Niigata Station Car Rental: 8 Companies Compared

Thirteen rental branches at Niigata Station: how to choose

Niigata Station has 13 rental branches from eight companies. Five are on the south and west side (Nippon Shinkansen Exit, Toyota South Exit, J-Net, Carsta and Eco Car), and eight are on the Bandai, north and east side (Nippon's North Exit and Bandai branches, Toyota Bandai, Orix's three, Times and Eki Rent-a-Car). The official pages confirm a free shuttle only at Toyota Bandai and Eco Car; J-Net's pages disagree.

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

• Collecting the car quickly: Orix's Bandai-exit branch is 1 minute on foot from the Bandai exit, Toyota South Exit is 2 minutes from the south exit (1 minute from the west exit), and Nippon's Shinkansen Exit branch is 2 minutes from the west exit. Eki Rent-a-Car's front desk is on 3F of the CoCoLo south building, reached from the Shinkansen east gate by the pedestrian deck.
• Early morning or late evening: most branches open at 08:00; Orix's Bandai-exit and Higashi-Odori branches and Eco Car open at 09:00, and the Orix Mediaship counter at 10:00. Nippon's Shinkansen Exit branch, Toyota South Exit, Eki Rent-a-Car, J-Net and Carsta (weekdays) close at 20:00. Nippon's North Exit and Bandai branches, Toyota Bandai and Times close at 19:00, and Eco Car at 19:00.
• Returning somewhere else: Toyota's two branches accept one-way rentals inside and outside the prefecture. Orix Higashi-Odori does too (except Hokkaido, Okinawa and outlying islands). Orix's Bandai-exit branch and the Mediaship counter accept none.
• Keeping the cost down: on standard rates before discounts on a Japanese licence, a compact for 24 hours is ¥4,000 at Eco Car and ¥4,500 at Carsta. Eki Rent-a-Car is ¥8,470, and Toyota is the cheapest of the major companies at ¥8,580. Eco Car's non-operation charge (NOC) is ¥20,000–¥50,000 if you can drive the car back to the branch and ¥50,000–¥100,000 if you cannot, decided by the staff by the car's condition.

Compare the 13 Niigata 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%.
• Times has member rates of up to 20% off.
• Nippon has a separate member rate table.
• Orix has member discounts and a 5% web discount.
• Eco Car's rates are from its Niigata branch table (compact C2 and an 8-seat minivan, tax included). The non-operation charge (NOC) is ¥20,000–¥50,000 if you can drive the car back to the branch and ¥50,000–¥100,000 if you cannot, decided by the staff by the car's condition. The table does not list a daily rate from the second day.

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 Bandai side

Niigata Station's branches split between the south and west side and the Bandai, north and east side. Choose the side of your hotel or next stop to avoid crossing the station.

• South and west side: Toyota South Exit (2 minutes from the south exit, opposite Plaka 3), Nippon Shinkansen Exit (along Keyaki-dori), J-Net South Exit (2 minutes), Carsta South Exit (10 minutes from the west exit) and Eco Car Niigata Station South (in Shichiku; a free shuttle runs to and from the pickup area at the south exit).
• Bandai, north and east side: Orix Bandai Exit (1 minute), Nippon North Exit (2 minutes), Orix Higashi-Odori (2 minutes), Times (about 4 minutes from the Bandai exit), Nippon Bandai (6 minutes from the Bandai exit), the Orix Mediaship counter (10 minutes), Eki Rent-a-Car and Toyota Bandai (15 minutes).

Toyota Bandai runs a free shuttle to Niigata Station, the Sado ferry terminal and hotels near the branch, 10:00–16:00. Eco Car's shuttle needs a pickup time chosen when you book, and same-day or last-minute requests may not be possible. Times has no shuttle from the station.

Work back from weekend and New Year hours

Some branches shorten their weekend hours. Orix's Bandai-exit and Higashi-Odori branches are open 09:00–19:00 on weekdays and 09:00–18:00 on weekends and holidays, and the Mediaship counter 10:00–18:00 daily. Nippon's North Exit and Bandai branches are open 08:00–19:00 on weekdays and 08:00–18:00 on weekends and holidays. Carsta is open 08:00–20:00 on weekdays and 08:30–18:00 on weekends and holidays.

At New Year, Nippon's North Exit and Bandai branches and Carsta are closed from 31 December 2026 to 3 January 2027. Nippon's Shinkansen Exit branch is open 08:00–18:00 on those dates. Times is open 09:00–17:30 on 31 December and 3 January and closed 1–2 January. Toyota Bandai is closed on 1 January and open 09:00–17:30 on 2–3 January.

One-way rentals differ by branch

A one-way rental can mean two things: renting here and returning elsewhere, or returning here a car rented elsewhere.

• Toyota's two branches accept both, inside and outside the prefecture. Toyota Bandai excludes trucks.
• Orix Higashi-Odori accepts both, but not cars 2.1 m tall, 1.9 m wide, 5.0 m long or 2,000 kg or heavier. The Bandai-exit branch and the Mediaship counter accept neither.
• Nippon's Shinkansen Exit branch accepts cars rented elsewhere only in the kei, passenger car, wagon, van and kei truck classes. The North Exit and Bandai branches allow a return to the Shinkansen Exit branch only if you cannot return in time. Check on the booking screen whether you can choose a return branch for a one-way rental.
• Times limits the height and length of cars rented elsewhere and returned here.

Frequently asked questions

Will anyone collect me at the station?

Toyota Bandai runs a free shuttle to Niigata Station, the Sado ferry terminal and nearby hotels, 10:00–16:00. Eco Car picks you up at the south exit pickup area at a time you choose when booking. Toyota South Exit and Times state that they have no shuttle; Nippon and Orix give walking directions only.

Does J-Net run a shuttle?

J-Net Niigata Station South Exit's branch page says no shuttle, but the branch's shuttle page says a free shuttle runs to the south exit, so the official pages disagree. The branch is 2 minutes on foot from the south exit, so plan to walk, and ask the branch before you book if you need a shuttle.

What does a two-day rental cost?

On standard rates before discounts, a compact with basic CDW for two days comes to ¥18,040–¥20,020 across the 4 major companies, ¥17,820 at Eki Rent-a-Car, ¥21,450 at J-Net, ¥11,200 at Carsta on a Japanese licence. Eco Car does not list a daily rate from the second day. On a foreign licence, Toyota’s base rate is higher; see the price section above.

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