Akita Airport Car Rental: 6 Branches Compared

Six rental companies at Akita Airport: how to choose

Akita Airport (AXT), located in the Yuwa hills about 21 km southeast of central Akita, is served by six car rental companies (six branches): the five nationwide majors—Toyota, Nippon, Orix, Nissan and Times—plus local independent Akita Gotoren (operated by Dragoon Co., Ltd. as Dragoon Cars Airport). All five national brands cluster just west of the airport at Yamagomori 40-1 and 40-36, reached via the 1F domestic arrivals rental counters and a 3–10 minute free shuttle (or an 8-minute walk for Toyota). Akita Gotoren sits on airport grounds at Yamagomori 49, a direct 90-second to 3-minute walk past the international terminal—though it only rents to holders of a Japanese domestic licence. Budget brands such as Nico Nico, Guts, Carsta and Ekiren operate in downtown Akita without airport shuttles, and Budget Rent a Car currently has no branches in Akita Prefecture.

This guide compares arrival check-in workflows, flight-hour cutoffs, foreign-licence and Taiwan-licence rules, winter snow-tyre dates, Tohoku one-way drops, and 48-hour reference totals.

• Early-morning and late-evening flight cutoffs: the first Tokyo Haneda arrivals (JAL161 at 08:05 and ANA401 at 08:50) are met immediately by the four 08:00 openers—Toyota, Nippon, Orix and Nissan—while Akita Gotoren opens at 08:30 (closed Wednesdays) and Times opens at 09:00. Daytime flights from Osaka Itami (09:05, 09:30), Nagoya Chubu (10:30), Sapporo Okadama (11:55), Sapporo New Chitose (12:40) and Tigerair Taiwan's Thu/Sun Taipei Taoyuan service IT256 (12:40) land well within standard hours. Evening hours tighten sharply: Times closes at 18:00, Akita Gotoren at 18:30, and Nissan shortens hours from 20:00 to 19:00 in winter (1 December–end of February)—cutting off Haneda flight ANA407 (19:05) in winter. Past 20:00, only Nippon serves Haneda flight JAL167 (20:25) by advance reservation; Nippon ended after-hours support for Itami flight ANA1655 (20:45) and Haneda flight ANA409 (21:30) on 9 April 2025. The 07:30 morning departure to Haneda (ANA402) leaves before any rental branch opens.
• Walk straight out vs take a free shuttle: Akita Gotoren is a 90-second to 3-minute walk straight along the pavement toward the international terminal, and Toyota is an 8-minute walk from the terminal front (or a free shuttle, except on web-prepaid bookings). Orix (3 minutes by car), Nissan (3 minutes), Nippon (10 minutes) and Times (~1 km, 10 minutes) check you in at the 1F domestic arrivals rental counter before transferring you by shuttle.
• Foreign licences and Taipei flights: all five national brands—Toyota, Nippon, Orix, Nissan and Times—accept a 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit (IDP) with your original passport, and Toyota, Nippon, Nissan and Times also publish rules for Taiwanese, Swiss, German, French, Belgian and Monegasque licences paired with an official Japanese translation (critical for travellers arriving on Tigerair Taiwan IT256). Akita Gotoren does not accept IDPs and requires both a Japanese domestic licence and proof of residential address in Japan.
• Winter snow tyres (December–March) and Tohoku one-way trips: Toyota, Nippon and Nissan fit studless winter tyres as standard across Akita Prefecture from 1 December to 31 March (with modest daily winter surcharges on Toyota, Nippon and Times; Orix lets you select studless-equipped cars during booking). All five national brands support one-way drops to Sendai Airport, Shin-Aomori Station and Morioka Station, whereas Akita Gotoren only allows one-way returns to its sister shop Rabbit Akita Rinkai in Akita City (¥3,000).

Compare the six Akita Airport branches

Branch names link to their official pages. The numbers match the Japanese map and table and are not a ranking.

