Nara Station Car Rental: 6 Companies and 9 Branches Compared

Nine rental branches at Nara Station: how to choose

Central Nara is anchored by two rail terminals linked by an 800 m–1 km (11–13 minute) walk along Omiya-dori Avenue: JR Nara Station (served by the JR Nara Line Miyakoji Rapid from Kyoto and the JR Yamatoji Rapid from Osaka and Tennoji) and Kintetsu Nara Station (on the western edge of Nara Park, served by Kintetsu trains from Kyoto and Osaka-Namba). Across this walkable central corridor, six companies operate nine staffed rental branches: six counters within a 1–6 minute walk of JR Nara Station, plus three counters within a 1-minute walk of Kintetsu Nara Station (11–13 minutes on foot east of JR Nara East Exit).

This page compares East vs West Exit walks at JR Nara, why seeing Nara Park on foot before picking up your car saves both parking fees and traffic, critical rule differences between JR Nara and Kintetsu Nara branches of the same brand, mountain drives south toward Horyuji, Asuka, Mt Yoshino and Totsukawa, paid winter snow-tyre options, one-way drops to Kyoto and Osaka's airports, IDP eligibility and reference rates.

• Walk Nara Park and Todaiji first, rent second: Nara Prefecture's three central Nara Park car parks (Noborioji, Takabatake and Daibutsuden-mae, revised 1 October 2026) charge a flat daily tariff of ¥1,500 on regular weekdays, ¥2,000 on regular weekends/holidays, ¥2,500 on spring/autumn weekdays, and ¥3,000 on peak dates with no advance reservations for passenger cars, and Route 369 backs up heavily on busy mornings. Arriving by train, walking Nara Park and Todaiji first, and collecting your car afterward at Kintetsu Nara or JR Nara avoids both the ¥1,500–¥3,000 flat fee and park-edge congestion.
• 08:00 departures and evening return cutoffs: six branches open daily at 08:00 — Toyota (JR and Kintetsu), Nippon (JR), Orix (JR and Kintetsu) and Eki Rent-a-Car (JR) — while Nissan Nara Ekimae (JR side) opens at 08:00–20:00 on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays (09:00–18:00 on weekdays). Evening returns until 20:00 are accepted at Toyota (both branches), Nippon, Eki Rent-a-Car, and weekend/holiday Nissan JR Nara; Orix (both branches) and Guts close at 19:00, Nissan Kintetsu Nara and weekday Nissan JR Nara close at 18:00, and Guts closes every Wednesday. On 13 December (Nara Marathon), Toyota Kintetsu Nara closes all day and Orix Kintetsu Nara opens only 15:00–19:00.
• Same brand, different rules at JR Nara vs Kintetsu Nara: Toyota, Orix and Nissan each run counters at both stations (and Orix explicitly warns customers on its branch pages not to confuse the two). Crucially, Toyota Kintetsu Nara Ekimae and Nissan Kintetsu Nara Ekimae do not accept incoming one-way returns from other branches — at Kintetsu Nara, only Orix Kintetsu Nara Ekimae accepts incoming one-way drops — and Nissan Kintetsu Nara Ekimae does not rent ETC cards.
• Winter snow tyres are a paid option at all 6 companies: zero branches in Nara City include winter studless tyres as standard. If you drive south in December–March toward Mt Yoshino, Dorogawa Onsen (Tenkawa), Tanize Suspension Bridge / Totsukawa on Route 168, or across freezing Hari Terrace on the Meihan National Highway, you must book studless snow tyres as a paid option in advance.
• International Driving Permits: five companies (eight branches) — Toyota, Nippon, Orix, Nissan and Eki Rent-a-Car — accept a 1949 Geneva Convention IDP with your physical passport (or an eligible licence with an official Japanese translation). Guts Nara Ekimae requires a Japanese driving licence (no IDP in principle).

Compare the 9 Nara Station and Kintetsu Nara branches

Branch names link to their official pages. Numbers 1–6 sit within 1–6 minutes on foot of JR Nara Station; numbers 7–9 sit 1 minute from Kintetsu Nara Station (11–13 minutes on foot east of JR Nara East Exit). They match the station data ledger (1–9) and are not a ranking.

Reference prices: standard rates at six companies

This table compares each company's published standard rate for a compact car, together with a 48-hour total including basic collision damage waiver (CDW). Figures are regular-season rates before member or web discounts on a Japanese driving licence.

