Hiroshima Airport Car Rental: 7 Branches Compared

Seven rental branches at Hiroshima Airport: how to choose

Hiroshima Airport, inland in the hills east of Hiroshima City, has seven rental branches from seven companies. Nippon, Toyota, Orix, Nissan, Times and Mazda are inside RENT A CAR Port, across the car park bridge from 2F of the passenger terminal. It is about three minutes on foot from the airport building and there are no shuttles. Only J-Net is elsewhere, about seven minutes from the airport by car in Kochi-cho, Higashihiroshima; to arrange a pickup, contact the branch.

This page compares the walk to RENT A CAR Port and the J-Net location, closing times, returns and one-way rentals, and the reference price at each company on Japanese and foreign licences.

• Arriving on an evening flight: Nippon, Toyota, Orix, Nissan and Mazda open until 20:00, and Times and J-Net until 19:00. If your flight is delayed, Nissan does not open outside its hours.
• Walking straight to the car: with the six companies at RENT A CAR Port, you walk from the airport building without waiting for a shuttle.
• Returning somewhere else: Nippon, Toyota and Orix accept returns at other branches.
• Keeping the cost down: on standard rates before discounts, Toyota is the cheapest compact at ¥8,580 for 24 hours on a Japanese licence. J-Net is ¥10,450. Check Mazda's price in the booking screen.
• Navigation on the way back: Orix's phone number is for reservations only and does not work as a navigation destination. Enter the facility name or address instead.

Compare the seven Hiroshima Airport branches

Branch names link to their official pages. The numbers identify the branches and are not a ranking.

Reference prices: standard rates at six companies

This table takes each company's standard rate for a compact car, with the total for two days including basic collision damage waiver (CDW). These are regular-season, tax-inclusive rates before discounts, on a Japanese licence. Mazda Rent-a-Car is not in the table, so check its price in the booking screen.

• The 48-hour total is the first 24 hours, one additional day and two days of basic CDW. A dash means the company's rate table does not list that fee. Where basic CDW shows "Included", the rate already contains it. Extra hours, fuel, one-way fees and options such as child seats are not included.
• Most companies offer member or online discounts, so the booking screen is often cheaper than this table. Peak periods such as Golden Week, Obon and New Year cost more. Enter your dates and class for the actual price.
• Toyota has member discounts of 10% and 20%. Branches in the 23 wards of Tokyo, Oshima and Narita Airport use the Tokyo rate.
• Times has member rates of up to 20% off.
• Nippon has a separate member rate table.
• Nissan's basic CDW is calculated on the Standard Plan at ¥1,650 a day.
• Orix has member discounts and a 5% web discount.
• J-Net's basic CDW (Anshin cover) is ¥1,650 a day in the Okinawa area only.

Prices differ by licence. The table uses the Japanese-licence rate. 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 separate Japanese-licence rates of ¥8,580 and ¥7,260. The other companies in the table publish no separate foreign-licence rate here, so get a quote for your own licence.

A foreign licence needs the original licence, a 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit (or an official Japanese translation for licences from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan) and your passport. See driving in Japan on a foreign licence.

From arrival to the counter: across the bridge to RENT A CAR Port

From the arrivals exit, take the escalator straight ahead to 2F and cross the car park bridge from in front of the departures lobby information desk. The six companies have their counters in RENT A CAR Port at the far end, about three minutes on foot.

• The six on foot: Nippon, Toyota, Orix, Nissan, Times and Mazda. None runs a shuttle. Airport listings show Mazda as Mazda Rent-a-Car Hiroshima.
• Times: no staff are stationed at the airport counter. Walk to the branch at RENT A CAR Port.
• J-Net: there is no counter at RENT A CAR Port. The branch is about seven minutes from the airport by car in Kochi-cho, Higashihiroshima; to arrange a pickup, contact the branch. Bookings are taken on the Sky Rent a Car website.

The six companies share a building, but each handles its own check-in. Check the company name on your booking confirmation and complete the paperwork at that counter. If you have a lot of luggage or a pushchair, allow time for going up to 2F and for the paperwork.

Returning the car: settle closing time and your navigation destination first

Nippon, Toyota, Orix, Nissan and Mazda close at 20:00, and Times and J-Net at 19:00. At Times, return one hour before your flight.

On the way back, go to your company's return area, not the terminal's drop-off point for general traffic. Orix's listed phone number is for reservations only and does not work in a navigation system. Save the facility name, the address and a map of the return area.

After you return the car, you still need time for the branch's check and the walk to the terminal. Allow separate time for refuelling, returning the car and walking to the airport with your luggage. If you return at Hiroshima Station or similar, name the pickup and return branches separately when you book, and check that the return branch accepts the car you chose.

Staying in Hiroshima City or heading to Onomichi: when to start the rental

If you are heading directly to Onomichi or similar after landing, you can collect the car at the airport and leave straight away. If you stay in central Hiroshima first and drive out later, you can combine the trip into the city with a pickup at Hiroshima Station. Compare the price difference between the airport and the station, adding parking for the days you do not drive and your travel costs.

If your trip includes sightseeing on the islands or travel by bicycle, you also need to decide where the car stays when you are not using it. Compare renting only on the days you drive as well as renting for the whole trip. It makes it easier to see whether you need to come back to the airport to return the car.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a shuttle bus to reach the rental branches at Hiroshima Airport?

The six companies at RENT A CAR Port have no shuttle, and you walk across the bridge from 2F of the airport building (about three minutes). Only J-Net is about seven minutes away by car; to arrange a pickup, contact the branch.

Can I still rent if I land late in the evening?

The latest closing time is 20:00, at Nippon, Toyota, Orix, Nissan and Mazda. Times and J-Net close at 19:00. If a flight is delayed, Nissan does not open outside its hours and deals with you on the next business day.

What does a two-day rental cost?

On standard rates before discounts, a compact with basic CDW for two days comes to ¥18,040–¥20,790 across the five major companies on a Japanese licence, and ¥21,450 at J-Net. Toyota is lowest at ¥18,040. Check Mazda's price in the booking screen. On a foreign licence, Toyota's base rate is higher; see the price section above.

Can I check in at any counter in the building?

No. RENT A CAR Port has six companies, but each handles its own check-in. Complete the paperwork at the counter of the company you booked.

Can I return the car elsewhere, such as Hiroshima Station?

Nippon, Toyota and Orix accept returns at other branches. The branch pages for Nissan, Times, Mazda and J-Net do not cover this, so check in the booking screen that you can select your return branch.

Guides to read before booking

• Picking up a rental car at a Japanese airport
• Basic CDW and the NOC explained
• Refuelling and returning the car
• Accidents, damage, punctures, breakdowns and parking tickets