Saga Airport Car Rental: 6 Companies Compared

Six rental companies at Saga Airport: how to choose

Saga Airport (Kyushu Saga International Airport, HSG) has six rental car companies: Toyota, Nippon, Times, Orix, Nissan and Budget. All six have counters inside the dedicated Rent-a-Car Terminal immediately east of the passenger terminal building—about 100 m (a 1–2 minute walk) to the right of the domestic arrivals exit—so you check in and drive out directly without waiting for a shuttle bus.

This page compares how each counter operates, how hours line up with early and evening flights, one-way drops across Kyushu, and reference prices on Japanese and foreign licences alongside Saga Prefecture's official 24-hour ¥1,000 campaign.

• Early departures and evening or late-night arrivals: all six counters open at 09:00, which covers the first Tokyo Haneda arrival (ANA451 at 09:15 on the 25 October 2026–27 March 2027 timetable). None are open before the 06:50 morning departure to Haneda (ANA452), and the Saga Airport complex closes vehicle gates from 22:00 to 05:00, so cars for ANA452 must be returned during opening hours the evening before. For the evening arrival ANA455 at 18:40 (18:35 on 17–20 February 2027), only Toyota, Nippon and Budget remain open until 19:00; Times, Orix and Nissan close at 18:00. The final Haneda arrival ANA457 lands at 21:30 after every counter has closed, so same-night pickup is not possible.
• One-way rentals to Fukuoka Airport, Hakata Station or Nagasaki Airport: all six companies allow one-way departures from Saga Airport to other branches (Toyota inside and outside the prefecture; Orix excluding Hokkaido, Okinawa and outlying islands; Times excluding Hokkaido and Okinawa; Nissan in both directions; Nippon and Budget subject to distance-based fees and vehicle-class rules). For one-way returns into Saga Airport from elsewhere, Times does not accept cars rented at other branches, and Nippon accepts kei, passenger, wagon, van and light-truck classes only.
• Standard rates vs Saga Prefecture's ¥1,000 campaign: on published standard rates before discounts on a Japanese licence, a compact for 24 hours is ¥8,580 at Toyota and Budget, ¥8,855 at Times and ¥8,910 at Nippon. Separately, Saga Prefecture runs an official "24-Hour ¥1,000 Rental Car Campaign" (checked 13 November 2026; valid 1 April 2026–31 March 2027 excluding Golden Week, Obon, New Year and flight ANA457) that lowers the first 24 hours' base rate (before CDW and extras) on kei to compact cars to ¥1,000 per car for two or more passengers or ¥2,000 for solo travellers when booked in advance.
• International flights and foreign licences: Saga Airport handles international flights from Shanghai, Xi'an, Seoul and Taipei. All six companies rent on a 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit (IDP) with a passport; Toyota, Nippon, Times and Nissan also accept licences from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan accompanied by an official Japanese translation (Orix and Budget publish IDP-plus-passport rules). International flight arrivals qualify for Saga Prefecture's ¥1,000 campaign at five companies, though Nippon Rent-A-Car does not take campaign bookings for international arrivals.

Compare the six Saga Airport locations

Branch names link to their official pages. The numbers match the Japanese map and table and are not a ranking.

Reference prices: standard rates at six 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.
• Budget offers up to 25% off for web members.
• 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.

Saga Prefecture's 24-Hour ¥1,000 Rental Car Campaign (checked 13 November 2026): arriving passengers on scheduled flights into Saga Airport (except ANA457) can book a subsidised first-24-hour base rate between 1 April 2026 and 31 March 2027 (rentals starting 25 April–6 May, 8–16 August or 26 December–3 January are excluded). On kei to compact classes, the first 24 hours cost ¥1,000 per car for 2+ passengers (show boarding passes for at least two passengers) or ¥2,000 for 1 passenger; hybrid classes cost ¥2,000 (2+ passengers) or ¥3,000 (1 passenger), and welfare vehicles cost ¥1,000. Basic CDW, options and any time beyond 24 hours are charged separately. You must reserve by phone at least one day in advance (Orix, Times and Toyota also provide dedicated Japanese web forms up to three days prior) and submit the campaign form plus boarding pass(es) at the airport counter. For bookings in English, Chinese or Korean, Saga Prefecture lists dedicated lines for Orix (092-285-9603, 08:00–19:00), Budget/Avis (092-735-8886, 09:00–17:00), Toyota (0800-7000-815, English, 08:00–19:00) and a multilingual call centre (+81-952-20-1601). Campaign one-way drop fees are free within Saga City, ¥1,000 to other participating Saga Prefecture branches, and ¥2,000 to participating branches in Omuta, Kurume and Yanagawa; returns elsewhere in Kyushu incur standard one-way fees.

Prices on standard plans also differ by licence. 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 legal routes to drive in Japan. 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 must present your original passport showing your landing stamp—if you use an automated immigration gate, ask an officer for an entry stamp (and keep your boarding pass stub, which Budget also requests). 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.