• The 48-hour total adds the first 24 hours, one additional day and two days of basic CDW. A dash (–) means Guts does not publish an additional-day rate in its national table; Guts also excludes vehicle damage cover from its base fare (¥50,000–¥100,000 excess unless CDW is added; ¥30,000 NOC even if drivable), caps mileage at 300 km per 24 hours (¥11 per extra km), closes every Wednesday at Nara Ekimae, and requires a Japanese driving licence.
• Most companies offer online or member discounts: Toyota (10% and 20% member discounts), Eki Rent-a-Car (up to 10% at participating offices), Orix (member discounts and 5% web discount), and Nippon (separate member rate table). Nissan's CDW uses the Standard Plan at ¥1,650 a day.

Prices can differ on a foreign licence. Toyota publishes a separate foreign-licence schedule where C1 is ¥10,340 for the first 24 hours and ¥8,690 for each additional 24 hours before optional cover, compared with ¥8,580 and ¥7,260 on a Japanese licence. Toyota also operates an English reservation line (0800-7000-815, 08:00–20:00), and Eki Rent-a-Car maintains English, Traditional Chinese and Korean pages.

To rent as a visitor at Toyota, Nippon, Orix, Nissan or Eki Rent-a-Car, bring a booklet-type International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention, or a licence from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan paired with an official Japanese translation (for example from JAF), together with your physical passport (photocopies are refused). See driving in Japan with a foreign licence.

JR Nara vs Kintetsu Nara arrivals, and why to walk Nara Park before renting

Central Nara's two stations sit roughly 800 m–1 km (11–13 minutes on foot) apart along Omiya-dori (Route 369) and Sanjo-dori:

• JR Nara Station receives JR Miyakoji Rapid trains from Kyoto (~45 minutes, covered by JR passes) and JR Yamatoji Rapid trains from Osaka (~50 minutes) and Tennoji (~34 minutes). Its 2F ticket gates split between the East Exit — facing the temple-roofed former JR Nara Station building (now the Nara City Tourist Information Center) and the main bus terminal — and the West Exit, connected to Hotel Nikko Nara, Centurion Hotel Classic Nara and Nara Centennial Hall.
• Kintetsu Nara Station receives Kintetsu Limited Express trains from Kyoto (~35 minutes) and Rapid Express / Limited Express services from Osaka-Namba (~32–39 minutes), placing you right beside Kofukuji Temple and the deer lawns of Nara Park.

If your itinerary combines Nara Park (Todaiji, Kasuga Taisha and Kofukuji) with rural Nara, explore Nara Park on foot first and collect your rental car afterward. Nara Prefecture's three main park car parks — Noborioji, Takabatake and Daibutsuden-mae (revised 1 October 2026) — charge a flat daily passenger-car fee of ¥1,500 on regular weekdays, ¥2,000 on regular weekends/holidays, ¥2,500 on spring (20 Mar–31 May) and autumn (1 Oct–30 Nov) weekdays, and ¥3,000 on peak weekend/holiday dates, with no advance reservations for standard cars. Walking from the station in the morning and picking up your car at midday saves ¥1,500–¥3,000 and bypasses inbound queues along Noborioji (Route 369):

• JR Nara East Exit walks (1–6 minutes): step down the right-hand stairs outside the East Exit and walk 30 m under the elevated JR viaduct for Eki Rent-a-Car Nara Station (三条本町1-1, 1 minute). Walk north to JR Nara Ekimae intersection for Nissan Nara Ekimae (大宮町1-1-19, ~2 minutes) and north past Aburasaka intersection for Guts Nara Ekimae (芝辻町18-8, 4 minutes, closed Wednesdays), or walk 300 m south down former Route 24 for Toyota JR Nara Ekimae (杉ヶ町31, 6 minutes).
• JR Nara West Exit walks (1–2 minutes): immediately outside the West Exit toward Omiya-dori sit Orix JR Nara Ekimae (大宮町1-2-7, 1 minute / 186 m) and Nippon JR Nara Ekimae (大宮町1-3-3, 2 minutes, opposite Hotel Nikko Nara) — ideal if you stay at a West Exit hotel and depart at 08:00.
• Kintetsu Nara Station walks (1 minute from Kintetsu; 11–13 minutes east of JR Nara): Toyota Kintetsu Nara Ekimae (西御門町11-4, by NW Exit 5), Orix Kintetsu Nara Ekimae (中筋町1-1, 76 m from Exit 1) and Nissan Kintetsu Nara Ekimae (高天町16, beside Takama intersection) let you finish walking Todaiji and Naramachi and drive straight south without backtracking to JR Nara. Both Toyota branches also offer a free shuttle to Nara City hotels (09:30–18:00 with advance phone notice; unavailable with Web prepayment). Nissan also operates 24-hour app-only Self Ride Go unmanned stations near JR Nara (三条本町7-17) and Kintetsu Shin-Omiya (大宮町5-3), though those require Japanese app membership and cannot take incoming one-way returns.

