FAQ

To rent a car, you need a valid driver's license for Japan.

• ・International Driving Permit based on the Road Traffic Convention of September 19, 1949 (Geneva Convention)
• - Driver's license from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Taiwan, or Monaco (issued by an official issuing agency and translated into Japanese required)
• ・Japanese driver's license

• For driver's license information please see the link below.

Usage Guide- International Driver's Permit (IDP)
News - [IMPORTANT] Please check your International Driver's Permit (IDP).

The driver's license must be issued under the International Driving Permit (Geneva Convention) based on the Road Traffic Convention of 19 September 1949.

*Persons holding an International Driving Permit under the 1968 Road Traffic Convention (Vienna Convention), an EU-issued license, or any other form of driving license are not permitted to drive in Japan.
*If you have a driver's license issued in Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Taiwan or Monaco, you will need a Japanese translation issued by an official issuing agency such as the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) or an embassy.
*If you are renting with an international driver's license, you will need to present your original passport.

Unfortunately, unless you present your license at the time of pick-up you will not be able to rent a vehicle.Driving without a license is a violation of traffic laws.Please do not forget your license.

Nippon Rent-A-Car may refuse to enter into a rental agreement if the customer appears to be under the influence of alcohol, if a driver different from the one designated at the time of reservation appears at the counter, or if the customer has not paid the fare for the previous rental, etc.
For more information, please refer to Chapter 3, Article 9 of the Rental Terms and Conditions.

Please provide original valid driver's licenses and passports for all drivers, including any additional drivers.
No copies/digital formats are permitted.

There is no age restriction for drivers aged 18 and over.

Yes, you can add a driver to collect your car at no extra cost.
All drivers must come to location to pick up the vehicle and present their original driver's license and passport valid for driving in Japan.
For details on what you need to bring on the day, click here

Reservations can be made online through Nippon Rent-A-Car-Car website or by contacting the English Service Desk.
For more information, please see here.

Please use the reservation inquiry, change, or cancellation page.

Please note that if you cancel your reservation, you may be charged a cancellation fee. For more information about cancellation fees, please click here.

*We are unable to accept inquiries, changes or cancellations of reservations made via other companies' websites on this website. Please make any such inquiries via the website where you originally made your reservation. For reservations made via a travel agency, please contact the travel agency you made the reservation with.

*Reservations made by phone or email through our English Service Desk cannot be viewed on this website. Please contact the English Service Desk for any changes or cancellations.

pick-up If a reservation is cancelled within 6 days of the date, the specified cancellation fee will apply. However, appointments made on the same day will not incur a cancellation fee.

If you do not show up within one hour of your car pickup time, your appointment will be automatically cancelled.
If you will be late, please contact the English Service Desk or location in advance if you will be late.
​for more information.

Unfortunately, customers must arrange a driver on their own. Please understand that rental car companies are prohibited by law from acting as drivers themselves, introducing drivers, or acting as intermediaries. Thank you for your understanding.

Business hours vary depending on location.
Please see here for opening hours of each location.

To find location locations, please click here.

Pick-up and return of the car cannot be done outside of business hours. Please pick up and return the car during business hours.

If you wish to return the car before business hours begin, please do return during business hours the day before.
If you would like to collect your car after business hours, please come back the next morning during business hours.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused.

Please refer to the location page for opening hours of each location.

If you are unable to collect your car on the reserved day, please be sure to contact the English Service Desk or location in advance.

If you do not contact us and do not arrive within 1 hour of your reservation time, your reservation will be canceled and we may not be able to provide you with a car.

Some location offer shuttle bus service from the airport to location.
Please refer to the location page for details.

According to the Japanese Road Traffic Law, the driver is required to have children under the age of 6 use a child safety seat when riding in a vehicle.

You can reserve your winter tyre option when booking your vehicle.
To add the winter tire option, click "Change search criteria" when selecting your vehicle model and select the "Winter tires" option.

If you cannot select the option on the booking page, please contact our English Service Desk.
There is an additional charge for the winter tire option (winter tires: 2,200 to 3,300 yen per day). If the pick-up office is in a heavy snow area, the winter tire option fee is free.

Read more about winter tyres here.

Except for areas with heavy snowfall (Hokkaido, Tohoku region, etc.), we may not be able to provide vehicles with winter tires if the parking lot is full on the day.

Please select the winter tire option when booking.
If you are unable to select the option, please make a reservation with normal tires, contact our English service desk with your reservation number, and request to add the winter tire option. (Please note that we may not be able to accommodate your request depending on the vehicle availability.)

