Category: Rental Cars

Grandpa and Grandma, two families of siblings, and four children: ten people. When they decide to drive around Japan and open a rental car list, a big “10-seater” wagon catches their eye. Everyone could ride in one vehicle, with just one driver. It looks like the simplest choice.

But a single 10-seater comes with several small hurdles, both before you rent it and after you set off: the license category, the amount of luggage, the children’s seats, and where to park. If even one causes trouble, it can disrupt the trip.

So here is our answer up front.

The Short Answer — Rent two minivans that seat 7–8 each. Choose two drivers

• Rent two minivans that seat 7–8 each. With ten people, for example, put six in one and four in the other. Split the child seats and luggage between the vehicles
• Choose two drivers and give their names when booking. Both go to the rental counter on the day
• Choose one 10-seater only if all four conditions below are met

With two cars, each ride is a little quieter. Parking becomes much less of a worry, luggage does not fill the footwells, and you can fit the child seats properly. The grandparents’ group can go straight to the hotel while the children’s group makes a detour. That freedom is another benefit of two cars. Meet at a service area and eat the same soft-serve ice cream.

One 10-seater works only if all four conditions are met

A 10-seater wagon, such as a Hiace, carries ten people in one vehicle. But if even one of the following four conditions is missing, choose two cars.

1. Your International Driving Permit is a form accepted in Japan, with a stamp in category D

Before checking category D, check that the booklet is a form accepted in Japan. Japan accepts International Driving Permits in the 1949 Geneva Convention form. The booklet names the treaty as “CONVENTION ON ROAD TRAFFIC OF 19 SEPTEMBER 1949” (Toyota Rent a Car). A permit whose vehicle categories read A, B, C, D, BE, CE and DE uses a different form and cannot be used to drive in Japan (Aichi Prefectural Police), even if category D is stamped.

On an International Driving Permit (IDP) in a form accepted in Japan, vehicle categories are divided into A through E. You may drive only vehicles in categories that have been stamped.

• Category B … A vehicle with up to eight seats besides the driver’s. That means up to nine seats in total. Ordinary minivans fall here
• Category D … A vehicle with more than eight seats besides the driver’s. A 10-seater falls here

Nippon Rent-A-Car also describes B as “minivans and wagons (except 10-seaters)” and D as “10-seater wagons and minibuses.” Toyota Rent a Car says its 10-seater (W4 class) requires a stamp in category D. At a Nippon Rent-A-Car counter, staff check whether the category for the reserved vehicle is stamped.

When your IDP booklet arrives, open it and check first for the name of the 1949 convention, then for category D. Without its stamp, you cannot choose a 10-seater. Choose two vehicles that seat up to eight instead.
What the counter checks, and how to read the booklet, are in “Driving in Japan with an International Driving Permit (IDP).”
If you obtain an IDP based on an Indian license, also see “Can I drive in Japan with an Indian licence?.”

2. You have little luggage

The “number of bags” stated by rental companies refers to surprisingly small bags.

• For a Nippon Rent-A-Car 10-seater, the guide is three to four domestic carry-on size bags when eight people ride
• ORIX Rent a Car also gives four bags as its guide for a 10-seater. Its “one bag” measures at most 115 cm in total length, width and height (within 55 × 40 × 25 cm)

In other words, the rental companies checked here (Nippon, ORIX and Toyota) do not say that ten large checked suitcases fit (nor do they say they do not fit). When ten people ride in a 10-seater, luggage space shrinks further. If you have many large suitcases, split them between two cars or send them ahead to your hotel.

For how companies count “one suitcase,” see “Choosing a Rental Car Size in Japan by Your Suitcases.”

3. Fewer than three children are under six, and everyone can sit after child seats are fitted

In Japan, a child under six must use a child seat when riding in a car (Road Traffic Act).

• Rental companies limit how many child seats can be fitted in one vehicle. Nippon Rent-A-Car allows up to two in a 7- to 10-seater wagon (one in its smallest three-row vehicle)
• Fitting child seats reduces the number of people who can sit. Toyota Rent a Car says that in a row of three seats, one adult and one child seat can sit comfortably when a child seat is fitted
• Request child seats when booking. Toyota Rent a Car asks you to tell them at booking if a child under six will ride. The renter fits the seats (Times Car Rental and Toyota Rent a Car)

With three or more children under six, a company such as Nippon Rent-A-Car, which allows only two child seats per vehicle, cannot fit them all in one car. Split the group between two cars.