Horyuji, Asuka, Mt Yoshino, Tanize Bridge, Route 168, Nara Okuyama Driveway and winter tyres

Once outside central Nara, rail connections thin out and bus transfers multiply, making a rental car the cleanest way to link southern Nara's temples, terraced valleys and Kii Peninsula gorges:

• Nara Okuyama Driveway (奈良奥山ドライブウェイ): rising immediately behind Nara Park, this scenic toll road splits into three sections: the Shin-Wakakusayama Course for summit panoramas and night views over the Nara Basin (7.4 km return, 05:00–23:00, ¥700 for passenger cars), the full Nara Okuyama Course winding one-way south through the UNESCO-listed Kasugayama Primeval Forest including a historic unpaved section (13.0 km, 09:00–16:30, ¥1,600 kei / ¥2,010 5-number compact / ¥2,110 3-number car), and the Takamadoyama Course (10.6 km, 08:00–18:30, ¥800 return / ¥600 one-way). Per the operator's official FAQ, ETC does not work at the toll gates, which accept cash, credit cards and QR payments.
• Horyuji, Asuka, Muroji and east toward Ise-Shima: UNESCO-listed Horyuji in Ikaruga is ~35–40 minutes south-west via Route 25, while Asuka's burial mounds and terraced hills (Ishibutai Kofun, Asukadera) lie ~50–60 minutes south via the free Yamato-Gose section of the Keinawa Expressway. Heading east from Tenri IC on the toll-free expressway-grade Meihan National Highway (Route 25) also connects smoothly to Muroji, Soni Highland and the Ise-Shima area.
• Mt Yoshino, Dorogawa Onsen, Tanize Suspension Bridge and Route 168 to Nanki and Kumano: Mt Yoshino sits ~75 minutes south; continuing south from Gojo on National Route 168 reaches the 297 m-long, 54 m-high Tanize Suspension Bridge in Totsukawa (~2 hours 15–30 minutes from Nara), Totsukawa Onsen, Kumano Hongu Taisha (~3 hours 15–30 minutes) and coastal Shirahama (~4 hours). Because rural petrol stations along Route 168 between Gojo and Hongu close early, top up your tank in Gojo before climbing into the Kii Mountains.
• Winter snow tyres (paid option across all 6 companies) and mountain road closures: because the Nara Basin rarely sees deep snow, none of the six rental companies include winter studless tyres as standard in Nara Prefecture. Between December and March, shaded mountain passes around upper Mt Yoshino, Tenkawa / Dorogawa Onsen, Route 168 through Totsukawa, and Hari Terrace (~450–500 m elevation on the Meihan National Highway) freeze regularly — reserve paid studless snow tyres in advance at Toyota (¥2,200/24h passenger/van; ¥3,300/24h wagon/SUV), Nippon, Orix (select a studless-marked car when booking, ¥2,640+/24h), Nissan, Eki Rent-a-Car (¥1,100/24h, capped at ¥5,500) or Guts. In south-eastern Nara, Odaigahara Driveway (Prefectural Route 40) closes completely for winter from 1 December (15:00) until around 20 April (15:00), and the Gyojagaeri Tunnel section of Route 309 also shuts for winter (check the 2026–2027 winter road closures calendar).

Leave margin for evening Route 24 and Omiya-dori traffic and refuelling before return cutoffs (18:00 at Nissan Kintetsu and weekday Nissan JR; 19:00 at both Orix branches and Guts; 20:00 at both Toyota branches, Nippon, Eki Rent-a-Car and weekend/holiday Nissan JR — see refuelling and returning the car). Published return MAPCODEs are 11323862*50 (Toyota JR Nara), 11354678*37 (Toyota Kintetsu Nara), 11 353 407*20 (Nippon JR Nara) and 11 353 228*85 (Eki Rent-a-Car Nara Station).