If you are picking up your vehicle in a non-snowy area, winter tires are optional and must be added when reserving or requesting a vehicle with winter tires in advance.

To add the winter tire option, click "Change search criteria" when selecting your vehicle model and select the "Winter tires" option.
Please note that if you select the winter tire option, an additional winter tire option fee will be charged.

Read more about winter tyres here.

If you are driving on icy roads or in areas with a lot of snow, you must have winter tires on your car.
Snow is possible across the entire region, except Okinawa, including cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, and Fukuoka.

Read more about winter tyres here.

All vehicles are equipped with GPS.
However, we cannot guarantee multilingual GPS. There is a possibility that Japanese-language GPS might be assigned to your vehicle.  
*Japanese-language GPS supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

All passenger cars and minivans are no smoking.
All cargo vans, trucks and dry vans are smoking , but G-H Class is non-smoking.

When available, rented vehicles can be return rented to different locations other than where rented (one-way rentals).
Some vehicle types and locations may not be available for one-way rentals. Additional one-way fees may apply.
For more information, please click here.​

From December 1 through March 31, all vehicles traveling from non-snowfalling areas and return in the following designated areas must be equipped with winter tires.
One-way rentals with normal tires will not be accepted for safety reasons.
Restricted areas are as follows
Aomori Akita, Iwate, Yamagata, Miyagi, Fukushima, Nagano, Niigata, Yamanashi, Tochigi (Kinugawa, Nikko), Fukui, Toyama, Ishikawa, Shimane, Tottori, Kyoto (Amanohashidate, Fukuchiyama), Shiga (Kusatsu, Maibara, Omihachiman, Lake Biwa)
*Restrictions are subject to change. Please check the latest information before renting.
For more information about winter tires, please click here.​

Depending on the rental office, you may be able to use the ETC card rental service.
To reserve an ETC card, please select the option when booking or contact our English Service Desk.

For details on ETC card rental service, click here

If you would like to add an Expressway Pass, please contact our English Service Desk.

Note that in order to apply for Expressway Pass, both the pickup location and the return location must be compatible with Expressway Pass. There are also some restrictions on the class of the vehicle. Please refer to this page for details.

If you book the ETC card option, you can add an Expressway Pass on the day of rental.
Check in advance if both your pickup and drop-off locations carry Expressway Pass.
There are also some restrictions on the class of the vehicle. Please refer to this page for details.

It is recommended to book a Expressway Pass in advance to reduce the waiting time for pick-up.

To obtain an Expressway Pass, you will need to rent an ETC card.

At Nippon Rent-A-Car reservations are confirmed by class.
We cannot guarantee a specific vehicle model/brand/color.

Please check here for vehicle model, type and capacity.

Depending on the car rental location, you may have wheelchair accessible vehicles or vehicles with electric seats.
More information can be found here.

To check availability and make a reservation, please contact the English Service Desk.
(Please enter the type of car you are looking for and the location/date/time you plan to use)

4WD vehicles are available depending on the car model and location.
To add the 4WD option, click on "Change Search Criteria" when selecting a vehicle model and select the "4WD" option.
Please note that a separate fee will be added for the 4WD option.

*4WD is standard for J-I Class and J-W Class
*4WD is standard on all Hokkaido during the winter season.

If you cannot find a 4WD vehicle, it is possible that the vehicle is full or not available in the selected area.

Unfortunately, we do not offer optional items for rental unless you rent a car from our company.

At Nippon Rent-A-Car, all passenger cars and minivans are automatic.

Some trucks (e.g. TH, TC, RD, RE classes) may have manual transmissions.
If you require an automatic transmission in the above classes, please contact our English Service Desk in advance.

Please click here for more information on pet-friendly car rentals.

Unfortunately, we do not offer winter chain rentals.

Unfortunately, we do not offer ski carriers/ski racks for hire.

Yes, you can. You can play music by connecting your portable audio player to GPS navigation system via Bluetooth, USB, or AUX (earphone jack).

If you make a reservation with "Full Insurance and Compensation Support" on the Nippon Rent-A-Car website, there will be no additional insurance or compensation to add on the day.

If you made your reservation through another website, please check the website you made your reservation through.
In addition, even if you do not have a full support reservation, you can change it to full support before payment on the day of pick-up. (Additional charges may apply.)

Accident compensation differs between regular course and recommended course.