Even with two or fewer, fitting the child seats may leave too few individual seats for all ten to sit and wear seat belts. Nippon Rent-A-Car also recommends eight passengers in its 10-seater. If you choose a 10-seater, tell the rental company the children’s ages and number and how many child seats you need when booking. Ask which seats can take them and whether everyone can sit. If the answer is unclear, choose two cars.

4. You have decided where to park in advance

This is the biggest pitfall with a 10-seater.

A 10-seater Hiace is over 2.1 m tall. Toyota’s specification sheet (January 2024 edition) lists the 10-seater Hiace Wagon at 2,105–2,285 mm in height; the long version (Grand Cabin) is 5,380 mm long.

Coin parking facilities, meanwhile, set vehicle size limits. For example, Times parking terms allow vehicles up to 5.0 m long, 1.9 m wide, 2.1 m high and 2.5 t in gross vehicle weight in ordinary ground-level and multi-story facilities (mechanical parking: 1.5 m high and 2.0 t gross vehicle weight). A 10-seater Hiace exceeds this ordinary limit in height. The Grand Cabin and some others also exceed 2.5 t in gross vehicle weight. If a multi-story parking entrance says “height 2.1 m,” a 10-seater Hiace cannot enter.

The terms do say that some facilities have different limits, and some can accommodate larger vehicles. Hotel parking also varies by property.

Even opposite the same Kyoto Station, one hotel’s parking fits and another’s does not. If choosing a 10-seater, check the “vehicle restrictions” (height, length, width and weight) at your hotel and destinations before booking. The exact model may differ, and the booking screen does not show its dimensions, so ask the counter for the rented vehicle’s height, length, width and gross vehicle weight.

With a minivan seating up to eight, this concern becomes much smaller. For parking, see “How to Use Multi-Story and Underground Parking Garages” and “How to Use Mechanical and Tower Parking.”

For drivers with a Taiwanese license and Japanese translation — Do not choose a 10-seater

In Japan, drivers with a Taiwanese license use it with a Japanese translation, not an International Driving Permit. They may drive only vehicles their Taiwanese license allows.

Under Taiwanese rules, a vehicle with ten or more seats, including the driver’s, is a “large passenger vehicle”. Driving one with a small-vehicle license is punishable. Nippon Rent-A-Car also asks customers renting with a translation to check their permitted vehicle category before booking; it says bookings of 10-seaters by people whose licenses cover up to nine seats are increasing.

So with a Taiwanese small-vehicle license, do not choose a Japanese 10-seater; plan around vehicles seating up to eight. For ten people, use two cars. If you hold a large-passenger-vehicle license, check the vehicle category on the translation before booking.
For the process of renting with a translation, see “Driving in Japan with a Japanese Translation.”

What to know when renting two cars

• You may need two separate reservations. Nippon Rent-A-Car says you can reserve two or more vehicles, but its website and app take one vehicle per reservation. Once booked, check that both reservations show the same office and time
• Decide who will drive when booking. Nippon Rent-A-Car says it may refuse the rental if a driver other than the one on the reservation comes to the counter. Times Car Rental also asks customers to choose their drivers before booking
• Both drivers go to the counter on the day. Nippon Rent-A-Car, Toyota Rent a Car and Times Car Rental say all drivers must show their licenses (such as an IDP or a translation) and passports at the counter. The second driver also needs a stamp in the category of the vehicle they will drive
• Adding a driver costs no extra (Nippon Rent-A-Car and Toyota Rent a Car; Nippon Rent-A-Car allows additions at the counter). A registered driver receives the same coverage as the renter (Nippon Rent-A-Car and Times Car Rental)
• Check what “7–8 seats” means for the class. Toyota Rent a Car classes labeled 7–8 seats include both seven- and eight-seat models. Contact the departure office if you need a specific capacity (a fee may apply). Times Car Rental lets you choose only a vehicle class, not a particular model
• Large vehicles often require a credit card. Nippon Rent-A-Car, Toyota Rent a Car (W4) and ORIX Rent a Car’s Grand Cabin accept card payment only. Even 7–8-seaters in higher classes may be card-only. Check payment methods on the booking screen. For card-only classes, Nippon Rent-A-Car accepts only the main driver’s card

