Kofu Station Car Rental: 7 Companies and 7 Branches Compared

Seven rental branches at Kofu Station: how to choose

JR Kofu Station — Yamanashi Prefecture's Chuo Main Line Limited Express Azusa and Kaiji hub (about 85–95 minutes direct from JR Shinjuku Station) and the northern terminus of the JR Minobu Line from Shizuoka and Fuji — is served by seven staffed rental branches across seven companies. Six counters stand within a 1–5 minute walk of the South Exit (the Takeda Shingen statue, CELEO Kofu and bus terminal side), while one budget branch (Carsta Kofu Bypass) runs a free shuttle from Kofu Station with advance reservation. There are no staffed rental counters at the North Exit (Koshu Yumekoji / Maizuru Castle Park side).

This page compares South Exit walking routes, shuttle cutoffs, winter studless snow tyre policies (which split sharply by company at Kofu Station), one-way drops toward Matsumoto, Mishima, Shizuoka and Tokyo, IDP rules and reference rates.

• Morning Azusa / Kaiji arrivals: five branches — Toyota, Nippon, Orix, Nissan and Carsta Kofu Bypass — open at 08:00 (Carsta's station shuttle starts at 09:00 on Sundays and public holidays). First-train Azusa 1 from Shinjuku (07:00 → Kofu 08:27) also lines up cleanly with Eki Rent-a-Car, which opens at 08:30 inside Toyota's building, while Guts opens at 09:00. Before 08:00 or after 20:00, only pre-registered self-service plans at Orix (Touch de Renta 24h unmanned counter) and Nissan (Self Ride Go app counter) operate at their South Exit addresses.
• Evening return cutoffs: Toyota, Nippon, Orix, Nissan and Carsta close at 20:00, Eki Rent-a-Car closes at 19:30 (18:00 on 31 Dec–3 Jan), and Guts closes at 19:00. No staffed counter accepts returns after 20:00, and Orix shortens New Year hours (30 Dec 2026–3 Jan 2027) to 09:00–17:00.
• Winter studless snow tyres — standard at 3 companies, paid option at 4: unlike neighbouring Nagano, Kofu Station is not universally winter-tyre-equipped. Nippon and Nissan fit studless tyres as standard from 1 December to 31 March (Nippon adds a winter season fee), and Eki Rent-a-Car fits winter studless tyres free of charge. By contrast, Toyota (Toyota Rent a Lease Yamanashi) is outside Toyota's 2026–2027 standard winter-tyre region list, so you must add studless tyres as a paid option (¥2,200 per 24h on passenger/van classes; ¥3,300 on wagons/SUVs), and Orix requires selecting a vehicle labelled studless when booking (¥2,640+ per 24h).
• One-way drops to Matsumoto, Mishima/Shizuoka or Tokyo: four branches — Toyota, Orix, Nissan and Nippon — support cross-prefecture one-way rentals. Eki Rent-a-Car Kofu Station (even though its counter is inside Toyota Kofu Ekimae) and Guts Kofu Ekimae do not allow one-way rentals.
• International Driving Permits: five companies — Toyota, Nippon, Orix, Nissan and Eki Rent-a-Car — accept a 1949 Geneva Convention IDP with your physical passport (or an eligible licence with an official Japanese translation). Guts and Carsta require a Japanese driving licence (no IDP).

Compare the 7 Kofu Station branches

Branch names link to their official pages. The numbers match the station data ledger (1–7) and are not a ranking.

Reference prices: standard rates at seven companies

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

• The 48-hour total adds the first 24 hours, one additional day and two days of basic CDW. A dash (–) means Guts does not publish an additional-day rate in its national table; furthermore, Guts Kofu Ekimae stocks only 4-seat kei cars, kei vans and kei trucks (no compact or minivan classes), excludes vehicle damage cover from its base fare (¥50,000–¥100,000 excess unless CDW is added; ¥30,000 NOC even if drivable), and caps mileage at 300 km per 24 hours (¥11 per extra km). At Carsta, day 2 onward is billed in 12-hour blocks (¥2,250 per 12h), new or hybrid models cost 30% more, and the published table omits whether tax is included.
• Most companies offer online or member discounts: Toyota (10% and 20% member discounts), Eki Rent-a-Car (up to 10% at participating offices), Orix (member discounts and 5% web discount), and Nippon (separate member rate table). Nissan's CDW uses the Standard Plan at ¥1,650 a day.

