Kagoshima Airport Car Rental: 9 Branches Compared

Kagoshima Airport has nine rental branches: how to choose

Kagoshima Airport, in Kirishima City north of Kagoshima, has nine rental branches around it from nine companies. The airport's tourist and general information desk passes on same-day bookings and shuttle requests for these nine companies. Every branch is outside the airport, and you reach it by shuttle or on foot.

This page compares the shuttle pick-up points and how to call each shuttle, the branches you can walk to, closing times, returns and one-way rentals, and the reference price at each company on Japanese and foreign licences.

Walking to the branch: Nissan is diagonally across from the terminal, two minutes on foot. Orix is about four minutes on foot and Times about five.
Renting or returning in the evening: the latest closing time is 20:30, at Nippon and Toyota. Nico Nico serves flights landing up to 19:40.
Returning somewhere else: Nippon, Toyota, Orix and Suzuki (between participating branches, including towards Fukuoka and Kumamoto) handle returns at other branches.
Keeping the cost down: on standard rates before discounts, Toyota and Budget are the cheapest compacts among the major companies at ¥8,580 for 24 hours on a Japanese licence. Suzuki is ¥5,500 and Nico Nico ¥5,610.

Compare the nine Kagoshima Airport branches

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

No. and branch	Address and phone	Hours	Access	Returns, ETC card and notes
1. Nippon Kagoshima Airport	856-3 Aza Matsugasako, Fumoto, Mizobe-cho, Kirishima, Kagoshima 899-6404; 050-1712-2365 (automated voice guidance)	Daily 08:00–20:30	Leave the domestic terminal entrance and go 50 m to the right to the designated vehicle stop (the rental shuttle stop). Wait there for the circulating shuttle; the wait is up to 15 minutes. About five minutes by car to the branch	Accepts returns from other branches in all classes
2. Toyota Kagoshima Airport	286-1 Aza Magarisako, Fumoto, Mizobe-cho, Kirishima 899-6404; 0995-58-2306	08:00–20:30 from 1 January to 31 December, no closing days	Leave the terminal and wait for the shuttle at the far right (stop and bus stop No. 4), or contact the branch. The pick-up point is also shown in an advertisement on the wall of the baggage claim area	One-way in both directions, inside and outside the prefecture, except 1-number class vehicles (commercial-registered vans and similar). ETC card rental available
3. Budget Kagoshima Airport	1377-1 Fumoto, Mizobe-cho, Kirishima, Kagoshima 899-6404; 0995-58-3543	08:00–20:00	Phone after you arrive and staff come for you (about 5–15 minutes). Domestic: go outside through Exit 1 in front of the ANA counter and 50 m to the right. International: exit arrivals to the far left, go outside through Exit 3 and 20 m on. Look for the rental shuttle stop sign or a red flag	No snow chain rental; cars generally have normal tyres
4. Orix Kagoshima Airport	1342-3 Fumoto, Mizobe-cho, Kirishima, Kagoshima; 0995-58-4182	Daily 08:00–20:00, including public holidays and New Year	About four minutes on foot straight ahead from terminal entrance 2. For a shuttle, phone after you arrive and wait at the rental shuttle stop No. 4, at the far right outside the terminal	One-way in both directions except Hokkaido, Okinawa and outlying islands. ETC card rental available
5. Times Car Kagoshima Airport	1362 Fumoto, Mizobe-cho, Kirishima, Kagoshima 899-6404; 0995-58-3888	09:00–19:00, open all year	About five minutes on foot from the right-hand side of the terminal exit. For a shuttle, phone the branch after you arrive. No staff are stationed at the airport. Return 40 minutes before your flight (shuttle to the airport 5–10 minutes; walking can be quicker)	Accepts cars rented at other branches with no conditions. No ETC card rental, and some models have no ETC reader. No parking for your own car. A multi-language voice translator is available
6. Nissan Kagoshima Airport	1342-9 Fumoto, Mizobe-cho, Kirishima, Kagoshima; 0995-58-2121	Daily 08:00–20:00	Diagonally across to the right from the terminal building, two minutes on foot. Phone from the airport for a pick-up. No shuttle outside branch hours	Check in the booking screen that your return branch can be selected. ETC card rental available
7. Sky Kagoshima Airport	614-1 Fumoto, Mizobe-cho, Kirishima, Kagoshima 899-6404; 0995-58-9330	08:00–19:00, open all year	Leave the terminal through entrance 1 and go about 30 m to the right to the rental shuttle stop, and wait there. After you arrive, call the shuttle from Sky's shuttle request page (available from one hour before your departure time). If that does not work, phone
8. Suzuki Kagoshima Airport	353-1 Fumoto, Mizobe-cho, Kirishima, Kagoshima 899-6404; 0995-58-9139	08:00–20:00, open all year	Free shuttle between Kagoshima Airport and the branch. Ask the branch when you book how to call it and where to wait	One-way between participating branches, including towards Fukuoka and Kumamoto. Pay by cash, VISA, Mastercard or QR-code payment
9. Nico Nico Kagoshima Airport	613-1 Fumoto, Mizobe-cho, Kirishima, Kagoshima; 0995-73-4725	Daily 08:00–20:00	Phone the branch when you reach the arrivals exit. Go outside and wait at stop No. 4 on the right. Customers arriving by air are served up to flights landing at 19:40	One-way with its Kumamoto Airport, Fukuoka Airport and Nagasaki Airport branches (phone booking only, not online; not available in busy periods). ETC card rental ¥330. No cash payment since 1 January 2024. International Driving Permit accepted, with the original permit and passport, an address in Japan and a mobile number that can take calls. The paperwork is in Japanese only; contracts through an interpreter or translation app are not possible

Reference prices: standard rates at nine companies

This table takes each company's published 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, unless a row says otherwise. Kagoshima belongs to Sky's Kyushu region, so Sky's basic CDW is calculated at ¥1,430 per day.