If the second driver is young

• Nippon Rent-A-Car says there is no age limit for drivers aged 18 or older (drivers under 21 or licensed for less than one year receive a safe-driving briefing at the counter)
• ORIX Rent a Car says people over 18 can rent vehicles within their license category
• Times Car Rental says it has no restriction based on age or date of license issue
• Toyota Rent a Car says some offices have age restrictions. Ask the office where you will rent

A 10-seater may not appear on the English booking screen

Toyota Rent a Car’s English booking screen lists minivans and wagons for “6–8 people”; the 10-seater (W4) appears on its Japanese page. Nippon Rent-A-Car does not offer a 10-seater in every region. If you cannot find one, search for two vehicles seating up to eight.

How many people, how many cars?

Do not count “two eight-seaters” as 16 usable seats. Child seats and luggage reduce the available seats.

A minibus carrying 11 or more people in one vehicle requires a medium vehicle license even under Japanese licensing rules. We do not recommend it as a rental car solution here. If only one person can drive, or your family would rather not drive, see “Japan by Train with a Big Family (8–12 People).” That article also explains arranging a large transfer vehicle just between the airport and hotel.

Send luggage ahead

Even with two cars, ten large suitcases make them crowded. You can send suitcases from one hotel to the next. Families driving around can make more room for passengers by sending only their big bags ahead. For how to send them, see “Luggage Forwarding in Japan: Sending Your Luggage from Hotel to Hotel (Hands-Free Travel).”

When choosing where to stay

When looking for a place for ten people, check the number of parking spaces and vehicle restrictions along with room size. With two cars, you need two spaces. Some hotel parking is not reservable; if it is full, the hotel may direct you to nearby parking (Kyoto Century Hotel).

Before you go, just these things

• Open the IDP booklet and check whether it is the 1949 form and which categories are stamped for both drivers (a form listing A, B, C, D, BE, CE and DE cannot be used in Japan. B allows up to nine seats in total—an ordinary minivan. A 10-seater requires D)
• With a Taiwanese license, do not choose a 10-seater
• Put both drivers’ names on the reservation (for two cars, check that the reservations show the same office and time)
• Request a child seat for each child under six (ask the company how many fit in one vehicle; Nippon Rent-A-Car allows up to two. For a 10-seater, also ask whether everyone can sit after they are fitted)
• If choosing a 10-seater, check height, length, width and weight restrictions at your hotel and destination parking facilities

More details

• How to read the IDP categories → “Driving in Japan with an International Driving Permit (IDP)”
• Renting with a Taiwanese license → “Driving in Japan with a Japanese Translation”
• Car size and suitcases → “Choosing a Rental Car Size in Japan by Your Suitcases”
• Train or car? → “Train or Rental Car in Japan?”
• A big-family trip without driving → “Japan by Train with a Big Family (8–12 People)”

For a road trip with ten people, there are really only two things to decide: use two cars and choose two drivers. Then the two cars can follow each other along a mountain road, and all ten can meet again at the next town’s parking lot.

Choose the size of your rental car by the number of suitcases, rather than the number of people.

There are three things to decide.

1 People and luggage

2 Child seats

3 In winter, winter tires

1 People and luggage

How big is that “one suitcase”?

ORIX Rent a Car lists how many suitcases fit in each class of car.

What matters is the size of that “one.” The way ORIX Rent a Car counts, one suitcase is one whose three sides add up to 115 cm or less, and each within 55 cm × 40 cm × 25 cm. The numbers are a guide and vary a little from car to car.

Try measuring the suitcases you have. If they’re bigger than this, expect to fit fewer than the number listed.