Reference prices: standard rates at six companies

This table takes each company's published standard rate for a compact car, together with the 48-hour total including basic collision damage waiver (CDW). Figures are regular-season, tax-inclusive list rates before member discounts on a Japanese licence.

• The 48-hour total combines the first 24 hours, one additional day and two days of basic CDW. Extra hours, fuel, winter season surcharges, 4WD options, one-way drop fees and NOC waivers are separate.
• Online and member plans usually price below these list figures outside peak holiday windows.
• Akita Gotoren also prices a Brand-New Compact class at ¥7,000 per 24 hours (¥16,400 for 48 hours with CDW), kei 4WD cars from ¥5,500 per 24 hours, and a Brand-New Minivan (Step WGN 4WD) at ¥16,000 per 24 hours (high season adds ¥1,100 per day). Drivers licensed under one year cannot join CDW, and International Driving Permits are not accepted.
• Toyota has member discounts of 10% and 20%.
• Times offers member discounts of up to 20%, and charges ¥660 per 24 hours (up to 10 days) in standard winter-tyre regions.
• Nippon publishes a separate member rate schedule, and adds a ¥330/day winter season fee (up to 10 days) in Akita from 1 December 2026 to 31 March 2027.
• Nissan's basic CDW is calculated on the Standard Plan at ¥1,650 a day.
• Orix offers member discounts plus a 5% web discount.

Prices can also differ by licence. On a foreign licence, Toyota C1 is ¥10,340 for the first 24 hours and ¥8,690 for each additional 24 hours before optional cover; the Toyota row above uses the Japanese-licence rates of ¥8,580 and ¥7,260. Compare payment, extension and cover rules in Japanese rental car rules compared and basic CDW and NOC explained.

International visitors can legally drive in Japan via two routes. First, a booklet-type 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit (IDP) is valid for up to one year from entry or until the IDP expires, whichever is earlier. Second, holders of licences issued in Taiwan, Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium or Monaco may drive using their original home licence together with an official Japanese translation (such as from JAF or Taiwan's motor vehicles office—note that Orix's English FAQ specifies Geneva IDPs, whereas Toyota, Nippon, Nissan and Times publish support for both IDPs and official translations, making those four the right picks if flying into Akita on Tigerair Taiwan with a Taiwanese licence). Always carry your physical passport showing your entry stamp; if you use an automated immigration gate, ask an officer for a landing stamp. See driving in Japan on a foreign licence.

From 1F arrivals to your car: direct walk vs free shuttle

Akita Airport's 1F domestic arrivals lobby places the six rental car counters alongside the general information desk (08:00–17:00). Unlike several regional airports that have removed payphones, Akita Airport retains public telephones on 1F, and provides coin lockers (¥200–¥400 per day, up to 3 days; there is no staffed left-luggage counter inside the terminal, though Toyota Akita Airport stores up to one bag for customers). Handover works in three ways:

• Walk 90 seconds to 8 minutes without waiting for a shuttle: Akita Gotoren (Japanese domestic licence required) is right on the airport perimeter—exit the domestic building, turn right along the pavement past the international terminal, and walk 90 seconds to 3 minutes straight into the shop. Toyota is about an 8-minute walk from the front of the terminal if you prefer walking over waiting for a van (or take Toyota's free shuttle, except on web-prepaid bookings).
• Check in at a 1F domestic arrivals desk, then ride a 3–10 minute shuttle: Orix (~3 minutes by car), Nissan (~3 minutes; shuttle operates until 20:00, or 19:00 from December through February), Nippon (NR counter facing the arrivals exit, ~10 minutes by car; use the dedicated counter phone if staff are away) and Times (~1 km, ~10 minutes; shuttle runs strictly within 09:00–18:00) transfer you west to the Yamagomori rental cluster. If arriving on the international terminal side from Taipei (IT256 at 12:40 on Thursdays and Sundays), walk next door into the connected 1F domestic arrivals lobby to check in at the Toyota, Nippon, Orix, Nissan or Times desks.
• Late-evening arrivals (20:25–21:30) and the 07:30 morning departure: while the terminal building stays open from 06:00 to 22:00, Nippon is the sole branch offering after-hours pickup, and strictly for Haneda flight JAL167 (20:25) with an advance reservation. Neither Itami flight ANA1655 (20:45) nor Haneda flight ANA409 (21:30) has manned rental service (app-based unmanned car-share fleets—Toyota's TOYOTA SHARE and Nissan's Self Ride Go from 08:00 to 22:00—require Japanese domestic membership and do not cover standard rental bookings). If landing on those late flights, take the connecting airport limousine bus to JR Akita Station West Exit (~40 minutes, ¥1,200 adult, IC transit cards accepted) and pick up a car in the city or back at the airport the next morning. Likewise, if flying out on the 07:30 Haneda departure (ANA402) or 08:10 Itami departure (ANA1652), return your car the evening before. For general airport procedures, read picking up a rental car at a Japanese airport.