• Regular course
• ・Bodily injury coverage: unlimited
• ・Property damage coverage: 30 million yen
• ・Vehicle coverage: market value of vehicle
• ・Personal injury coverage: 30 million yen
• Recommended Course
• ・Bodily injury coverage: unlimited
• ・Property damage coverage: unlimited
• ・Vehicle coverage: market value of vehicle
• ・Personal injury coverage: 50 million yen
• * recommended course also includes the "Four Major Peace of Mind Services." For more information, please click here.

CDW is an optional coverage that relieves the customer from liability for damage to the rental vehicle and property in the event of an accident.
For more information please click here.

If the vehicle requires repair or cleaning due to a traffic accident, theft, breakdown, scratch or any other cause not attributable to NIPPON Rent-A-Car, the customer will pay NOC as part of the compensation for loss of use during the repair or cleaning of the vehicle.
If you accept ECO (Additional Coverage Option), NOC will be waived. Learn more about ECO here.

Extra Coverage Option (ECO) is a system that compensates for the "NOC (Non-Operation Charge)" that is borne by customers in the event of an accident or breakdown.
For more information about ECO, please click here. *ECO is not insurance.

Nippon Rent-A-Car rates are based on vehicle class and rental period.
For more information please click here.

Each region has a high season and a regular season, with different rates applying.
For more information, please see here.

The rate does not vary depending on the distance driven, unlimited kilometers are included in the price.

The rates differ for Japanese and non-Japanese licenses. You can check the rental price during the reservation process.

This service allows you to register your credit card when reserving a rental car on the official Nippon Rent-A-Car-A-Car website, eliminating the need to pay at the lcation on the day of rental.

Acceptable credit cards are VISA, Master Card, JCB, Diners Club, AMERICAN EXPRESS, DISCOVER and their affiliated cards, as well as debit cards with VISA or other brand marks. Prepaid cards and cards that do not support 3D Secure cannot be used.

There are several possible causes, so please check the following.

• (1) Cases that there is an error in the input information
• ・Please check your card number and expiration date again.
• (2) Cases that there are problems with credit cards
• ・Not an available card
• *S-D, W-B, W-C, W-D, W-E Class, T-D Class and above, and R-E Class and above tracks only accept credit cards.
• *Credit cards with debit card functions (such as "Olive" issued by Sumitomo Mitsui Card) will be recognized as debit cards. Please use a different credit card when using the above classes.
• *Prepaid cards and cards that do not support 3D Secure cannot be used.
• ・Your credit card limit has been reached
• ・The card has expired or the expiration date of the credit card is earlier than the rental car return date.
• ・Your credit card has been suspended
• (3) Cases that the card company has imposed usage restrictions
• ・If an error occurs even though there are no problems with the information you entered or your credit card, please check with your card company.
• (4) Cases that credit card authentication (3D Secure) has failed
• ・If an error occurs during identity verification (3D Secure) during reservation, please change to a different credit card information on the reservation link. Please also check with your card company to find out the cause of identity verification (3D Secure) failure.

■S-D, W-B, W-C, W-D, W-E Class, T-D Class and above, R-E Class and above trucks and specially equipped vehicles such as refrigerated vehicles and trucks with power gates, microbuses

For the above classes, payment can only be made by the main driver's credit card.

Classes other than the above

If you wish to pay in cash, we will confirm either 1. or 2. below.
1. Validity of your credit card
2. Presentation of supporting documents (documents that can verify your identity) specified by the Company.

For details, please click here.​

If your main driver has a credit card, you can make a reservation once at Online Credit Card Payment at the time of booking and change the payment to cash on the spot on the day of the tour.

In principle, Online Credit Card Payment require the registration of a credit card in the name of the main driver.
Payment cannot be made with a passenger's credit card.

Once registered, the credit card cannot be changed. However, when you pick up, you can change to pay at the location and pay with a different credit card. Please ask staff on the day of your visit.

For Online Credit Card Payment, you will be asked to register your credit card information when making a reservation, but the actual payment will be made when pick-up or return the rental car.

• *When you register your credit card information at the time of reservation, we go through a "card authentication procedure" to confirm with each card company that the credit card is valid for the reservation amount. During this authentication procedure, the card company will not charge you the reservation amount (excluding debit cards. Please see here for important points to note when using a debit card).