Here’s what ORIX Rent a Car’s numbers look like, with some example classes. Kei cars (such as the Wagon R and N-BOX) seat 4 and take 2 suitcases, and the class with cars like the Fit and Note seats 5 and takes 2–3. Minivans that seat 7–8 (such as the Noah, Serena and STEP WGN) take 3–4, and the Hiace, which seats 10, takes 4. Even with the same car name, hybrid classes may take fewer (the Note e-POWER and Fit Hybrid classes take 2).

Go one size up from the number of seats

Choosing a car that seats more people than you have gives you peace of mind. With every seat full, light or small cars can be slow to pick up speed on expressways and uphill.

Keep your luggage low enough that you can see out the back. If it won’t all fit, go one size bigger.

When there are 5 or more of you, or you have a lot of luggage, a minivan or wagon with three rows of seats works well. Wagons are popular and can sometimes run out, so booking early is the safe bet.

Small cars and kei cars pay off on Japan’s roads

If there are 2 or 3 of you, a small car works well.

Small cars suit Japan’s narrow roads, and they’re roomy enough for 2 or 3 people or a couple.

A kei car (軽自動車) is a small car with a 660 cc engine that seats up to 4. It’s good for getting around town and for day trips.

Parking lots also have spaces just for 「軽」 (kei cars). Narrow alleys and kei-only spaces are no trouble in a small car. The Japanese you’ll see at parking lots is in “Parking in Japanese: A Mini Dictionary for Parking Lots in Japan.”

What about manual cars?

Some companies have only automatic cars (Times Car Rental, Nissan Rent a Car; at Nippon Rent-A-Car, too, all passenger cars and minivans are automatic).

If you usually drive an automatic, you can drive just as you do at home.

2 Child seats

In Japan, the law requires a child seat when a child under 6 is in the car.

Ask for child seats when you book. Toyota Rent a Car asks you to let it know when you book if a child under 6 is traveling with you (at Times Car Rental, you may not be able to rent one if none are available or you didn’t reserve one).

There’s a limit to how many can be fitted. At Times Car Rental, they can’t be fitted in the middle seat, and at Nissan Rent a Car, it’s up to 2 per car. Some companies let you bring your own child seat (ORIX Rent a Car).

When you pick up the car, check for yourself that it’s firmly fixed in place.

If the seats are all ready when you set off, your kids can settle in right from the start.

3 In winter, winter tires

If you’re renting in winter, get a car with winter tires (studless tires).

Even if there’s no snow where you pick up the car, it may snow where you’re going. Apart from Okinawa, even Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya and Fukuoka can get snow. Driving on slippery snowy roads on regular tires without any anti-skid measures isn’t allowed by law (according to Budget Rent a Car).

At Toyota Rent a Car, some offices have winter tires fitted from the start and others offer them as an option you need to book, and bookings open around October or November (it depends on the office). Outside the snowy regions, a car with winter tires may not be available if they’re fully booked.

If you’re traveling Japan by car in winter, book while it’s still fall.

One-way rentals in winter are covered in “Japan Rental Car Q&A — Booking, Pickup, Return, Accidents and More.”

How to drive on snowy roads will be covered in a separate article.

※ Car classes and how much luggage they take, the number of child seats and how they’re fitted, and whether winter tires are available differ by company, office and car, and they can change. When you actually book, check the latest information from the company you’re renting from.

At the end of your trip, you return the rental car.

Before you return it, there are three things to think about.

1 The time

2 Filling up

3 Things left behind

1 The time

You return the car within the office’s business hours (Times Car Rental and Nippon Rent-A-Car state clearly that you can’t return it outside those hours). If you want to return it before the office opens, you return it the day before (Nippon Rent-A-Car).

Work back from the closing time of the office you’re returning to, and aim to arrive at a time that still works even if the roads are busy.

With time to spare, you can walk around town at the end

Times Car Rental also has offices at major shinkansen stations.

Return the car early at a station office, and you can walk around the station area until your train.

Without the rush to return the car, you can spend the end of your trip at an easy pace.

If you might be late, call ahead

As soon as you know you won’t make it, contact the office you rented from or the company’s help line before you return the car (Toyota Rent a Car, Times Car Rental, ORIX Rent a Car, Nippon Rent-A-Car, Budget Rent a Car).