Prices can differ on a foreign licence. Toyota publishes a separate foreign-licence schedule where 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. Toyota also operates an English reservation line (0800-7000-815, 08:00–20:00), and Eki Rent-a-Car maintains English, Traditional Chinese and Korean pages.

To rent as a visitor at Toyota, Nippon, Orix, Nissan or Eki Rent-a-Car, bring a booklet-type International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention, or a licence from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan paired with an official Japanese translation (for example from JAF), together with your physical passport (photocopies are refused). See driving in Japan with a foreign licence.

South Exit vs North Exit walks, Azusa/Kaiji timing, and station shuttles

JR Kofu Station's Chuo Main Line and Minobu Line ticket gates open onto the 2F elevated concourse. Turning left (south) leads to the South Exit — CELEO Kofu station building, the main bus terminal and the bronze statue of warlord Takeda Shingen — whereas turning right (north) leads to the North Exit (Koshu Yumekoji and Yamanashi Prefectural Library). Because zero staffed rental counters sit on the North Exit side, head out of the South Exit for all six walking-distance branches. From JR Shinjuku Station, all-reserved Limited Express Azusa trains reach Kofu in roughly 85–90 minutes and Kaiji trains in 90–95 minutes; the first morning Azusa 1 (Shinjuku 07:00 → Kofu 08:27) lands just after the 08:00 and 08:30 counters open, letting you skip central Tokyo expressway traffic entirely.

• Left (east) out of the South Exit — 1 minute on foot: Nippon Kofu Ekimae (丸の内1-1-8) occupies 1F of the Yamanashi Kotsu Building immediately to the left of the South Exit stairs/escalator, making it the shortest walk in rain or with heavy luggage.
• Right (west) past the Takeda Shingen statue — 2 to 5 minutes on foot: two minutes west in front of the station building car park entrance stands Toyota Kofu Ekimae (丸の内2-4-1), with Eki Rent-a-Car Kofu Station operating its counter inside the exact same Toyota office. Check which brand is on your confirmation: Toyota runs 08:00–20:00 with one-way drops allowed and paid winter-tyre options, whereas Eki Rent-a-Car runs 08:30–19:30 with no one-way rentals and free winter studless tyres. Continuing west past the Takeda Shingen statue, Nissan Kofu Ekimae (丸の内2-4-21) is 3 minutes from the South Exit, and Orix Kofu Ekimae (丸の内2-7-23, Suzuyo Kofu Bldg 1F) is 5 minutes away (294 m). Five minutes south toward Heiwadori Avenue stands kei-car specialist Guts Kofu Ekimae (丸の内2-27-14, Japanese licence required).
• 24-hour unmanned self-service plans at Orix and Nissan: Orix (Touch de Renta at the Kofu Ekimae 24h Unmanned Counter) and Nissan (Self Ride Go app station) offer 24-hour self-service pickups at their respective South Exit addresses, but neither unmanned counter supports one-way rentals or ETC card rental, and both require Japanese member registration in advance.
• Free station shuttle (Japanese licence holders): Carsta Kofu Bypass (上町2251-1, about 4 km south-east near Route 20, or a 10-minute walk from JR Minobu Line Minami-Kofu Station) provides a free shuttle from JR Kofu Station or Minami-Kofu Station when requested in advance via booking comment or phone. On Sundays and public holidays, shuttles run from 09:00 onward only and same-day shuttle requests are not accepted.