One-way drops to Kyoto, Shin-Osaka, Kansai Airport and Itami, plus ETC cards

Nara pairs naturally with open-jaw Kansai itineraries — driving Asuka, Yoshino or Uji before dropping off at Shinkansen hubs (Kyoto Station or Shin-Osaka Station), ending directly at Kansai Airport or Itami Airport, or picking up at Kansai Airport, touring the Kii Peninsula (Nanki and Kumano), and dropping the car in Nara before continuing to Kyoto by train. Before booking, check one-way rental fees and pay close attention to the JR Nara vs Kintetsu Nara split:

• Six branches support both outgoing and incoming one-way rentals: Toyota JR Nara Ekimae, Nippon JR Nara Ekimae (outgoing excludes microbuses and trucks 3t+), Orix JR Nara Ekimae, Orix Kintetsu Nara Ekimae, Nissan Nara Ekimae (JR side) and Eki Rent-a-Car Nara Station (free up to 20 km between JR West Rent-A-Car & Lease offices; distance fee above 20 km).
• Two Kintetsu Nara branches allow outgoing drops ONLY (no incoming returns): Toyota Kintetsu Nara Ekimae and Nissan Kintetsu Nara Ekimae let you pick up in Nara and return to another branch, but prohibit returning a car rented at another branch (such as Kansai Airport or Kyoto Station). If you are driving into Nara on a one-way rental and want to drop off by Kintetsu Nara Station, book Orix Kintetsu Nara Ekimae — otherwise select a JR Nara Station branch.
• No one-way rentals at Guts: Guts Nara Ekimae requires returning to the pickup branch.

For expressway tolls on the Second Hanna Toll Road, Nishi-Meihan Expressway (Koriyama IC / Tenri IC) and tolled Keinawa Expressway sections, six branches across four companies offer ETC card rental: Toyota (both branches, ¥550 per rental by phone), Nippon JR Nara Ekimae (¥330 up to 7 days by phone after booking), Orix (both branches) and Nissan Nara Ekimae (JR side). Nissan Kintetsu Nara Ekimae does not rent ETC cards, and Eki Rent-a-Car Nara Station fits ETC units as standard without an ETC-card-lending designation on JR West's office list (bring your own ETC card; Guts treats the ETC unit itself as a paid option and does not rent cards).

Frequently asked questions

Is Times Car Rental open at Nara Station, and are Nico Nico or J-Net within walking distance?

No staffed Times Car Rental counter remains open near JR Nara or Kintetsu Nara: Times Car Nara (神殿町713) ended website listings and web reservations on 31 March 2026, and Times Car Nara Saidaiji Ekimae closed on 4 April 2026, leaving only member-only Times Car car-share bays around the stations. Likewise, Nico Nico Rent a Car (closest branch Nara Omiya is a 10-minute walk from Kintetsu Shin-Omiya or ~10 minutes by bus from JR Nara) and J-Net Rent a Car Nara (~3 km west of JR Nara, with taxi cashback limited to Kintetsu Amagatsuji and Yamato-Saidaiji stations) sit outside walking distance of JR Nara Station with no station shuttle. To walk to a staffed counter, choose from the nine branches compared above.

Can I rent on an International Driving Permit?

Yes at five companies (eight branches) — Toyota (JR and Kintetsu), Nippon, Orix (JR and Kintetsu), Nissan (JR and Kintetsu) and Eki Rent-a-Car — with a booklet-type 1949 Geneva Convention IDP and your physical passport (or a licence from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan accompanied by an official Japanese translation and physical passport). Guts Nara Ekimae requires a Japanese driving licence.

What does a two-day rental cost?

On standard Japanese-licence rates before discounts, a compact car with basic CDW for 48 hours comes to ¥17,820 at Eki Rent-a-Car, ¥18,040 at Toyota, ¥18,260 at Nippon, ¥20,020 at Orix and ¥20,790 at Nissan (Guts lists ¥4,070 for 24 hours plus ¥1,100 CDW on a Japanese licence, omits an additional-day rate in its national table, caps mileage at 300 km per 24h, and closes Wednesdays). On a foreign licence, Toyota's C1 base rate starts at ¥10,340 for the first 24 hours before cover, and winter mountain trips add paid studless-tyre option fees across all Nara branches. Compare excess waivers and company rules in basic CDW and the NOC explained and comparing rental company rules.

Guides to read before booking

• Nanki and Kumano driving guide: Shirahama, Cape Shionomisaki, Nachi Falls and the Kumano shrines
• Ise-Shima driving guide: Ise Jingu, Toba and Ago Bay route with map
• Kyoto Station car rental: 6 companies compared
• Shin-Osaka Station car rental: 11 branches compared
• Kansai Airport car rental: 5 branches compared
• Itami Airport (Osaka) car rental: 13 companies compared
• Winter road closures calendar 2026–2027: mountain road closing and reopening dates
• One-way rentals: fees and rules
• ETC cards for rental cars: where to borrow one and how tolls are settled
• Basic CDW and the NOC explained
• Refuelling and returning the car
• Comparing rental company rules: payment, extensions, one-way rentals and more
• Driving in Japan with a foreign licence