Matsumoto Station Car Rental: 9 Branches Compared

Nine rental branches at Matsumoto Station: how to choose

Matsumoto Station has nine rental branches from eight companies. Nippon and Orix Matsumoto Ekimae are on the Alps (west) side. Toyota, Orix Bus Terminal Counter, Times, Nissan, Eki Rent-a-Car, J-net and Nico Nico are on the Castle (east) side. You can walk to all of them.

This page compares each branch's address, hours, walking route and rules on one-way returns, with reference prices and winter tyres.

Early pickup or late return: Nippon, Toyota, Eki Rent-a-Car, J-net and Nico Nico open at 08:00. The latest closing is 20:00, at Nippon, Toyota, J-net and Nico Nico (Monday to Saturday). Times closes at 18:00.
A short walk: Nippon faces the Alps Exit, Eki Rent-a-Car is 100 m to the right of the Castle Exit and Orix Bus Terminal Counter is one minute from the station.
Returning at another branch: Nippon, Toyota, Orix Matsumoto Ekimae and Eki Rent-a-Car handle returns to other branches. Times and Orix Bus Terminal Counter do not accept cars rented elsewhere.
A lower base rate: on the Japanese-licence standard rates before discounts, Eki Rent-a-Car is lowest among the large companies at ¥8,470 for a compact car for 24 hours. Nico Nico is ¥5,610, but its CDW does not waive the vehicle excess after a single-car accident.
Winter rental: Nissan and J-net have studless tyres as standard from 1 December to 31 March, and Nico Nico from November to April. Orix Matsumoto Ekimae opens at 09:00 from 1 November to 31 March.

Compare the nine Matsumoto branches

Branch names link to each branch's own page, where you can see the map and book. The numbers only identify branches and are not a ranking.

No. and branch	Address in Matsumoto	Hours	Access	One-way returns and limits
1. Nippon Matsumoto Station Alps Exit	4-16 Hagiue	Daily 08:00–20:00; 31 December 2026 and 2–3 January 2027 09:00–18:00; closed 1 January 2027	Facing the Alps Exit	Cars from other branches accepted, up to 2 t trucks
2. Toyota Matsumoto Ekimae	2-1-20 Fukashi	08:00–20:00; 31 December–3 January 09:00–18:00	3 min from the station; behind the bus terminal; no shuttle	One-way departures and returns allowed, except registration classification 1. Height limit 2.0 m
3. Orix Matsumoto Ekimae	5-47 Hagiue	1 April–31 October 08:00–19:00; 1 November–31 March 09:00–19:00; 30–31 December 2026 and 2–3 January 2027 09:00–17:00; closed 1 January 2027	5 min (262 m) from the Alps Exit	One-way departures and returns allowed, except Hokkaido, Okinawa and outlying islands
4. Orix Matsumoto Station Bus Terminal Counter	B1, 1-2-30 Fukashi	09:00–19:00; 30 December 2026 09:00–17:00; closed 31 December 2026–3 January 2027	1 min (191 m) from the station; 5 min on foot from the counter to the departure car park	No one-way rentals. No staff outside booked times; phone the branch to change dates
5. Times Matsumoto Ekimae	Times Alpico Plaza, 1-3 Fukashi	09:00–18:00; open all year	About 4 min from the Castle Exit; no shuttle. No walking entry from the car-park entrance	Cars rented elsewhere not accepted
6. Nissan Matsumoto Ekimae	2-48-6 Chuo	Daily 08:30–19:00; closed 3 November 2026; 30 December 2026–4 January 2027 09:00–17:00; first Saturday of August 08:30–15:00	500 m straight along Agatanomori-dori from the Castle Exit	Check that the return branch can be selected when you book. No trucks or microbuses. Studless tyres standard 1 December 2026–31 March 2027
7. Eki Rent-a-Car Matsumoto Station	1-261-11 Fukashi	08:00–19:00	100 m right from the Castle Exit, next to the police box	One-way returns available
8. J-net Matsumoto Ekimae	1F, Hachimaru Honjo Building, 1-1-12 Honjo	Daily 08:00–20:00; 31 December 2026–3 January 2027 09:00–18:00	6 min from JR Matsumoto; 3 min from the bus terminal; no shuttle	Check that the return branch can be selected when you book. Studless tyres standard 1 December–31 March; 4WD is an option
9. Nico Nico Matsumoto Josei	2-1-12 Josei	Mon–Sat 08:00–20:00; Sun and holidays 08:00–19:00	12 min from the Castle Exit; 5 min from Kita-Matsumoto Station; at an ENEOS petrol station	Check that the return branch can be selected when you book. Studless tyres standard November–April; all cars 2WD

Toyota and both Orix branches lend ETC cards for expressway tolls. Times and Nissan do not. J-net and Nico Nico cars have an ETC reader, but check whether a card is available. The Nippon and Eki Rent-a-Car pages do not cover ETC cards, so ask when you book. At Nico Nico, an International Driving Permit (IDP) holder must handle the contract in Japanese without an interpreter or translation app, and acceptance varies by branch.

Reference rates at eight companies

These are compact-car standard rates: regular season, tax included, before discounts, on a Japanese driving licence. The 48-hour total is the first 24 hours, one further day and two days of basic collision damage waiver (CDW).