For Online Credit Card Payment, we carry out a "card authentication procedure" when you make a reservation, when the amount changes due to a change in reservation, and 7 days before pick-up date, etc., to confirm with each card company that the credit card is valid for the reservation amount. Depending on the credit card you use, the card company may notify you of the use of the card each time the card authentication procedure is carried out, but the "authentication procedure" and "payment" are different. The amount for the card authentication procedure will not be charged (except for debit cards. Please check here for important points to note when using a debit card).

*The actual payment for Online Credit Card Payment will be made on the pick-up or return date of the rental car. Also, if the reservation date and the date of use are close to each other, there may be two overlapping notifications for card authentication and actual payment, but you will not be charged twice.

*Card authentication procedures performed 7 days before the pick-up date are automatically performed by the system. Please note that due to the convenience of our system, card authentication procedures will be completed around 2:30 AM (JST).

Due to the nature of debit cards, the card will be debited at the time of "card authentication procedure". Although it may appear that multiple withdrawals have been made from our company at the time, ultimately only the amount for the day of rental car use (pick-up date or return date) or the time of reservation cancellation (if a reservation cancellation fee has been incurred) will be debited, and the amount debited at the time of card authentication procedure will be refunded by the card company at a later date.

• *The timing of refunds will vary depending on the card company, so please contact your card company for details (it may take up to several months).
• * Please see here for precautions when using a debit card.

When you cancel your card, the cancellation procedure for the card authentication procedure at our company will be completed, but the timing of the refund being actually returned to your account will vary depending on the card company, so please contact your card company for details (it may take up to several months).

• * Please see here for precautions when using a debit card.

Re-authentication of the credit card information registered at the time of reservation will be performed when changing a reservation or 7 days before the pick-up date. If authentication fails, we will notify you by email.

Even if authentication fails, your reservation will still be valid. However, Online Credit Card Payment are not accepted, so please pay at the store when you check in to pick-up your rental car on the day of your rental.

Please use the receipt attached to the cancellation fee payment completion email.

Your reservation will not be cancelled unless you cancel it.

When using Online Credit Card Payment, your credit card will be authenticated in advance. Depending on the credit card company, you may receive a usage notice or refund notice at that time, but the actual "payment" will be made after you visit the store.
(Excluding debit cards. Please see here for important information when using debit cards.)

On the day of rental, you will need

• (1) International driver's license valid for Japan (dated September 19, 1949)
  or a driver's license from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Taiwan or Monaco (Japanese translation required)
  Or Japanese driver's license
• (2) Passport (if you do not have a Japanese driver's license)
• (3) The main driver’s credit card
• Click here for details.

Vehicles are rented with a full tank of petrol and you will need to refuel before return the vehicle.
Please note that if you do not return the vehicle with a full tank of fuel, you will be charged for fuel based on the distance traveled or the amount remaining as shown on the vehicle's fuel gauge. This may result in a fuel charge that is higher than the actual fuel cost.
More information on refuelling can be found here.

In the event you are involved in an accident, please immediately take the following 3 steps. Please make sure to do all 3 of the following steps, as they include important procedures necessary to be covered by insurance and compensation coverage.

• (1) First aid for injured persons
  First, provide first aid to the injured person.
• Then, promptly move the rental vehicle out of the way of other traffic.
• (2) Contact the police from the scene and report the accident. Telephone:110
• Regardless of whether or not one party was at fault, both parties are obligated to report the accident to the police. An accident report (accident certificate) will be required at a later date, so please complete the necessary procedures.
  *Accident certificates are issued by the police and cannot be provided by Nippon Rent-A-Car.
• (3) Contact NIPPON Rent-A-Car 's Accident Reception Center
• Please prepare your rental car contract and contact the Accident Reception Center.
  Telephone: 0120-220-865 (International: 81-188889194)
  For more information, please see here.

Yes, it is necessary. Nippon Rent-A-Car considers all incidents to be accidents, regardless of the extent of damage or dents, or whether a third party is involved. Even if you are unsure, please take all of the steps above (if the necessary steps are not taken, insurance and compensation will not apply and you will be responsible for any payments).

In order to change your return time or location during your rental period, you must contact the office where you picked up the car. The staff will inform you whether it is possible, considering other reservations and other details. Be aware that excess hour charge may apply as well as one-way drop fees if necessary.

Please contact the English Service Desk. When making an inquiry, please include the reservation number, date and time of use, location used, and the driver's name along with your inquiry.

As a general rule, you cannot leave your personal vehicle (motorcycle or bicycle) at the rental location during the rental period.