Driving to Oga, Mt Chokai, Kakunodate and Lake Tazawa, plus winter tyres and Tohoku one-way drops

Akita Airport connects almost immediately to Akita Airport IC on the Nihonkai-Tohoku Expressway, making it easy to head north, inland or south without crossing downtown traffic:

• Central Akita (30–35 minutes, ~21 km) and Oga Peninsula (1.5–1.75 hours to Cape Nyudo, ~75 km): join the Nihonkai-Tohoku and Akita Expressways north to Showa-Oga Peninsula IC for Mt Kanpu, the Namahage Museum and Cape Nyudo (see our Oga Peninsula driving guide). For expressway tolls, Toyota (¥550), Nippon (¥330, phone reservation or subject to stock), Orix and Nissan rent out ETC toll cards, whereas Times and Akita Gotoren do not.
• Kakunodate Samurai District (45–55 minutes, ~38 km), Lake Tazawa (1 hr 10 min), Nyuto Onsen (1 hr 35 min) and Hachimantai (2–2 hr 20 min): head inland via Kyowa IC or Route 46 (by comparison, the pre-booked shared Airport Liner taxi costs ¥6,000 per adult to Kakunodate, ¥7,500 to Lake Tazawa and ¥9,000 to Nyuto Onsen—so a rental car pays off quickly for two or more travellers). Seasonal closures: Route 341 north from Lake Tazawa past Tamagawa Onsen toward Kazuno and the Hachimantai Aspite Line closes completely for winter from late November/December until mid-April; see the Hachimantai driving guide and Japan winter road closures calendar.
• Mt Chokai and Kisakata (1 hr 15 min–1 hr 40 min, ~75–95 km) and Lake Towada (2.5–2.8 hours): take the Nihonkai-Tohoku Expressway south to Kisakata IC for the Kujukushima islands, Mototaki waterfall and the Chokai Blue Line (closed early November–late April; see our Mt Chokai and Kisakata driving guide). Northeast trips into Towada and Hakkoda also cross high passes subject to snow closures.
• Winter snow tyres and 4WD (December–March): Akita receives heavy Sea of Japan snowfall and freeze-thaw black ice. From 1 December to 31 March, Toyota, Nippon and Nissan equip studless winter tyres as standard across Akita Prefecture (Toyota and Nippon apply seasonal winter rates, Times adds ¥660 per 24 hours up to 10 days in standard areas, and Orix requires choosing a studless-designated vehicle on the booking screen). Unlike Hokkaido, 4WD is not automatically standard on every Honshu compact car—if you are heading up to Nyuto Onsen or mountain ski areas, add a 4WD request (for example ¥1,650 per 24 hours at Toyota and Times), and request winter tyres specifically if travelling in mid-to-late November or early April outside the standard window.
• One-way Tohoku itineraries: Toyota, Nippon, Orix, Nissan and Times all allow cross-prefecture one-way drops to Shin-Aomori Station (after Lake Towada and Oirase), Morioka Station (via Kakunodate and Lake Tazawa, ~1 hr 50 min–2 hr 10 min direct) or Sendai Airport (south via Mt Chokai and Yamagata). Check distance-based fees in one-way car rental in Japan.

