Car Rental in Okinawa: Naha, Miyako and Ishigaki Branches Compared

Choosing a rental car in Okinawa

Okinawa Prefecture has four places to compare rental branches: Naha Airport with 74 branches, Naha city with 42, Miyako Airport with 35 and Ishigaki Airport with 32. Counting a branch listed at both the airport and the city once, that makes 164 branches from 102 companies.

This guide shows which place suits your trip, how pickup works at each airport, how hour-based and date-based pricing differ, and what changes on a foreign licence.

• Flying into Naha and setting off straight away: no branch is inside Naha Airport's terminal. Shuttles leave from stops in front of arrivals (10, 11, 14 and others) for branches outside the airport. ABC estimates 60–90 minutes from landing to getting the car.
• Staying in Naha first: many city branches are within walking distance of Yui Rail stations, and five companies have counters at DFS in Omoromachi Station.
• Going to Miyako or Ishigaki: rent and return on each island. No company lets you return a car on a different island.
• Keeping the cost down: Okinawa's rates change strongly with the season. On regular-season standard compact rates before discounts for a Japanese licence, Toyota and Budget at ¥8,580 for 24 hours are lowest among the major companies. Local companies include Daido (¥6,000 with CDW) and Fuji (¥6,900 for an overnight plan). Foreign-licence prices and eligibility differ; see the rates section.
• OTS Rent-a-car suspended new bookings on 20 October 2026.

Naha Airport, Naha city, Miyako and Ishigaki compared

All Naha Airport branches are outside the airport, and shuttle stops differ by company. Naha city branches are mostly near stations, and the city list also includes some branches near the airport that collect from it. At Miyako and Ishigaki airports, some companies wait in the arrivals lobby or at the shuttle stop, and others ask you to phone after you land.

The first table compares the four places. The tables after it list every branch, with each name linking to the company's branch page where it has a secure one. Hours are the regular ones. A branch can appear under both Naha Airport and Naha city.

Naha Airport branches

Naha city branches

Miyako Airport branches

Ishigaki Airport branches

Rental companies in Okinawa compared

The four places have 164 branches from 102 companies. These main companies have branches in two or more.

Some branches near Naha Airport also appear in the Naha city list because they collect from city hotels. One-way fees and company rules are in the Japan rental-company comparison. The four companies below show how Okinawa branches and cover differ.

Reference rates and cover

The table shows the 23 companies at the four places that publish a standard rate: regular season, before discounts, for a Japanese licence. Okinawa's rates rise in summer (July and August), during Golden Week and over New Year. Times uses an Okinawa summer rate from 1 July to 31 August (compact ¥11,638 for 24 hours).

On a foreign licence, Toyota uses a separate rate list: C1 is ¥10,340 for the first 24 hours and ¥8,690 for each additional 24 hours, against ¥8,580 and ¥7,260 in the table. To rent on a foreign licence, bring an International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention and your passport, or, for licences from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan, the licence with a Japanese translation and your passport.

Nico Nico requires the renter to complete the contract in Japanese, without an interpreter or translation app, and some branches do not accept an IDP; Guts generally does not rent on an IDP.

Many local companies count by calendar date rather than by hour, with a price for an overnight plan, and many include CDW in the rate. For an overnight trip, the reference prices are:

• Companies that count by the hour (a full 48 hours, with CDW): Toyota ¥18,040, Nippon ¥18,260, Times ¥18,975, Sky ¥19,580 (CDW in Okinawa is ¥1,650 a day), Orix ¥20,020.
• Companies that count by date (overnight plan on the rate table, with CDW): Fuji ¥6,900 (¥7,600 at Ishigaki), Holiday ¥13,200 (off-season), ABC ¥14,300 (regular season). Mahalo starts at ¥8,000, and its vehicle cover for repairing the rented car is extra at ¥1,000 a day before tax.

The cover names and prices that remove the NOC are compared in CDW and NOC.

Renting and returning for your Okinawa trip

Staying in Naha first

You can reach your hotel by Yui Rail on the first day and rent at a city branch on the morning you leave for the rest of the island. Getting to the branch with your luggage takes more effort, but you may save the rental charge and hotel parking for the day you do not drive. Some companies deliver to hotels and others do not, so plan how you will reach the branch.

Driving north on the main island

If you pack the arrival day, the wait for a shuttle and the paperwork eat into your sightseeing. Keep day one to stops on the way to your accommodation and leave the far north for the next day. On the last day, work back from the return deadline; many companies ask for return about 2 hours before the flight.

Combining the main island with outlying islands

On days when you change islands, allow time for the return, the transfer to the airport, the flight and the next pickup. Returning a car on another island or taking one on a ferry is either not available or not part of the booking, at every company. Book separately on each island. On days you use Shimojishima Airport on Miyako, check when booking whether the company collects from there.

Frequently asked questions

Should I rent at Naha Airport or in Naha city?

Naha Airport suits you if you head straight for the north or south of the main island. A city branch suits a first day spent in Naha. All Naha Airport branches are outside the airport and involve a wait for the shuttle. Many city branches are within walking distance of a Yui Rail station.

Which company has the lowest rate?

On regular-season standard compact rates before discounts for a Japanese licence, Toyota and Budget at ¥8,580 for 24 hours are lowest among the major companies. Among local companies, Daido (¥6,000 with CDW) and Fuji (¥6,900 for an overnight plan) are low, and One's (¥4,400) and Carsta (¥4,500) are also available. Rates are higher in summer and on public holidays, and many local companies do not publish a table, so compare the total for the same dates, class and cover in each booking.

Do I need a rental car for my whole Okinawa trip?

You can get around on the Yui Rail on days you spend only in Naha. A car helps on days you visit the north or south of the main island, or tour Miyako or Ishigaki. Renting only for the days you drive reduces the rental charge and parking.

Can I use OTS Rent-a-car?

OTS suspended new bookings from 16:30 on 20 October 2026. If you already have a booking, follow the operator's notice for contact details.

Guides to read before booking

• Rental companies, rates and cover in Japan
• Driving in Japan with a foreign licence
• Accidents, scratches, punctures, breakdowns and parking fines
• CDW and NOC