Morioka Station Car Rental: 8 Companies Compared

Eight rental branches at Morioka Station: how to choose

Morioka Station has eight rental branches from eight companies. Toyota and Orix are on the south-exit side, and Nippon is about 50 m from the south-exit underpass. Nissan is 5 minutes on foot north of the north exit. Times and Budget are reached from the underpass at the north exit. Eki Rent-a-Car is on 1F, below the Shinkansen south gate. Nico Nico is about 8 minutes on foot from the west exit.

This page compares which side each branch is on, opening hours, one-way rentals, and the reference price at each company on Japanese and foreign licences.

• Collecting the car quickly: Eki Rent-a-Car is next to the police box on 1F below the Shinkansen south gate. Toyota is directly in front of the south exit, Orix is 2 minutes on foot, and Nippon is about 50 m from exit A2 of the south-exit underpass.
• Early morning or late evening: Nippon opens at 07:30, and Toyota, Orix, Eki Rent-a-Car and Budget at 08:00. Toyota, Nippon, Orix, Nissan, Budget and Eki Rent-a-Car (1 April–30 November) close at 20:00; Nico Nico closes at 19:00 and Times at 17:00.
• Returning somewhere else: Toyota and Orix accept one-way rentals to other branches (Toyota inside and outside the prefecture; Orix except Hokkaido, Okinawa and outlying islands). Nippon accepts cars rented elsewhere only in the kei, passenger car, wagon, van and kei truck classes, and full-size wagons cannot be rented or returned there at all. Times accepts them except tall or long cars.
• Keeping the cost down: on standard rates before discounts on a Japanese licence, a compact for 24 hours is ¥5,610 at Nico Nico and ¥8,470 at Eki Rent-a-Car, and ¥8,580 at Toyota and Budget.

Compare the eight Morioka Station branches

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

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.

• 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%.
• Budget has a web member rate at 10% 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.
• Nico Nico's basic CDW does not waive the vehicle excess after a single-car accident.

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.

Choose a branch by the south or north side

• South side: Toyota South Exit (directly in front of the exit; cross on the south side), Orix Station Front (2 minutes), Nippon (enter the south-exit underpass, leave by exit A2 and walk about 50 m) and Eki Rent-a-Car (on 1F below the Shinkansen south gate, next to the police box).
• North side: Nissan (5 minutes on foot north of the north exit; turn right at the third crossing), Times (about 2 minutes from exit B4 of the north-exit underpass) and Budget (from the underpass in front of the north exit, go to exits B3 and B4, walk the lane between them and turn left at the main road).
• West side: Nico Nico Morioka Ekinishi-dori (about 8 minutes on foot from the west exit).

Toyota, Times and Budget state that they have no shuttle from the station. Orix Station Front also has a 24-hour unstaffed pickup counter at the same address; it takes no one-way rentals in either direction and does not rent ETC cards, so its terms differ from the branch's.

Work back from closing times and New Year

Closing times run from 17:00 to 20:00. At New Year, Toyota is open 09:00–18:00 from 29 December to 3 January, and Nippon 08:00–18:00 from 31 December 2026 to 3 January 2027. Eki Rent-a-Car is open 08:00–19:00 from 1 December to 31 March. Nico Nico offers out-of-hours returns, but confirm the conditions with the branch.

Frequently asked questions

Will anyone collect me at the station?

Toyota, Times and Budget state that they have no shuttle. The other branches give walking directions.

Can I leave luggage or send parcels?

Toyota does not keep luggage, and parcels can be sent only cash on delivery. Times does not keep luggage or send parcels.

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 (Toyota, Nippon, Orix, Times and Nissan), ¥18,480 at Budget, ¥17,820 at Eki Rent-a-Car, ¥13,420 at Nico Nico 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?

Across Tohoku and Niigata, major brands fit studless winter tires as standard from December through March: Toyota, Nippon (¥330/day winter fee), Times (¥660 per 24 hours) and Nissan (winter rate) all run standard winter-tire periods from 1 December to 31 March, and Sky also includes winter tires in Aomori and Iwate. At Orix, select a car or plan marked "studless" (from ¥2,640 per 24 hours), and check availability per office at JR Ekiren (tire chains cost ¥1,650 per rental). If you are heading into higher elevations around Hachimantai, Appi Kogen, Koiwai and Lake Tazawa in November or April, add winter tires in advance as an option (¥2,200 per day/24 hours at Toyota, Times and Nissan).

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

• One-way rentals: fees and rules
• 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