Company and class	First 24 hours	Each further 24 hours	Basic CDW per day	48 hours with basic CDW	Minivan (7–8 seats), 24 hours
Nico Nico S (Aqua, Yaris, Roomy)	¥5,610	¥5,610	¥1,100	¥13,420	¥15,180
Eki Rent-a-Car S (Fit, Yaris)	¥8,470	¥7,150	¥1,100	¥17,820	¥22,550
Toyota C1 (Yaris, Passo)	¥8,580	¥7,260	¥1,100	¥18,040	¥20,900
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
J-net J3 (Yaris, Fit, Mazda2)	¥10,450	¥8,800	¥1,100	¥21,450	¥23,650

With a foreign licence, Toyota has a separate list: C1 is ¥10,340 for the first 24 hours and ¥8,690 for each further 24 hours, before optional cover. Get a quote for your own licence and dates at the other companies, because these figures are not a visitor quote.

Read the driving licence guide before you book, and the CDW and NOC guide to see what basic cover leaves you paying.

Choose the branch near your station exit

The nearest branch depends on whether you leave by the Alps (west) or Castle (east) Exit. A branch on the same side as your hotel or your next destination saves crossing the station.

Alps (west) Exit: Nippon Alps Exit (facing the exit) and Orix Matsumoto Ekimae (five minutes, 262 m from the station).
Close to the Castle (east) Exit: Eki Rent-a-Car (100 m to the right, next to the police box), Orix Bus Terminal Counter (one minute, on B1 of the bus terminal building), Toyota Ekimae (three minutes, behind the bus terminal) and Times Ekimae (about four minutes, inside Times Alpico Plaza).
A short walk from the Castle Exit: Nissan Ekimae (500 m straight along Agatanomori-dori), J-net Ekimae (six minutes, or three minutes from the bus terminal) and Nico Nico Josei (12 minutes, or five minutes from Kita-Matsumoto Station; at an ENEOS station).

Orix Bus Terminal Counter is a five-minute walk from reception to the departure car park. It has no staff outside booked times, so always phone the branch if you change your dates. At Times, you cannot walk in from the Times car-park entrance. The branch is on the opposite side of the building, beside the car-park exit. For J-net, the streets around the station are complicated, so search for the branch name in a map app.

Check closing times and accepted vehicles before returning

Watch for early closings. Times closes at 18:00, and both Orix branches, Nissan and Eki Rent-a-Car at 19:00. Nico Nico also closes at 19:00 on Sundays and holidays. Nissan is closed on 3 November 2026, and closes at 15:00 on the first Saturday of August.

New Year hours vary by branch. Nippon is open 09:00–18:00 on 31 December 2026 and 2–3 January 2027, and closed on 1 January. Toyota is open 09:00–18:00 from 31 December to 3 January, and J-net the same from 31 December 2026 to 3 January 2027. Nissan is open 09:00–17:00 from 30 December 2026 to 4 January 2027.

If you return a car rented elsewhere, choose a branch that accepts it. Times and Orix Bus Terminal Counter do not. Toyota excludes registration classification 1 from one-way rentals and has a 2.0 m height limit. Nippon accepts vehicles up to 2 t trucks. Nissan cannot rent or take back trucks and microbuses.

On a day back from the highlands, you walk to the station after refuelling and returning the car. Do not set your train's departure as the return time; add time to unload luggage and to get through the station.

Separate highland days from days in Matsumoto

Separating days walking central Matsumoto from days driving to the highlands and mountains lets you compare overnight parking and unused rental hours. Research road access, seasonal restrictions and any local change of transport for each destination. Do not plan on map distance alone.

Winter tyres and four-wheel drive are separate pieces of equipment. Nissan and J-net have studless tyres as standard from 1 December to 31 March, and 4WD is an option at J-net. Nico Nico has studless tyres as standard from November to April, and all its cars are 2WD. At other branches, check tyres and drive type when you book. If your planned road is closed, change the route rather than renting a bigger car.

Frequently asked questions

Which rental branch is closest to Matsumoto Station?

From the Alps (west) Exit, Nippon Alps Exit faces the exit. From the Castle (east) Exit, Eki Rent-a-Car (100 m to the right) and Orix Bus Terminal Counter (one minute) are close.

Can I rent from 08:00 in winter?

Nippon, Toyota, Eki Rent-a-Car, J-net and Nico Nico open at 08:00. Nissan opens at 08:30, and Orix Bus Terminal Counter and Times at 09:00. Orix Matsumoto Ekimae opens at 09:00 from 1 November to 31 March. Many branches open at 09:00 over New Year, so check the hours for your dates.

Do cars have studless tyres?

Nissan and J-net have them as standard from 1 December to 31 March, and Nico Nico from November to April. The other branch pages do not say, so check when you book.

Can I return a car rented elsewhere at Matsumoto Station?

Nippon, Toyota, Orix Matsumoto Ekimae and Eki Rent-a-Car handle returns from other branches. Times and Orix Bus Terminal Counter do not.

What does a two-day rental cost?

For a compact car with basic CDW for two days, the Japanese-licence standard rates before discounts come to ¥17,820–¥20,790 at the six large companies. Eki Rent-a-Car is lowest at ¥17,820. Nico Nico is ¥13,420 and J-net ¥21,450. A foreign licence can change the price: Toyota C1 starts at ¥10,340 for the first 24 hours.