Some companies charge a penalty (Toyota Rent a Car, ORIX Rent a Car), but at both of them, the penalty is for when you don’t get in touch. You’re still charged for the extra time even if you do get in touch (ORIX Rent a Car). Depending on other bookings, you may not be able to extend (Toyota Rent a Car, Nissan Rent a Car).

Check the contact details on the paperwork you got when you picked up the car. Make that one call, and you can drive the rest of the way without rushing.

2 Return it with a full tank?

At Toyota Rent a Car, you fill the tank at a nearby gas station before you return the car. If you don’t, you’re charged for fuel based on the distance you drove.

After you fill up, keep the gas station receipt. You may be asked to show it when you return the car.

If you don’t know where the nearest gas station is, try asking the staff. Times Car Rental has English maps to its return offices that also show nearby gas stations.

How to fill up is covered in “Returning a Rental Car Full in Japan (満タン返し) — One Fill-Up Right Before You Return It, and the Receipt.”

3 Things left behind

Before you get out, take one look around the inside of the car.

Things that are easy to leave behind are ETC cards, smartphones and sunglasses. Check that you’ve taken the ETC card out of the slot.

If you do leave something behind, contact the office you returned the car to right away. At ORIX Rent a Car, you may need ID to collect it. At Times Car Rental, if you describe the item’s shape and features on the inquiry form, it’s sent abroad by international courier. The shipping fee is handled by the delivery company (TUMOCA Express), not by Times Car Rental.

When you get to the office

When you get to the office, tell the staff you’ve come to return the car.

Here’s how returning the car works at Times Car Rental.

Check the car’s condition with the staff.

Pay any extra charges, such as for an extension.

Show the gas station receipt.

Check that nothing’s been left behind.

Once you’ve paid, the return is done. After that, your time is your own until your train or flight home.

※ Business hours, charges for being late, whether you can extend, the refueling rules and how left-behind items are handled differ by company and by office, and they can change. When you actually return the car, check the latest information from the company you rented from and what the office tells you.

From arriving at the rental car office to driving off, things go roughly in this order.

1 At the counter: paperwork and explanations

2 Around the car: checking for scratches

3 Inside the car: controls and navigation

4 Setting off

The most important part is step 2, checking for scratches.

1 At the counter: paperwork and explanations

You show your license and other documents, listen to the explanation of the contract, and sign. If anything’s unclear, it’s fine to ask the staff right there.

If more than one person will drive, some companies ask for every driver’s license and passport (Toyota Rent a Car, Times Car Rental, Nippon Rent-A-Car). At Toyota Rent a Car, the people traveling with you can drive too, at no extra charge. ORIX Rent a Car does it differently: the person who signs the contract is responsible for checking the licenses of the other drivers.

If you plan to take turns driving during the trip, bring that person to the counter with you, and you won’t be left wondering later.

The documents are covered in “Driving in Japan as a Tourist — Your Own License, Plus an International Driving Permit (IDP) or a Japanese Translation, Depending on Your Country.”

Some companies also let you add coverage when you pick up the car (Times Car Rental, Nippon Rent-A-Car). The booking site ToCoo!’s own coverage can’t be added at the office. If you’ve made a note of what you signed up for when you booked, you can choose calmly here.

2 Around the car: checking for scratches

Walk around the car with the staff and check for scratches and dents.

Some offices also check the amount of gas and the mileage along with the scratches, and record the car’s condition.

This is the step that protects you.

When you return the car, the staff check it too (Toyota Rent a Car, Times Car Rental, ORIX Rent a Car). If you and the staff looked at the existing scratches together before you set off, you can talk it through calmly at that point.

Point out anything that bothers you, even if it’s small. Some companies ask you to tell them about any scratch you find when you pick up the car, however minor (Budget Rent a Car).

3 Inside the car: controls and navigation

Before you drive off, ask about any controls you’re not sure of. Here are a few examples.

How to open the fuel door

Where the ETC card slot is

The hazard lights

The parking brake

Where the spare tire is

If you rented an ETC card, put it in now. ETC cards are covered in “ETC Card and Expressway Pass — Ask for Them When You Book Your Rental Car.”

If you rented a child seat, check for yourself that it’s firmly fixed in place.

Asking here is what saves you from scrambling to find the fuel door at your first gas station.

