Amami Airport Car Rental: 15 Companies Compared

Fifteen rental companies at Amami Airport: how to choose

Amami Airport, in Kasari-cho at the northern end of Amami Oshima in Kagoshima Prefecture, has 15 car rental companies across 15 branches, combining national chains and island operators. There are no rental check-in counters inside the terminal building: leave the 1F arrivals lobby, cross the pedestrian crossing straight ahead, and turn right to the designated rental car shuttle space in the car park, or walk 2 to 8 minutes to one of the branches directly across from the terminal.

• Landing early: 13 of the 15 branches (Toyota, Nippon, Orix, Budget, J-Net, G-Lion, Eco Car, Amami Rent-a-Car, Amami Kuko-mae, Kurousagi, Amami Yui, Amami Nangoku and Honda Rent-a-Car Amami Airport) open at 08:00. Saigo opens at 08:30 and Times at 09:00.
• Landing in the evening: the latest closing time is 19:00 at 8 branches — Toyota, Orix, Budget, J-Net, G-Lion, Eco Car, Amami Nangoku and Honda Rent-a-Car Amami Airport (Amami Nangoku's online booking form allows selectable times from 08:00 to 18:00). Four branches (Amami Kuko-mae, Kurousagi, Amami Yui and Saigo) close at 18:30, and 3 branches (Nippon, Times and Amami Rent-a-Car) close at 18:00; Amami Rent-a-Car does not serve flights arriving at or after 18:00.
• One-way returns to Naze or Naze Port: Toyota (island-only, with a Naze Port branch), Amami Rent-a-Car (Naze branch, 08:00–18:00), Kurousagi (Naze branch and Naze Port; its Koniya branch closed on 1 April 2026) and Amami Yui (designated drop-off at Naze Shin-ko Port by advance booking) handle one-way rentals on the island. Orix does not allow one-way rentals in either direction, Nippon does not accept returns from other branches, and Times accepts cars rented at other branches with no conditions.
• Keeping the cost down: on standard 24-hour compact rates before discounts on a Japanese licence, Amami Yui is ¥3,955, Honda Rent-a-Car Amami Airport is ¥5,000 (CDW included), Amami Kuko-mae is ¥5,500 (¥4,400 on special-value cars), Saigo is ¥5,500 (CDW included; ¥5,980 from 26 December to 3 January), Kurousagi is ¥7,810 (wide cover included), Toyota and Budget are ¥8,580, Times is ¥8,855, Nippon is ¥8,910, Orix is ¥9,900 and J-Net is ¥10,450. Eco Car Amami Airport also charges ¥5,500 for 24 hours (¥5,000 for an Aqua hybrid).
• Foreign driving licences and English support: Toyota, Nippon, Times, Orix, Budget, J-Net and G-Lion rent on a 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit and passport (G-Lion cannot be booked online on an IDP). Toyota, Nippon, Times and J-Net also accept eligible foreign licences accompanied by an official Japanese translation. Among local operators, Saigo Rental Car accepts bookings in English through its web form, dedicated English email desk and English Instagram account until 15:00 the day before departure.

Compare the 15 Amami Airport locations

Branch names link to their official pages. The numbers match the Japanese map and are not a ranking; all 15 branches sit in Kasari-cho around the airport.

Reference prices: standard rates at 11 companies

This table compares standard compact rates across the 11 companies that publish fixed rate schedules, together with the 48-hour total including basic collision damage waiver (CDW). Rates are regular-season, before discounts, on a Japanese licence. G-Lion, Amami Rent-a-Car and Amami Nangoku use live availability pricing without a fixed standard rate table and are omitted. Eco Car Amami Airport has no single extra-day rate for automatic 48-hour calculation and is omitted from the table, though its branch guide sets a compact (Note, Cube, Vitz) at ¥5,500 for 24 hours (¥5,000 for an Aqua hybrid), basic CDW at ¥1,100 per 24 hours, and a distance cap of 300 km per 24 hours or 1,500 km per week (¥10 per extra km).

