmation.
• Nippon Rent-A-Car and OTS cancel the booking if you do not contact them within one hour after the pick-up time.
• ORIX accepts online changes and cancellations until one hour before pick-up, but the pick-up office cannot be changed. Special campaigns may have other rules.

Can I return the car to a different office (one-way rental)?

Yes, at many offices, but there may be a drop-off fee, and some routes are not possible.

	Nippon Rent-A-Car	ORIX Rent-A-Car
Drop-off fee	Based on distance: ¥880 per 10 km for passenger cars (tax included). Free under 20 km. Kyushu, Hokkaido and Shikoku have their own tables.	Shown when you select the offices. It includes some toll roads.
Not possible	To and from remote islands (including Okinawa Main Island, Ishigaki, Miyako, Sado, Yakushima)	Between Hokkaido or Okinawa and other prefectures; between the mainland and remote islands
Other rules	Not at all offices. Changing the return office after pick-up needs approval and costs a fee (¥3,300 for passenger cars).	Must be booked in advance. Return during business hours (8:00–20:00, except Hokkaido and Okinawa).

Source: Nippon Rent-A-Car, One-way rental; ORIX Rent-A-Car, One-way charge (checked on 26 October 2026)

OTS says cars can be returned at a different branch. In Hokkaido, Nippon Rent-A-Car says the fee is free within the same area, and new fee tables apply to bookings from 27 May 2026.

Should I book direct or through a travel site?

Both are possible. The differences are practical:

• Booking with the rental company shows its own options, such as winter tyres, ETC cards and the NOC option, and lets you change or cancel on its website. ORIX says its web discount applies only to bookings completed on its own website.
• Booking through a travel site lets you compare several companies on one screen. Nippon Rent-A-Car says it cannot view, change or cancel bookings made through other companies’ websites, so you contact the site you booked with. ORIX says that if you booked outside its website, you ask for an ETC card at the counter on the pick-up day.

Source: Nippon Rent-A-Car, FAQ; ORIX Rent-A-Car, Standard car rates and Expressway Pass (checked on 26 October 2026)

Whichever way you book, check which insurance, CDW and options are included before you pay.