When returning your car, drive to your rental depot rather than the passenger terminal (Times requires returning at least 1 hour before flight departure; Mapcodes are 303401064\*83 for Toyota and 303 401 060\*16 for Nippon). Conveniently, Akita Airport has a petrol station just outside the east end of the terminal building (dispensing regular unleaded petrol and diesel)—fill up there right before pulling into your branch and keep the receipt (if returning early or late when the airport station is shut, refuel in Akita City or along Route 13 first; see refuelling and returning a rental car and accidents, breakdowns and emergency contacts).

Frequently asked questions

Can I pick up on late-evening flights after 20:00 or return before the 07:30 Haneda departure?

Only Haneda flight JAL167 (arriving 20:25) is covered, and only at Nippon Akita Airport-mae with an advance reservation. Nippon ended after-hours service for Itami flight ANA1655 (20:45) and Haneda flight ANA409 (21:30) in April 2025, and every other branch closes between 18:00 and 20:00 (19:00 at Nissan in December–February). Likewise, the 07:30 morning departure to Haneda (ANA402) leaves before the earliest 08:00 opening time, so return your car the evening before.

Which branches accept an International Driving Permit or a Taiwan driver's licence?

All five national companies—Toyota, Nippon, Orix, Nissan and Times—accept a 1949 Geneva Convention IDP with your original passport. If you hold a Taiwanese licence (or one from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium or Monaco) paired with an official Japanese translation rather than a Geneva IDP, book with Toyota, Nippon, Nissan or Times, which explicitly publish translation-based rental rules. Akita Gotoren does not accept IDPs or foreign licences.

Are winter snow tyres and 4WD included in winter at Akita Airport?

From 1 December to 31 March, studless winter tyres are fitted as standard at Toyota, Nippon and Nissan in Akita (with small daily winter season fees at Toyota, Nippon and Times, and studless vehicle selection at Orix). If you drive in late November or early-to-mid April—when high passes around Lake Tazawa, Hachimantai or Lake Towada can still freeze—request winter tyres explicitly when booking. Four-wheel drive (4WD) is an optional upgrade on most national-brand passenger classes, so add 4WD when heading to Nyuto Onsen or mountain resorts in snow season.

What does a two-day rental cost?

On published Japanese-licence standard rates before discounts, a compact car for 48 hours with basic CDW ranges from ¥15,400 to ¥20,790 across the six companies. Among the five IDP-friendly national brands, Toyota is lowest on list rates at ¥18,040, followed by Nippon at ¥18,260, Times at ¥18,975, Orix at ¥20,020 and Nissan at ¥20,790 (on a foreign licence, Toyota's C1 base rate is ¥10,340 for the first 24 hours and ¥8,690 per additional day before cover). Local operator Akita Gotoren lists ¥15,400 for 48 hours with CDW on a Japanese domestic licence.

Guides to read before booking

• Sendai Airport car rental: 8 branches compared
• Shin-Aomori Station car rental: 10 companies compared
• Morioka Station car rental: 8 companies compared
• Kakunodate, Lake Tazawa and Nyuto Onsen driving guide: samurai district, Dakigaeri Valley and Route 341 closures
• Oga Peninsula driving guide: Kanpuzan, Cape Nyudo, Godzilla Rock and map
• Mt Chokai and Kisakata driving guide: Chokai Blue Line, Kujukushima, Mototaki and map
• Hachimantai driving guide: Aspite Line, hot springs and Lake Tazawa
• Towada and Hakkoda driving guide: Oirase Stream, Lake Towada and Sukayu Onsen
• Japan Winter Road Closures 2026–27: Mountain Road Closing and Reopening Dates
• Renting a Car at Haneda, Narita or Kansai Airport: Pickup and Return
• One-way car rental in Japan: availability and fees
• Basic CDW and the NOC explained
• Refuelling and returning a rental car
• Comparing Japanese rental car company rules
• Accidents, damage, breakdowns and parking tickets