Before you go
This is based on official information from rental car companies and booking sites, as of September 2026.
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.