Navigation

The language of the navigation system differs by company and by car.

At Toyota Rent a Car, you can request navigation with English, Chinese or Korean voice guidance when you book online (some of the display is in Japanese only). But you may not always get what you asked for. At Times Car Rental, some cars don’t have navigation, so you choose navigation when you book. At ORIX Rent a Car, every car has navigation, and whether English, Chinese or Korean is available depends on the office.

Nippon Rent-A-Car says it can’t guarantee multilingual navigation. But Nippon Rent-A-Car’s Japanese navigation systems work with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Even if you end up with Japanese navigation, you can connect your own smartphone and use that.

Times Car Rental’s navigation guide includes “search by phone number” and “search by map code.” Keep a note of the phone numbers of the shops and hotels you want to go to, and you’ll have a way to enter your destination.

4 Setting off

Last of all, adjust the seat and mirrors to fit you. Fasten seat belts in both the front and back seats.

If this is your first time driving in Japan, before you set off, also look over “Japanese Road Signs and Their Meanings — Read the Shape and Color, and Learn the Two Places You Stop First.”

For driving on the left, turning right, and crosswalks, see “Your First 10 Minutes Driving in Japan.”

Once that’s done, all that’s left is to drive off.

If your flight is delayed

If it looks like you’ll be late for your pickup time, contact the office as soon as you know.

If you’re about an hour past your booked time, your booking may be canceled. Some companies specify “if you haven’t contacted us” as the condition (Times Car Rental, Nissan Rent a Car, Nippon Rent-A-Car, Budget Rent a Car).

Note down the office’s contact details before your trip, and you can make that call as soon as you’re off the plane.

※ The order of the steps, the documents, coverage, the navigation language and what happens if you’re late differ by company and by office, and they can change. When you actually rent, check the latest information from the company you’re renting from and what the office tells you.

The same company. The same class of car.

And yet the price is different depending on the page.

There’s nothing strange about it. Rental car prices change mainly with three things.

1 Where you buy it (the official site or a booking site)

2 What’s included in the price shown

3 How the rates are divided up, and the time of year

1 Where you buy it

A booking site lets you compare cars from lots of companies at once.

On the booking site rentalcars.com, your booking is an agreement with rentalcars.com, and the contract to rent the car is made with the rental car company at the counter. The booking is the site’s business, and the car is the office’s.

Who handles what differs from one booking site to another. Look at the contact details in your booking confirmation, and you’ll know where to turn if something goes wrong.

rentalcars.com ranks its search results not only by price and reviews but also by things like profit — it says so itself.

Being at the top doesn’t necessarily mean it’s cheapest. What you compare is what’s included, not the order.

2 What’s included in the price shown

Before you book, check what this price includes.

Here’s how it differs depending on where you book.

On Tabirai Car Rental, the price shown includes the basic rate, 免責補償 (CDW), navigation, the ETC unit in the car, and consumption tax. The ETC card, the company’s extra coverage (such as NOC), options, one-way fees, gas and expressway tolls are outside the price shown.

On ToCoo!, only available cars show up in the search results, and you can also see the total including coverage and so on. Consumption tax is added on the booking screen. For bookings through ToCoo!, ToCoo!’s own coverage (T.A.S.) is required. It covers NOC (the rental company’s compensation for the time the car can’t be rented out) in an accident, and towing costs, and because it isn’t the rental car company’s product, you can’t sign up for it at the office.

At Nippon Rent-A-Car, if you book on its own site with 「フル補償」 (“full coverage”), there’s no coverage to add on the day. If you booked on another site, it tells you to check your coverage with that site.

At Toyota Rent a Car, basic insurance is included in the hourly rate, and coverage packages cost extra. At Times Car Rental, coverage packages aren’t required, and you can choose them when you book or when you pick up the car.

So you don’t pay for coverage twice

The coverage that’s included from the start differs depending on where you book. Some companies also let you add coverage when you pick up the car (Times Car Rental, Nippon Rent-A-Car).

So note down what coverage your booking already includes, and bring that note with you.

Before you add coverage at the counter, compare it with that note, and you won’t pay twice for the same thing.