• The 48-hour total combines the first 24 hours, one additional day and two days of basic CDW. Where basic CDW shows "Included", the base rate already includes it (Honda Rent-a-Car Amami Airport, Saigo's mandatory ¥1,100/24h cover, and Kurousagi's wide cover). Extra hours, fuel, one-way fees and paid options are separate.
• Amami Yui's basic CDW (¥540 per 24 hours; ¥1,080 on a Fit hybrid) covers the ¥100,000 property-damage excess only, leaving a ¥100,000 vehicle excess; its property-damage limit is ¥5,000,000 (with an excess-repair rider), and its NOC waiver (¥20,000 driveable / ¥50,000 non-driveable) costs an extra ¥540 per 24 hours.
• Saigo Rental Car's property-damage limit is ¥10,000,000 per accident, and its New Year rates (26 December–3 January) rise to ¥5,980 for S class and ¥16,500 for a minivan.
• Amami Kuko-mae's base rate table does not specify tax display alongside the base figures, whereas its ¥1,100/24h CDW fee is tax-inclusive.
• Toyota (10% and 20% member discounts), Budget (10% web member discount), Times (up to 20% member discount), Nippon (separate member rate table) and Orix (member discounts plus 5% web discount) all discount online bookings outside peak periods.

Prices 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, compared with ¥8,580 and ¥7,260 on a Japanese licence. Quote directly for your licence on each booking site.

To drive in Japan on a foreign licence, bring either a booklet-type 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit (valid for up to 1 year from landing or 1 year from issue, whichever is earlier) or an original licence from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan (J-Net also lists Slovenia) together with an official Japanese translation from JAF or an embassy/consulate, plus your passport showing your entry date. Resident re-entries within 3 months do not reset the 1-year clock. See driving in Japan on a foreign licence.

From the 1F arrivals lobby to the shuttle space, on foot or by phone

Because Amami Airport has no indoor rental desks, everyone exits 1F arrivals, crosses the pedestrian crossing into the front car park, and turns right toward the rental car shuttle space. Collection works in four ways:

• Meet staff or board a shuttle at the shuttle space: Nippon (50 m to the right after crossing, 1–2 minutes by car; flight number required when booking, and staff take a 60-minute lunch break between 11:15 and 13:15 while still handling pre-booked pickups and returns), Times (staff wait in the outdoor car park, 3-minute ride), Orix (about 1 minute by car), J-Net (staff hold a J-Net sign, 2-minute ride), Amami Rent-a-Car (circulating shuttle in the front car park with no arrival call needed, up to a 10-minute wait when busy — watch for similarly named "Amami" shuttles), Amami Kuko-mae (free shuttle from the waiting area), Amami Yui (staff with a sign across the crossing; if absent, wait 5 minutes at the shuttle space before phoning), Saigo (give your arrival time and flight number in advance to meet staff in a yellow polo shirt under the covered walkway, 5-minute ride), plus Kurousagi, G-Lion and Amami Nangoku.
• Phone the branch after landing: Toyota (call 0997-63-0100 on arrival; advance phone bookings can also arrange free pickup or collection at hotels near the airport, except on online-prepaid bookings) and Budget (call 0997-69-4343; 5-minute shuttle). Honda Rent-a-Car Amami Airport meets pre-booked customers at the dedicated shuttle car park, while walk-up customers phone 0997-57-1450 after landing.
• Request pickup in the online booking remarks: Eco Car requires a note in the booking remarks for airport pickup, may be unable to send a shuttle for same-day bookings, and accepts same-day bookings by phone only.
• Walk straight to the branch opposite the terminal: Amami Kuko-mae and Times are about 2 minutes on foot, Amami Nangoku is 2–3 minutes to the left along the main road, Amami Rent-a-Car and Amami Yui are 3 minutes, Toyota and G-Lion are 5 minutes, and J-Net is 8 minutes. With light luggage, walking is often faster than waiting for a van.

