Memanbetsu Airport Car Rental: 9 Companies Compared

Nine rental companies at Memanbetsu Airport: how to choose

Memanbetsu Airport, in Ozora in eastern Hokkaido, has nine rental companies at nine locations. Toyota, Nissan, Nippon, Times and Orix have counters on 1F next to the tourist information centre. Carsta runs a shuttle after you phone, and Noble and One's are within walking distance. Nissan and Eki Rent-a-Car share one counter.

This page compares how each company handles check-in and the shuttle, opening hours, one-way rentals, and the reference price at each company on Japanese and foreign licences.

• Walking to the branch: Toyota is 3 minutes on foot, Noble about 2 minutes (diagonally across from the terminal), One's 2 to 5 minutes (the pages differ) and Times about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Landing in the evening: Toyota, Nippon, Carsta, One's and Eki Rent-a-Car are open until 20:00. Orix and Noble close at 19:00 and Times at 18:00. Carsta stays open until the aircraft arrives only when a flight is delayed.
• Returning somewhere else: Toyota accepts one-way rentals inside and outside the area. Orix accepts them within Hokkaido only. Carsta lists use between its Memanbetsu branch and the Shin-Chitose Airport Rinku Eniwa Megumino branch. Nippon and Times accept cars rented at other branches.
• Keeping the cost down: on standard rates before discounts on a Japanese licence, a compact for 24 hours is ¥4,500 at Carsta, ¥8,470 at Eki Rent-a-Car, ¥8,580 at Toyota and ¥8,855 at Times. One's national rate table gives ¥4,400, but its rates vary by branch, so it is left out of this comparison.

Compare the nine Memanbetsu Airport locations

Branch names link to their official pages. The numbers identify the locations and are not a ranking. The Nissan counter is the same place as Eki Rent-a-Car.

Reference prices: standard rates at eight companies

This table takes each company's standard rate for a compact car, with the total for two days including basic collision damage waiver (CDW). These are regular-season, tax-inclusive rates before discounts, on a Japanese licence. Noble is not in the table.

• 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.
• Toyota has member discounts of 10% and 20%.
• 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.
• One's row is from its national rate table.

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. For the other companies, get a quote for your own licence.

There are two routes. With an International Driving Permit, you need the booklet-type permit issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention, and you may drive for one year from the day you land in Japan or until one year after the permit was issued, whichever is earlier. With a licence from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan, you need the original licence with an official Japanese translation (for example from JAF), and you may drive for one year from the day you land or until the licence itself expires, whichever is earlier. On either route you need your passport, and it must show your landing date. If you are registered as a resident of Japan, a re-entry within three months of leaving does not start the period again. See driving in Japan on a foreign licence.

Check in at the 1F counters, or walk to a branch

The routine depends on the company.

• Check in at a 1F counter: Toyota (the information counter in the arrivals lobby, then a free shuttle), Nippon (the counter directly right of the arrivals exit; about 3 minutes by car to the branch, with a shuttle back), Orix (a free shuttle of about 1–2 minutes) and Times (the counter in the domestic arrivals lobby; a shuttle of 5–10 minutes).
• Phone after landing: Carsta runs a free shuttle (its page on the head-office site limits it to customers spending ¥8,000 or more; the branch's own airport guide does not state this condition). Leave the arrivals lobby, go left about 30 m and cross the orange crossing to the shuttle car park; the branch is about 5 minutes away.
• Walk: Noble is diagonally across from the terminal building, and One's is within walking distance. Eki Rent-a-Car and Nissan check you in at the Nissan counter on 1F.

Work back from closing times and New Year

Hours change at New Year. Toyota is open 10:00–16:00 from 31 December to 5 January. Nippon and Carsta are open 08:00–17:00 on 31 December 2026, and Carsta is closed on 1–2 January 2027. Eki Rent-a-Car is open 08:30–17:00 from 30 December to 3 January. One's has not decided its New Year hours.

Times is open all year and asks for returns one hour before your flight.

Frequently asked questions

Can I walk to a branch from the airport?

Toyota, Noble, One's and Times are within walking distance. Toyota is 3 minutes on foot and you check in at the information counter in the arrivals lobby; Noble is about 2 minutes.

Can I rent if I land in the evening?

Toyota, Nippon, Carsta, One's and Eki Rent-a-Car are open until 20:00. Orix and Noble close at 19:00 and Times at 18:00. Carsta stays open until the aircraft arrives only when a flight is delayed. If you land late, confirm closing times and the shuttle hours before you book.

What does a two-day rental cost?

On standard rates before discounts, a compact with basic CDW for two days comes to ¥18,040–¥20,790 across the 5 major companies, ¥17,820 at Eki Rent-a-Car, ¥11,200 at Carsta on a Japanese licence. On a foreign licence, Toyota’s base rate is higher; see the price section above.

Are winter snow tires fitted as standard in winter?

Yes — Hokkaido branches fit studless winter tires across the fleet during the snow season. Standard periods at the major brands are 1 November–5 May at Toyota (seasonal rate), 1 November–20 April at Nippon (¥660/day winter fee), 1 November–15 April at Times (¥660 per 24 hours), and 16 November–30 April at Nissan (winter rate); Orix lists winter-tire cars under its "studless" plans (from ¥2,640 per 24 hours). Frost and black ice can appear on Abashiri, Shiretoko, Akan-Mashu and Bihoro Pass in late October and late April, so request winter tires explicitly if your dates fall just outside those windows.

What are the rules for International Driving Permits, foreign licences and ETC cards?

Toyota, Nippon, Times, Orix, Nissan, JR Ekiren and Sky accept an International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention together with your passport and home licence. Drivers holding a licence from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan can rent from those major brands with an official Japanese translation (from JAF or an embassy/consulate), the original licence and a passport — see driving in Japan on an IDP and company rules compared. Nico Nico accepts IDPs only at participating branches with counter procedures in Japanese, while Guts does not rent on IDPs. For expressway tolls, Toyota (¥550/rental), Nippon (¥330 up to 7 days, phone after booking), Orix (¥550/rental) and Nissan (¥220/day) rent ETC cards subject to branch stock, whereas Times and Guts do not rent ETC cards and JR Ekiren depends on the regional JR operator and office (unavailable at JR Hokkaido and JR East offices; available at selected JR West offices — see the ETC card guide).

Guides to read before booking

• Picking up a rental car at a Japanese airport
• Renting a car in Hokkaido
• Driving in Hokkaido: distances, winter roads and deer
• Basic CDW and the NOC explained
• Refuelling and returning the car
• Comparing rental company rules: payment, extensions, one-way rentals and more
• Accidents, damage, punctures, breakdowns and parking tickets