Winter snow tyres (standard at 3 companies vs paid option at 4) and mountain roads

While the Kofu Basin floor enjoys sunny winter afternoons, nearly every scenic drive out of Kofu climbs rapidly into freezing mountain terrain between late November and early April. Unlike Nagano Prefecture (see Matsumoto Station car rental), where winter tyres are included across almost all fleets, Kofu Station branches split between standard winter tyres and paid options:

• Three companies include studless snow tyres as standard: Nippon Kofu Ekimae includes Yamanashi Prefecture in its standard winter-tyre region from 1 December to 31 March (departure-date basis; a winter season fee applies, and Nippon does not rent snow chains nationwide). Nissan Kofu Ekimae equips studless tyres as standard from 1 December 2026 to 31 March 2027, and Eki Rent-a-Car Kofu Station includes winter studless tyres free of charge per JR East Rent-A-Lease.
• Four companies require booking winter tyres as an option: Toyota Rent a Lease Yamanashi is not part of Toyota's 2026–2027 standard studless region list, so if you book Toyota Kofu Ekimae for winter mountain driving you must reserve studless tyres as a paid option (¥2,200 per 24h for passenger/van classes; ¥3,300 per 24h for wagons/SUVs). At Orix Kofu Ekimae, you must pick a vehicle displaying the studless label on the vehicle-selection screen when booking (¥2,640+ per 24h, capped at 15 days; snow chains ¥3,300+ per rental if stocked). Guts and Carsta also treat studless tyres as optional extras subject to branch stock.
• Key mountain routes and winter restrictions from Kofu:
  • Shosenkyo Gorge (昇仙峡, ~40 minutes north): the Shosenkyo Tourism Association notes that from 1 December to 31 March local buses terminate mid-gorge at Shosenkyo-guchi / Tenjinmori, leaving no public bus to Sengataki Falls or the Shosenkyo Ropeway and making a winter-tyre-equipped car essential on shaded, icy gorge bends.
  • Fuji Five Lakes and Mt Fuji 5th Stations (~50–60 minutes south-east via Route 137 / Misaka Tunnel): Lake Kawaguchiko and Lake Yamanakako sit at 830–1,000 m with frequent overnight black ice. On the Fuji Subaru Line (¥2,800 return for standard cars — cash or coupon tickets only; ETC and credit cards are not accepted), operating hours shorten to 09:00–17:00 from 16 November, and from January through mid-March snow usually prevents reaching the 5th Station (check the 2026–2027 winter road closures calendar).
  • Yatsugatake and Kiyosato and Suwa (~45–60 minutes north-west via the E20 Chuo Expressway): highland roads around Kiyosato and Nobeyama (1,000–1,400 m+) freeze from late November, and high passes such as Marchen Kaido (Mugikusa Pass) and the Venus Line (Wada Pass side) close for winter on 18–19 November.

Allow extra margin for evening Chuo Expressway or Misaka Pass traffic and refuelling before Kofu's return cutoffs: 19:00 at Guts, 19:30 at Eki Rent-a-Car (18:00 on 31 Dec–3 Jan), and 20:00 at Toyota, Nippon, Orix, Nissan and Carsta (note Orix's 17:00 New Year cutoff on 30 Dec 2026–3 Jan 2027; see refuelling and returning the car). Published return MAPCODEs are 59578553*65 (Toyota Kofu Ekimae) and 59 578 531*14 (Nippon Kofu Ekimae).

One-way drops to Matsumoto, Mishima, Shizuoka and Tokyo, plus ETC cards

Kofu Station works well as one end of an open-jaw rail-and-drive itinerary: arriving on the Azusa from Shinjuku, driving through Kiyosato and Lake Suwa to drop off at Matsumoto Station; looping around the Fuji Five Lakes and descending Route 139 or the E52 Chubu-Odan Expressway to catch the Tokaido Shinkansen at Mishima Station or Shizuoka Station; or returning to Tokyo Station. Starting at Kofu rather than central Tokyo also avoids weekend Kobotoke Tunnel expressway bottlenecks and Toyota's higher Tokyo 23-ward base tariff (¥10,010 vs ¥8,580 for C1). Check one-way rental fees alongside each branch's rules:

• Toyota Kofu Ekimae supports outgoing and incoming one-way rentals inside and outside Yamanashi Prefecture (excluding 1- and 2-number commercial/bus plates).
• Orix Kofu Ekimae supports one-way departures and returns nationwide except Hokkaido, Okinawa and outlying islands, excluding vehicles ≥468 cm long, ≥169 cm wide, ≥196 cm high or class WD and above (such as HiAce Grand Cabin), and excluding its 24h unmanned counter.
• Nissan Kofu Ekimae supports outgoing and incoming one-way rentals at the staffed counter (its 24h Self Ride Go counter is excluded).
• Nippon Kofu Ekimae allows outgoing one-way drops for a distance-based fee (excluding microbuses and trucks of 3t+) and accepts incoming returns in kei, passenger, wagon, van and kei-truck classes.
• No one-way rentals at Eki Rent-a-Car or Guts: Eki Rent-a-Car Kofu Station prohibits both outgoing and incoming one-way rentals (if you share Toyota's building and need a one-way drop, book directly under Toyota, not Eki Rent-a-Car), and Guts Kofu Ekimae requires returning to the pickup branch. Confirm one-way eligibility when booking Carsta Kofu Bypass.

For Chuo Expressway (E20 Kofu-Showa IC, Kofu-Minami IC, Ichinomiya-Misaka IC) and Chubu-Odan Expressway tolls, four branches — Toyota (¥550 per rental by phone), Nippon (¥330 up to 7 days by phone after booking), Orix and Nissan — offer ETC card rental. Eki Rent-a-Car and Carsta fit ETC on-board units (bring your own ETC card), whereas Guts treats the ETC unit itself as a paid option and does not rent ETC cards (and remember the Fuji Subaru Line toll gate takes cash only, not ETC).

Frequently asked questions

Is Times Car Kofu Ekimae open, and is Nico Nico within walking distance?

Times Car Kofu Ekimae ended counter rentals on 15 December 2023 and now operates exclusively as a car-share station for Times Car members. Nico Nico Rent a Car runs seven branches across Kofu City (including Kofu Misaki and Kofu Zenkoji-eki), but all sit outside walking distance of JR Kofu Station with no station shuttle. For walking-distance pickup at the South Exit or a free station shuttle, choose from the seven branches compared above.

Can I rent on an International Driving Permit?

Yes at five companies (five branches) — Toyota, Nippon, Orix, Nissan and Eki Rent-a-Car — with a booklet-type 1949 Geneva Convention IDP and your physical passport (or a licence from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan accompanied by an official Japanese translation and physical passport). Guts Kofu Ekimae and Carsta Kofu Bypass require a Japanese driving licence.

What does a two-day rental cost?

On standard Japanese-licence rates before discounts, a compact car with basic CDW for 48 hours comes to ¥17,820 at Eki Rent-a-Car, ¥18,040 at Toyota, ¥18,260 at Nippon, ¥20,020 at Orix and ¥20,790 at Nissan (Carsta is ¥11,200 on its published table, which omits tax specification, requires a Japanese licence, and adds 30% for new or hybrid models; Guts Kofu Ekimae is Japanese-licence and kei-only). On a foreign licence, Toyota's C1 base rate starts at ¥10,340 for the first 24 hours before cover, and winter trips may add Nippon's winter season fee or paid winter-tyre options at Toyota and Orix. Compare excess waivers and company rules in basic CDW and the NOC explained and comparing rental company rules.

Guides to read before booking

• Fuji Five Lakes driving guide: Lake Kawaguchiko to Lake Motosuko routes and map
• Mt Fuji 5th Stations driving guide: Fuji Subaru Line and Fujisan Skyline
• Yatsugatake and Kiyosato driving guide: Seisenryo, Higashizawa Bridge and Nobeyama
• Suwa area driving guide: Kirigamine, Lake Shirakaba and Tateshina
• Winter road closures calendar 2026–2027: mountain road closure and reopening dates
• Matsumoto Station car rental: 9 branches compared
• Mishima Station car rental: 6 branches compared
• Shizuoka Station car rental: 7 branches compared
• Tokyo Station car rental: 6 branches compared
• One-way rentals: fees and rules
• ETC cards for rental cars: where to borrow one and how tolls are settled
• Basic CDW and the NOC explained
• Refuelling and returning the car
• Comparing rental company rules: payment, extensions, one-way rentals and more
• Driving in Japan with a foreign licence