Naze Port one-way returns, ferry and forest-road rules, and returning before your flight

Amami Oshima has no expressways, and Toyota, Orix and J-Net do not rent ETC cards at Amami Airport. Keep four island-specific rules in mind when planning your route and return:

• No ferry crossings to Kakeromajima or other islands: Orix, Budget, Eco Car, Amami Rent-a-Car and Kurousagi prohibit taking rental vehicles by ferry off Amami Oshima main island to Kakeromajima, Tokunoshima or elsewhere. Kurousagi closed its Koniya branch in southern Amami on 1 April 2026.
• Kinsakubaru virgin forest and unpaved forest roads: Budget prohibits driving on forest and unpaved roads, and Amami Rent-a-Car bans entering Kinsakubaru or forest roads, travelling with pets, and using cars for fishing. Amami Kuko-mae, Amami Yui and Honda Rent-a-Car Amami Airport exclude damage on forest tracks, beaches, riverbeds and other unmanaged roads from insurance cover. Amami Kuko-mae allows dogs and cats in a brought-in cage with advance booking (¥1,100 per day).
• One-way trips to Naze city and Naze Port: for Ferry Kikai or Ferry Amami departures, Amami Yui offers reserved drop-off at Naze Shin-ko Port; around Naze Port, Toyota (Naze Port branch) and Kurousagi (Naze branch and Naze Port) accept one-way returns; in central Naze, Amami Rent-a-Car runs its Naze branch from 08:00 to 18:00.
• Refuelling and returning 1 hour before departure: Times and Amami Kuko-mae require returns at least 1 hour before your flight. Because airport branches close between 18:00 and 19:00, leave time to refuel to a full tank at a nearby petrol station and ride the 1–5 minute shuttle back to the terminal. Kurousagi charges ¥500 per occasion for out-of-hours handling.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a rental counter inside Amami Airport?

There are no rental counters inside the terminal building. Exit the 1F arrivals lobby, cross the pedestrian crossing straight ahead, and turn right to the rental car shuttle space, phone the branch after landing (Toyota, Budget, or Honda Rent-a-Car Amami Airport without a prior booking), or walk 2 to 8 minutes directly to the branches across from the airport.

Can I pick up a car if my flight lands in the evening?

Eight branches stay open until 19:00: Toyota, Orix, Budget, J-Net, G-Lion, Eco Car, Amami Nangoku and Honda Rent-a-Car Amami Airport (Amami Nangoku's online booking form allows selectable times up to 18:00). Amami Kuko-mae, Kurousagi, Amami Yui and Saigo close at 18:30, and Nippon, Times and Amami Rent-a-Car close at 18:00; Amami Rent-a-Car does not accept flights arriving at or after 18:00.

What does a two-day compact rental cost at Amami Airport?

On standard Japanese-licence rates before discounts, 48 hours in a compact with basic CDW comes to ¥8,990 at Amami Yui (¥100,000 vehicle excess remains), ¥9,500 at Honda Rent-a-Car Amami Airport, ¥11,000 at Saigo (from 1 September, excluding 26 December–3 January), ¥12,650 at Amami Kuko-mae and ¥13,420 at Kurousagi across the 5 priced local operators, and ¥18,040–¥21,450 across the 6 national chains (Toyota, Nippon, Budget, Times, Orix and J-Net). On a foreign licence, Toyota's C1 base rate is higher (¥10,340 for the first 24 hours and ¥8,690 per additional day before cover).

Guides to read before booking

• Renting a car in Kagoshima Prefecture
• Kagoshima Airport car rental: 9 companies compared
• Picking up a rental car at a Japanese airport
• Basic CDW and the NOC explained
• Refuelling and returning the car
• Comparing rental company rules: payment, extensions, one-way rentals and more
• One-way car rentals in Japan: how they work and what they cost
• Accidents, damage, punctures, breakdowns and parking tickets