Car Rental in Kumamoto: Airport and Station's 22 Branches Compared

Choosing a rental car in Kumamoto

Kumamoto Prefecture has two main places to compare rental branches: Aso Kumamoto Airport with 11 branches from 10 companies, and Kumamoto Station with 10 from nine. Neither has a 24-hour branch.

This guide shows which place suits your trip, how pickup works at the Sorayoka Visitor Centre, closing times, returns to other branches, and rates on Japanese and foreign licences.

• Flying in: only Nissan is inside the airport, at the Sorayoka Visitor Centre, 3 minutes on foot from arrivals, with no shuttle. Other branches are outside; check in at a counter or phone for a pickup, then take a shuttle.
• Arriving at Kumamoto Station by Shinkansen: on the Shinkansen side (west), Toyota Kumamoto Shinkansen Exit faces the roundabout (1 minute on foot), and Nippon is directly in front of the exit. On the Shirakawa side (east), Times is about 2 minutes, and Nissan and Toyota Kumamoto Ekimae are 3 minutes on foot. No branch collects you from the station.
• Staying in Kumamoto city before heading to Aso: you can spend your arrival day in the city without a car and rent at the station on the morning you leave. Compare the rental charge and parking for unused days against renting at the airport from day one.
• Renting at the airport and returning at Kumamoto Station: Nippon, Toyota, Orix and Nissan accept cars rented elsewhere at both places.
• Arriving or returning late: the latest closing is 20:00: Nippon, Toyota and Nissan at the airport, and Nippon and Toyota Kumamoto Shinkansen Exit at the station. On the pickup day, J-net's airport branch handles only flights arriving by 19:00.
• Keeping the cost down: on standard compact rates before discounts for a Japanese licence, Toyota at ¥8,580 for 24 hours is lowest among the major companies. Among smaller companies, Guts is ¥4,070, Suzuki at the airport ¥5,500 and Nico Nico ¥5,610. Guts includes no vehicle damage cover and limits you to 300 km per 24 hours. Foreign-licence prices and eligibility differ; see the rates section.

Kumamoto Airport and Kumamoto Station compared

At Kumamoto Airport, the centre of check-in is the Sorayoka Visitor Centre, to the left after leaving arrivals. It holds the Nissan branch and the counters of Nippon, Orix, Times and J-net. Toyota checks you in at a separate building to the left of arrivals. For Sky, Nico Nico (two branches), Guts and Suzuki, phone for a pickup. On the way back, you return the car at the branch and take the shuttle to the terminal.

Kumamoto Station has five branches on the Shinkansen side (west) and five on the Shirakawa side (east), all reached on foot. Choosing a branch on the same side as your hotel or next destination saves crossing the station. Branches close between 18:00 and 20:00, and some do not handle tall vehicles.

The first table compares the two places. The tables after it list every branch, with each name linking to its branch page. Hours are the regular ones. For rentals in other towns such as Amakusa or Hitoyoshi, use the branch search on each company's website.

Kumamoto Airport branches

Kumamoto Station branches

Rental companies in Kumamoto compared

The two places have 21 branches from 10 companies.

One-way fees and company rules are in the Japan rental-company comparison. The four companies below show how Kumamoto branches and cover differ.

Reference rates and cover

The table shows standard compact rates for companies with branches at Kumamoto Airport and Kumamoto Station: regular season, before discounts, for a Japanese licence.

On a foreign licence, Toyota uses a separate rate list: C1 is ¥10,340 for the first 24 hours and ¥8,690 for each additional 24 hours, against ¥8,580 and ¥7,260 in the table. To rent on a foreign licence, bring an International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention and your passport, or, for licences from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan, the licence with a Japanese translation and your passport.

Nico Nico requires the renter to complete the contract in Japanese, without an interpreter or translation app, and some branches do not accept an IDP; Guts generally does not rent on an IDP.

The cover names and prices that remove the NOC are compared in CDW and NOC.