Company and class	First 24 hours	Additional day	Basic CDW per day	48 hours with basic CDW	Minivan (7–8 seats), 24 hours
Suzuki JS (Yaris, Mazda2). The rate table does not say whether tax is included	¥5,500	¥5,000	¥1,800	¥14,100	¥14,000
Nico Nico S (Aqua, Yaris, Roomy). Basic CDW does not waive the vehicle excess after a single-car accident	¥5,610	¥5,610	¥1,100	¥13,420	¥15,180
Toyota C1 (Yaris, Passo)	¥8,580	¥7,260	¥1,100	¥18,040	¥20,900
Budget JS (Yaris, Fit)	¥8,580	¥7,040	¥1,430	¥18,480	¥21,010
Sky S (Yaris, Fit)	¥8,800	¥7,480	¥1,430	¥19,140	¥22,000
Times C-1 (Mazda2, Note e-POWER)	¥8,855	¥7,920	¥1,100	¥18,975	¥22,770
Nippon N-B (Fit, Corolla)	¥8,910	¥7,150	¥1,100	¥18,260	¥22,550
Nissan P2 (March, Note)	¥9,790	¥7,700	¥1,650	¥20,790	¥24,090
Orix SA (Fit, Note 1.2)	¥9,900	¥7,920	¥1,100	¥20,020	¥22,660

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.
Suzuki's rate table does not say whether tax is included.
Nico Nico's basic CDW does not waive the vehicle excess after a single-car accident.
Toyota has member discounts of 10% and 20%. Branches in the 23 wards of Tokyo, Oshima and Narita Airport use the Tokyo rate.
Budget has a web member rate at 10% off.
Sky's basic CDW varies by region: ¥1,320 in Hokkaido, ¥1,100 in Honshu and Shikoku, ¥1,430 in Kyushu and ¥1,650 in Okinawa. Members and prepayment each get 5% off.
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.

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. Nico Nico accepts an International Driving Permit only at some branches, requires the renter to complete the contract in Japanese without an interpreter or translation app, and asks for an address in Japan and a phone number that can take calls. Sky rents on a Geneva Convention permit with a passport, or on a foreign licence with a Japanese translation and a passport.

From arrival to the counter: shuttle pick-up points and how to call

The shuttle pick-up point is nearly the same for every company. Leave the terminal, go right, and wait at the rental shuttle stop, 30–50 m from the exit, near stop No. 4.

Waiting at the stop: Nippon runs a circulating shuttle, with a wait of up to 15 minutes. For Toyota, wait at stop No. 4 at the far right or contact the branch.
Calling after you land: phone Budget (about 5–15 minutes after your call), Orix, Nissan, Times (no staff at the airport) or Nico Nico. Sky can be called from its shuttle request page. Suzuki also has a free shuttle, but ask the branch when you book how to call it and where to wait.
Walking: for Nissan (two minutes on foot), Orix (about four minutes from entrance 2) and Times (about five minutes), walking can be quicker than waiting for a shuttle.

If you land on an international flight, Budget directs you from the arrivals exit to Exit 3 at the far left.

Returning to the branch and taking the shuttle to the terminal

On the way back, return the car to your booked branch, then take the shuttle to the terminal. Set your navigation to the branch's address, not the airport. Nippon's branch is about five minutes by car from the airport. Times asks you to return the car 40 minutes before your flight.

If you return to another branch, such as one at Kagoshima-Chuo Station, name the return branch when you book. Toyota handles one-way rentals inside and outside the prefecture, except 1-number class vehicles.

Frequently asked questions

Do all the companies run a circulating shuttle?

No. Nippon's shuttle circulates; at the other companies, you call for a pick-up by phone or similar after you land. Sky can also be called from its shuttle request page.

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

The latest closing time is 20:30, at Nippon and Toyota. Nico Nico serves flights landing up to 19:40, and Sky and Times close at 19:00. Check that your flight leaves enough time for check-in and the transfer before closing.

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 seven major companies on a Japanese licence. Suzuki is ¥14,100 and Nico Nico ¥13,420 (Suzuki's rate table does not say whether tax is included). On a foreign licence, Toyota's base rate is higher; see the price section above.

Do cars have studless winter tyres if I go to Kirishima in winter?

It depends on the branch. Budget Kagoshima Airport generally supplies normal tyres and does not rent snow chains. If you are heading into the mountains, check whether winter tyres are included when you book.