What the coverage includes is explained in “Rental Car Insurance in Japan (CDW and NOC) — Three Tiers So the Booking Screen Doesn’t Stop You.”

When we actually checked several booking sites, the amounts shown didn’t include the same things even when we searched under the same conditions. If you’re unsure where to book, see “Where Should You Book a Rental Car in Japan? How Much Is the Total?“.

3 How the rates are divided up, and the time of year

Times Car Rental’s rates come in blocks of 6 hours, 12 hours and 24 hours. If you rent for 8 hours, the 12-hour rate is cheaper, so that’s the one that applies.

Over the New Year holidays, Obon and Golden Week, peak-season rates apply (Times Car Rental).

Nippon Rent-A-Car has separate rates for Japanese licenses and other licenses. You can check your own rate as you go through the booking.

Once you know the blocks and the seasons, you’ll start to see ways to save a little when you pick the day you rent and the time you return.

You can’t choose the model. So it’s a surprise

What you choose when you book is the car’s class (its size category).

At Times Car Rental, Nippon Rent-A-Car and ORIX Rent a Car, you can only choose the class (at ORIX Rent a Car, except for campaigns that let you choose the model). Even if it says 「同級車」 (“a car of the same class”) or “or similar,” think of it as choosing only the class.

If you have your heart set on a particular model, there are ways. Nissan Rent a Car lets you choose whether to accept a 「クラスアップ」 (“class up”), where you get a car from a higher class. Toyota Rent a Car has a paid option to specify the model, and ToCoo! has plans that let you specify the model.

As long as the class is right, which car you get is a surprise on the day.

Checks before you press the book button

□ Will the card you have work? Some companies don’t accept debit cards or prepaid cards (Toyota Rent a Car, Nissan Rent a Car). Depending on the type of card, it may not be accepted, so check which cards you can use before you book. Some companies take only credit cards at the office (Budget Rent a Car), and some offices take only cash (Japanese yen).

□ What’s included in the price shown? Coverage, navigation, ETC, one-way fees.

□ The rules for canceling and changing They differ depending on where you book. Even at Times Car Rental, the cancellation rules are written differently on the Japanese page and the English page. So read the rules on the page you booked on.

□ Where you booked Keep your booking confirmation handy.

When you can start booking, and how to change a booking, are covered in “Japan Rental Car Q&A — Booking, Pickup, Return, Accidents and More.”

If you use a booking site

Booking sites are a handy way to line up companies and compare them. Besides rentalcars.com, mentioned above, here are two examples.

ToCoo! It handles 54 brands, with offices at 56 major airports and 72 major shinkansen stations.

Tabirai Car Rental It chooses the companies it lists using more than 20 criteria, and its top page shows six companies: Toyota, Nippon, Times, ORIX, Nissan and Budget. The price shown includes things like 免責補償.

※ What’s included in the price shown, coverage, the rules for canceling and changing, and the cards you can use differ by company and by booking site, and they can change. When you actually book, check the latest information on the page you’re booking on.

You’re coming to Japan on a trip and renting a car. Which company should you go with?

It’s a question we hear a lot.

But if you start by picking a company, you’ll go around in circles.

What you decide first is the shape of your trip.

Once these three things are settled, the choice of company narrows down on its own.

1 Where you’ll pick up the car

2 Where, and at what time, you’ll return it

3 Where you’ll book it

1 Where you’ll pick up the car

First, decide whether to pick up the car on the day you arrive.

Both pickup and return happen within the rental office’s business hours (Times Car Rental, Nippon Rent-A-Car, Nissan Rent a Car). Business hours differ from office to office.

If your flight lands outside business hours, book the car from the day after you arrive.

On the night you arrive, take the train to your hotel.

Pick up the car the next morning, once it’s light, and you won’t have to drive Japan’s roads for the first time at night.

Check where the office is, too. Times Car Rental has offices at major airports and major shinkansen stations, and offices far from the airport pick you up for free. Whether there’s a shuttle from the airport depends on the office (at Nippon Rent-A-Car and Nissan Rent a Car, only some airport offices have one).

If you’re picking up at an airport, check for a shuttle when you book, and you won’t have to hunt for one after you land.

