Matsuyama Airport Car Rental: 10 Branches Compared

Matsuyama Airport has 10 rental branches: how to choose

Matsuyama Airport, on the coast of Matsuyama in Ehime Prefecture on the island of Shikoku, has 10 rental branches from nine companies. All are outside the airport building. Some companies check you in or have you phone from the rental counter on 1F of the terminal before a shuttle takes you to the branch, and others have you phone the branch for a pick-up after you land. You can walk to Nico Nico Matsuyama Airport Iriguchi.

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

• Arriving on an evening flight: Nippon, Toyota, Orix and Nissan close last, at 20:00. Nippon no longer serves last flights landing outside its hours, and Nissan offers no service outside hours if a flight is delayed. Times does not serve flights landing at 19:00, and Sky's last airport pick-up is at 18:30.
• Walking: Nico Nico Matsuyama Airport Iriguchi is about 3 minutes on foot from the airport's main exit. Heisei is about 30 seconds by shuttle, or about 5 minutes on foot.
• Returning somewhere else: Nippon, Toyota and Orix 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. Among smaller companies, Guts is ¥4,070, Nico Nico ¥5,610 and Heisei ¥7,700. Guts includes no vehicle damage cover and limits distance to 300 km per 24 hours.
• Watch the day of the week: Guts Matsuyama Airport closes on Sundays and public holidays, and on some Saturdays depending on the month.

Compare the 10 Matsuyama Airport branches

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

Reference prices: standard rates at nine companies

This table takes each company's 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.
• Guts's base rate does not include vehicle damage cover, so you pay up to ¥50,000 or ¥100,000 after an accident (waived if you take basic CDW). The NOC is ¥30,000 even if the car can be driven.
• Guts includes 300 km per 24 hours, and each extra kilometre costs ¥11. Its table does not list a daily rate from the second day.
• 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. Guts does not normally rent on an International Driving Permit.

From arrival to check-in: counter or phone

The rental counters are near the east exit on 1F of the terminal, to the right as you leave baggage claim. Check-in and shuttles depend on the company.

• Check in at a counter, then take a shuttle: Nippon (the counter at the far right of the arrival exit; 2–3 minutes by car; if no staff are there, the direct phone to the branch), Toyota (the dedicated counter at the far right outside the arrivals lobby; free shuttle) and Orix (the airport rental counter; free shuttle of about 3 minutes).
• Call from the counter phone: Nissan (use the phone at the unstaffed counter, and the shuttle comes in about 10–15 minutes) and Times (the direct phone at the counter at the back of the JAL domestic ticket lobby; about 10 minutes; no staff are stationed there).
• Phone the branch when you land: Sky (a shuttle comes in 5–10 minutes; last airport pick-up 18:30), Nico Nico Matsuyama Hirata-machi (book by phone on 090-9779-6618 by the day before, and call after collecting your luggage; meet in front of the police box, to the left outside the building; rentals of 24 hours or more only) and Guts (ask the branch in advance; shuttle 09:00–17:00).
• Shared shuttle or on foot: Heisei (board the Konan Parking shuttle at the free shuttle stop beyond the taxi rank and say you are going to Heisei Rent-a-Car; about 30 seconds; request it when you book) and Nico Nico Matsuyama Airport Iriguchi (leave by the main exit, go right and turn right at the road at the end for about 50 m; about 3 minutes on foot).

Before you board a shuttle, check the company name and the branch you booked. Sky, Nico Nico and Guts do not use an airport counter; you phone or walk.

Returning: work back from closing time and the last shuttle

Heisei and Guts close earliest, at 18:00 (the Guts shuttle ends at 17:00). Sky, Times and Nico Nico Matsuyama Airport Iriguchi close at 19:00, and Nippon, Toyota, Orix and Nissan at 20:00. Nico Nico Matsuyama Hirata-machi is open until 22:00, but its transfers run 08:00–18:00.

Nippon and Times take you to the airport after you return (about 10 minutes at Times). Times asks for 1 hour before your flight, and Sky for at least 1 hour 30 minutes before a domestic departure. If you rent an ETC card from Sky, you cannot return one-way at a branch outside the prefecture.

Branches close earlier at New Year. Toyota closes at 17:00 from 30 December to 2 January and 16:00 on 3 January, Nippon at 19:00 on 31 December 2026 and 1 January 2027, and Nico Nico Matsuyama Airport Iriguchi at 17:00 from 31 December to 3 January. Guts closes for New Year, and to return on a Sunday you must contact the branch.

Separate your Dogo and city stay from your driving days

If you stay in Matsuyama or Dogo first and go out of the city on another day, you can compare collecting at the airport with renting later in the city. Add up the transfer from the airport, hotel parking and the charge for the days you do not use the car, and it is easier to decide when to start the rental.

If you stay in the city and rent later, you may still be able to use a branch near the airport. Heisei runs a free transfer from the west exit of JR Matsuyama Station and Matsuyama Kanko Port (direct bookings with Heisei only), and Nico Nico Matsuyama Hirata-machi collects you from city stations and hotels (rentals of 24 hours or more only). If you are heading into the mountains in winter, compare your booked car's winter equipment with conditions on the roads you will actually drive.

Matsuyama Airport rental car FAQ

Are there rental counters inside Matsuyama Airport?

Yes. Near the east exit on 1F of the terminal, to the right as you leave baggage claim, are counters for Nippon, Toyota, Orix and others. The Nissan and Times counters are unstaffed, so use the phone there to contact the branch. All branches are outside the airport, and a shuttle takes you there after check-in.

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

Assume it will be difficult. Nippon no longer serves last flights landing outside its hours. Nissan offers no service outside hours if a flight is delayed, and Times does not serve flights landing at 19:00. Even the latest branches close at 20:00.

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, ¥16,500 at Heisei and ¥13,420 at Nico Nico. Guts does not list a daily rate from the second day in its table. On a foreign licence, Toyota's base rate is higher; see the price section above.

Which branch can I walk to from the airport?

Nico Nico Matsuyama Airport Iriguchi. Leave by the main exit and go right; it is about 3 minutes on foot. Heisei is about 30 seconds by shuttle, or about 5 minutes on foot.

Can I return until 20:00 at New Year?

Not at every branch. Toyota closes at 17:00 from 30 December to 2 January and 16:00 on 3 January, and Nippon at 19:00 on 31 December 2026 and 1 January 2027. Check the hours for the day you use the branch.

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