Walk 1–2 minutes to the east-side Rent-a-Car Terminal

Unlike airports where you check in at an arrivals-lobby desk and board a shuttle bus, Saga Airport places all six rental counters inside the standalone Rent-a-Car Terminal immediately east of the passenger terminal. Step out of the 1F exit, turn right and walk straight for about 100 m (1–2 minutes) to reach the counters and adjacent pickup bays. (Nissan's Japanese branch text describes the same shared building as "to the left of the terminal building", which is the view when facing the terminal facade from outside.)

• Staffed counters and fast check-in: Toyota (barrier-free, self-check-in available), Nippon (pickup and return at the dedicated Rent-a-Car Terminal spaces), Times (credit card payment only) and Budget (shared Avis/Budget desk on airport signage; accepts credit cards, cash and PayPay; online check-in available) process contracts and hand over keys right at the Rent-a-Car Terminal.
• Unmanned counter met from Saga Station (Orix): Orix does not keep resident staff or standby cars at the airport counter. Staff travel from the Saga Ekimae parent branch to meet scheduled Saga Airport flights for advance bookings; if you are visiting the counter without arriving on a scheduled flight, contact the counter or Saga Ekimae in advance.
• Flight delays near closing time: Nissan (09:00–18:00) states that if a delayed flight arrives after 18:00, staff cannot stay after hours and handover moves to the next business day. Times also cannot serve the late domestic flight. If your flight lands in the late afternoon or early evening, Toyota, Nippon and Budget give an extra hour until 19:00.

Driving times to Ureshino, Takeo, Karatsu and Yoshinogari, plus refuelling and return rules

According to Saga Prefecture's official airport access guides (checked 13 November 2026), approximate driving times from Saga Airport are 25 minutes to Yanagawa and Okawa, 40 minutes to Yoshinogari and Kanzaki, 45 minutes to Omuta, 50 minutes to Kashima and Kurume, 60 minutes to Takeo, Ureshino and Tosu, and 80 minutes to Karatsu via the Kyuragi-Taku Toll Road (¥210 for standard cars). If you plan to use the Nagasaki or Kyushu Expressways, Toyota, Nippon (reserve by phone or request on the day if in stock), Orix and Nissan rent out ETC toll cards, whereas Times does not rent ETC cards (and some Times vehicles do not carry an ETC unit).

Work back from closing hours and gate restrictions on your return day. Times (closed 1 January), Orix and Nissan operate 09:00–18:00, while Toyota, Nippon and Budget operate 09:00–19:00. The passenger terminal is open 05:20–22:00, and vehicle entry and exit at the Saga Airport complex are prohibited between 22:00 and 05:00. Because no counter is open before the 06:50 Haneda flight (ANA452), return the car the evening before—either at the airport or at a Saga Station branch—and take the connecting airport bus from Saga Station Bus Center (about 35 minutes, ¥600, timed to flights) or a taxi (about 30 minutes) in the morning.

Saga Airport sits on reclaimed land along the Ariake Sea in Kawasoe-cho and has no petrol station on the airport grounds. Fill up in central Saga or along the main approach roads before turning onto the final airport access road, and keep the fuel receipt. For sat-nav return routing, enter Saga Airport (0952-46-0100), Toyota's Mapcode 688231863\*15 or Nippon's Mapcode 688 261 085\*52. Customer car storage is not offered by the rental branches (the airport itself provides more than 2,000 free public parking spaces).

Frequently asked questions

How does Saga Prefecture's 24-hour ¥1,000 rental car campaign work?

For rentals starting between 1 April 2026 and 31 March 2027 (excluding 25 April–6 May, 8–16 August and 26 December–3 January), passengers arriving at Saga Airport on any scheduled flight except ANA457 can reserve at least one day ahead by phone (or up to three days ahead on the Japanese web forms of Orix, Times and Toyota) and present their boarding pass(es) plus the campaign application form at the counter. The first 24 hours' base rate for a kei or compact car is ¥1,000 per car for two or more passengers or ¥2,000 for one passenger, excluding CDW, options and additional days. Nippon Rent-A-Car does not accept campaign bookings for international flight arrivals (checked 13 November 2026).

Can I pick up on the late-night Haneda arrival (ANA457) or return before the 06:50 departure (ANA452)?

No. Flight ANA457 lands at 21:30 after all six counters have closed (18:00 or 19:00) and is also excluded from the ¥1,000 campaign. Flight ANA452 departs at 06:50 before the 09:00 opening time, and airport vehicle gates are closed from 22:00 to 05:00, so you must return the car during opening hours on the previous day.

What does a two-day rental cost?

On published standard rates before discounts on a Japanese licence, a compact car with basic CDW for 48 hours comes to ¥18,040–¥20,790 across the six companies (lowest at Toyota at ¥18,040, followed by Nippon at ¥18,260 and Budget at ¥18,480). On a foreign licence, Toyota's base rate is ¥10,340 for the first 24 hours and ¥8,690 per extra day before cover. Member discounts or Saga Prefecture's 24-hour ¥1,000 campaign lower the first day's base charge when your flight and dates qualify.

Guides to read before booking

• Fukuoka Airport car rental: 23 branches compared
• Nagasaki Airport car rental: 12 branches compared
• Picking up a rental car at a Japanese airport
• 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