2 Where, and at what time, you’ll return it

You don’t have to use the car for your whole trip

Returning the car to a different office from the one you rented it at is called 乗り捨て (a one-way rental).

For example, you can use it like this.

Use the car only to get to a big station or an airport.

You’ll have more luggage on the way back, so rent a car just for the trip home.

The car can be just one part of your trip. You can also plan to rent only for the stretches that are hard to reach by train.

You can take trains in the cities and use a car only in rural areas. If you’re still unsure, “Train or Rental Car in Japan?” will help you decide.

Decide on a one-way rental when you book

It’s safest to request a one-way rental when you book. Toyota Rent a Car and Budget Rent a Car ask you to request it in advance, and on Tabirai, once you’ve booked, you can’t switch to one on the day of your rental.

Some offices and car models don’t accept one-way rentals (Toyota Rent a Car, Nissan Rent a Car), and Budget Rent a Car says a one-way return may not be possible even if you requested it when you set off. On booking sites, the one-way fee may not be included in the price shown (Tabirai).

If your trip only goes one way, check when you book that the one-way rental has gone through, and what the one-way fee is.

For trips between Hokkaido or Okinawa and the rest of Japan, many companies don’t allow one-way rentals (Toyota Rent a Car, Times Car Rental, ORIX Rent a Car, Nissan Rent a Car). One-way rentals between islands are covered in “Japan Rental Car Q&A — Booking, Pickup, Return, Accidents and More.”

The time you return it

You also return the car within business hours. ORIX Rent a Car only takes one-way returns between 8:00 and 20:00 (except in Hokkaido and Okinawa).

If your flight home leaves outside business hours, book the car only up to the day before you fly out. At Nippon Rent-A-Car, too, if you want to return the car before the office opens, you return it the day before.

On your last morning, you can head to the airport without thinking about the car.

Returning the car is covered in “Returning a Rental Car in Japan: The Hour Before — Work Back from Closing Time and Traffic.”

3 Where you’ll book it

You can book in two places: the rental car company’s official site, or a booking site.

Where you booked changes who you contact if something goes wrong later. A booking made on another site may not be something the rental car company can change on its end (Nippon Rent-A-Car, Nissan Rent a Car).

One more thing: the cards you can pay with differ by company, too. Some companies don’t accept debit cards or prepaid cards (Toyota Rent a Car, Nissan Rent a Car). Before you book, check that the card you have will work.

How the booking routes differ is covered in “Japan Rental Car Prices — Why the Same Car Has Several Prices, and How to Read the Booking Screen.”

For actual research on how displayed prices and coverage differ by booking site, see “Where Should You Book a Rental Car in Japan? How Much Is the Total?“.

Language support, and the language of the website

Nippon Rent-A-Car, Times Car Rental, Toyota Rent a Car and ORIX Rent a Car have lines where you can get help in English and other languages. Nippon Rent-A-Car handles English, Chinese, Korean and Thai at offices nationwide, and Times Car Rental’s accident and breakdown line runs 24 hours in 10 languages. Toyota Rent a Car has an English reservation center and 24-hour multilingual support you can use if you register in advance, and ORIX Rent a Car connects you to an interpreting center (BeBorn).

Check the phone numbers on the paperwork you get when you pick up the car.

Toyota Rent a Car, Times Car Rental, Nippon Rent-A-Car, ORIX Rent a Car and Budget Rent a Car also have websites in Korean and Traditional Chinese.

Book on a page you can read in your own language, and it’ll be easier to look back at the rules later.

For now, just these three

Where you’ll pick up the car / where, and at what time, you’ll return it / where you’ll book it.

Write these three down before you open the companies’ pages, and you’ll know exactly where to look.

The license documents are covered in “Driving in Japan as a Tourist — Your Own License, Plus an International Driving Permit (IDP) or a Japanese Translation, Depending on Your Country,” and coverage in “Rental Car Insurance in Japan (CDW and NOC) — Three Tiers So the Booking Screen Doesn’t Stop You.”

※ Business hours, airport shuttles, whether one-way rentals are allowed and what they cost, the cards you can pay with, and language support differ by company and by office, and they can change. When you actually book, check the latest information from the company you’re booking with.