Kochi Airport Car Rental: 8 Branches Compared

Kochi Airport has eight rental branches: how to choose

Kochi Airport, also called Kochi Ryoma Airport, is in Nankoku, east of Kochi City on the island of Shikoku. It has eight rental branches from seven companies, with two from Orix. All are outside the airport. At most companies you check in at a counter in the terminal and take a shuttle to the branch. Only Nico Nico is about 4 km away, and you reach it by a shuttle you book.

This page compares the counters and shuttles, closing times, returns and one-way rentals, and the reference price at each company.

• Arriving on an evening flight: of the branches with an airport counter, Nippon, Toyota and Orix Kochi Ryoma Airport Terminal close last, at 20:00. The other four close at 19:00. Nippon no longer serves last flights landing outside its hours.
• Branches right by the airport: Nippon's and Nissan's are 3 minutes on foot, and Sky's is about 500 m from the main entrance (about 7 minutes on foot). You can go straight to Nippon. If you go straight to Sky, contact the branch first.
• Returning somewhere else: Nippon, Toyota and both Orix branches accept returns at other branches.
• Keeping the cost down: on standard rates before discounts on a Japanese licence, Toyota is the cheapest major company at ¥8,580 for a compact for 24 hours. Nico Nico is ¥5,610, but its basic CDW does not waive the vehicle excess after a single-car accident.
• Orix has two counters: go to the counter with the same name as the branch you booked (Kochi Ryoma Airport Terminal or Kochi Airport).

Compare the eight Kochi Airport branches

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

Reference prices: standard rates at seven companies

This table takes each company's published standard rate for a compact car, with the total including basic collision damage waiver (CDW). The total changes with the number of days and the cover you choose. These are regular-season rates before discounts on a Japanese licence, unless a row says otherwise.

• 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.
• Nico Nico's basic CDW does not waive the vehicle excess after a single-car accident.
• Toyota has member discounts of 10% and 20%.
• 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: where to check in and how the shuttle works

The check-in process depends on the company.

• Check in at a counter, then take a shuttle: Nippon (the NR counter opposite the arrival exit; staff are there if you have a booking; 1 minute by car to the branch), Toyota (the dedicated counter ahead on the left outside the arrivals lobby), Nissan (the terminal counter; no shuttle outside branch hours) and Sky (the reception counter in the arrivals lobby; about 1 minute to the branch; shuttle reception 09:00–18:30, and enter your flight and party size when you book).
• Orix has a separate counter per branch: check in at the Kochi Ryoma Airport Counter for the Terminal branch (about 1 minute) and at the Kochi Airport Counter for the Kochi Airport branch (about 3 minutes). Both are for check-in only, and you collect the car at the branch.
• Unstaffed counter: the Times entry point is the rental reception counter on 1F of the domestic arrivals lobby, but no staff are stationed there. The shuttle takes about 4 minutes.
• Shuttle by booking: Nico Nico Kochi Gomen has no airport counter. After booking the car, phone the branch to ask for the shuttle. By bus, take the airport bus for about 15 minutes to Kogyo Danchi-mae and walk about 500 m back.

The two Orix branches have different closing times (Terminal 20:00, Kochi Airport 19:00). Compare the branch name on your booking confirmation with the counter name before you check in.

Returning: work back from closing time and your flight

Nippon, Toyota and Orix Kochi Ryoma Airport Terminal close at 20:00. Orix Kochi Airport, Nissan, Times and Sky close at 19:00, and Nico Nico Kochi Gomen at 22:00. Return the car to the branch you booked and take the shuttle to the airport. Set your navigation to the branch, not the airport. Times asks you to return 1 hour before your flight.

The shuttle ride is only about 1–4 minutes, but refuelling, the return inspection and waiting for the shuttle take extra time. At Nissan, if a flight is delayed there is no service outside hours, and it is dealt with on the next business day.

Branches close earlier at New Year. Nippon closes at 19:00 on 31 December 2026 and 1 January 2027, and Times at 17:00 from 31 December to 2 January and 18:00 on 3 January. Toyota closes at 17:00 from 30 December to 2 January and 15:00 on 3 January, but its stated times for this period differ between notices, so ask the branch.

Separate your Kochi City days from your wider drives

If you are heading straight from the airport to other parts of the prefecture, collecting the car at the airport is an option. If you spend your arrival day in Kochi City and start driving the next day, you can also compare travelling into the city and renting around Kochi Station. Add up the charge for nights you do not use the car, parking and the transfer from the airport.

If you are going far, such as towards Shimanto, do not leave the long drive on your last day until just before your flight. Decide when to stop sightseeing and where to refuel, and include the return to the branch in your schedule. Choose a car size for both your luggage and the roads you will drive.

Kochi Airport rental car FAQ

Are there rental counters inside Kochi Airport?

Yes. Nippon, Toyota, Orix, Nissan, Times and Sky have counters in the terminal, and after check-in a shuttle takes you to a branch outside the airport. No staff are stationed at the Times counter. Nico Nico has no airport counter, and you reach it by a shuttle you book.

Can I still rent if I land on the last flight?

Branches with an airport counter close at 19:00 or 20:00. Nippon no longer serves last flights landing outside its hours, and Nissan offers no service outside hours if a flight is delayed. Orix Kochi Ryoma Airport Terminal asks you to contact the branch directly about special arrangements on a last flight. Nico Nico Kochi Gomen is open until 22:00, but its shuttle is by booking. Give your flight when you book and check that it can collect you.

Why does Orix have two counters?

Orix has two branches near the airport, Kochi Ryoma Airport Terminal (until 20:00) and Kochi Airport (until 19:00), and each has its own counter in the terminal. Go to the counter with the same name as the branch on your booking confirmation.

What does one night and two days cost?

On standard rates before discounts and a Japanese licence, a compact with basic CDW for two days comes to ¥18,040–¥20,790 at the six major companies. Toyota is lowest at ¥18,040, and Nico Nico is ¥13,420. On a foreign licence, Toyota's base rate is higher; see the price section above.

Can I return at Kochi Station or another branch?

Nippon, Toyota and both Orix branches accept returns at other branches. If you return at Kochi Station, Nippon Kochi Station North Exit accepts kei cars (Japan's smallest class), passenger cars, wagons, vans and kei trucks.

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
• Comparing rental car company rules
• Accidents, damage, punctures, breakdowns and parking tickets