Pickup and return in Kumamoto

Returning at the airport for your flight

Airport branches are outside the terminal, so you return the car to your branch and ride the shuttle to the terminal. Set the navigation destination to your branch, not the airport. Nippon's return MAPCODE is 29 599 815*05.

Orix closes at 18:00, and Times, J-net, Sky, Nico Nico's two branches, Guts and Suzuki at 19:00. Return Times cars at least 1 hour before the flight; its shuttle to the airport after return runs only during opening hours.

Returning at Kumamoto Station

Station branches close at 18:00 (Orix and J-net) or 19:00 (Toyota Kumamoto Ekimae, Nissan, Times, Sky, Guts and Nico Nico Kumamoto Station). On the day you drive back from Aso, set your return time with refuelling and the paperwork included. Nissan does not handle vehicles 2 m or taller, and Times does not handle tall or long vehicles, because of their car parks and garages. Guts closes on Wednesdays.

One-way rentals between the airport and Kumamoto Station

To rent at the airport and return at the station, or the reverse, Nippon, Toyota, Orix and Nissan accept this at both ends. One-way fees depend on the company, distance and area, and are not always free. Name the return branch in the booking and check the amount.

Heading to Aso in winter

If you head into the mountains around Aso in winter, check when booking that the car has studless tyres. Where they are not standard, the option costs ¥2,200 (for 24 hours or a day) at Toyota (passenger cars), Times and Nissan, and some branches do not offer them. An SUV label alone does not guarantee four-wheel drive or winter equipment. See also the guide to winter road closures.

One-way rentals to other Kyushu prefectures

Nico Nico Kumamoto Airport accepts one-way rentals to and from Fukuoka Airport, Nagasaki Airport and Kagoshima Airport branches by telephone booking, and Suzuki Kumamoto Airport allows returns between participating branches towards Fukuoka and Kagoshima. Branches on the Fukuoka side are compared in Car rental in Fukuoka.

Frequently asked questions

Should I rent at Kumamoto Airport or Kumamoto Station?

Kumamoto Airport suits you if you land and head straight to Aso or similar areas. Kumamoto Station suits a Shinkansen arrival or a trip that starts after a night in the city. Airport branches other than Nissan are reached by shuttle, and station branches are within walking distance of the Shinkansen and Shirakawa exits.

Which company has the lowest rate?

On standard compact rates before discounts for a Japanese licence, Guts is lowest at ¥4,070 for 24 hours, but it includes no vehicle damage cover and has a mileage limit. Its airport shuttle needs a telephone booking by the day before. Suzuki at the airport (¥5,500) and Nico Nico (¥5,610) follow, and Toyota at ¥8,580 is lowest among the major companies. Member and online discounts change the price, so narrow your choice to two or three companies and compare them in the booking.

Can I rent at Kumamoto Airport and return at Kumamoto Station?

Nippon, Toyota, Orix and Nissan accept cars rented elsewhere at both places. Toyota Kumamoto Ekimae excludes 1No class. Name the return branch in the booking to check the fee.

Can I rent or return late at night?

There is no 24-hour branch. The latest closing is 20:00: Nippon, Toyota and Nissan at the airport, and Nippon and Toyota Kumamoto Shinkansen Exit at the station. At Nissan and Times airport branches, if a delayed flight lands after closing, the rental is handled the next day. Include check-in and transfer time when you check you can make closing.

Where are the rental counters at Kumamoto Airport?

They are in the Sorayoka Visitor Centre: leave arrivals to the left and go through Sorayoka Dining, connected to the airport, and it is straight ahead. It holds the Nissan branch and the counters of Nippon, Orix, Times and J-net. Toyota is in a separate building to the left of arrivals, and other companies collect you after you phone.

Guides to read before booking

• Rental companies, rates and cover in Japan
• Driving in Japan with a foreign licence
• Accidents, scratches, punctures, breakdowns and parking fines
• CDW and NOC
• Refuelling and returning the car