Shin-Aomori Station Car Rental: 10 Companies Compared

Eleven rental branches at Shin-Aomori Station: how to choose

Shin-Aomori Station has 11 rental branches from ten companies. On the east-exit side are Nippon, Nissan, Orix's two branches, Times and Nico Nico. Toyota and Budget are on the west side, Carsta on the south side, and Eki Rent-a-Car under the Shinkansen viaduct by the north exit. The official pages confirm a free shuttle only at Sky (booking required); Toyota and Times state that they have no shuttle.

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: Toyota West Exit and Nippon are 1 minute on foot, Carsta about 1 minute from the south exit, Orix Hamanasu 2 minutes and Times about 3 minutes. Eki Rent-a-Car is 50 m to the left of the north exit.
• Early morning or late evening: Toyota, Orix, Budget, Carsta, Nico Nico and Eki Rent-a-Car open at 08:00. Toyota, Budget, Carsta, Nico Nico and Eki Rent-a-Car (1 April–30 November) close at 20:00; Nippon, Orix and Times close at 19:00, and Nissan and Sky at 18:00 (Sky is closed on Tuesdays).
• Returning somewhere else: Toyota accepts one-way rentals inside and outside the prefecture, but not 1- or 2-number vehicles. Orix's two branches accept them too (except Hokkaido, Okinawa and outlying islands). Nippon accepts cars rented elsewhere (trucks up to 2-tonne long), and Times accepts them with no conditions.
• Keeping the cost down: on standard rates before discounts on a Japanese licence, a compact for 24 hours is ¥5,610 at Nico Nico. Eki Rent-a-Car is ¥8,470, and Toyota and Budget are ¥8,580. Carsta uses variable pricing at this branch, so its national rate is not compared. Carsta does not rent on an International Driving Permit.

Compare the 11 Shin-Aomori Station branches

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

Reference prices: standard rates at nine companies

Carsta, the tenth company here, uses variable pricing at this branch, so its national rate is not in this table.

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.

Find your branch by exit and check the shuttle

• West exit: Toyota Shin-Aomori Station West Exit (1 minute) and Budget (leave by the west exit, turn left, go on about 30 seconds to the end, turn right and walk about a minute).
• East exit: Nippon (1 minute), Nissan (3 minutes), Orix Hamanasu (2 minutes), Orix Ringo (263 m on the official page), Times (about 3 minutes) and Nico Nico Aomori Ishie (7 minutes: follow the tracks about 350 m, go under them and on to the ENEOS station behind the K's Denki car park).
• South exit: Carsta (about 1 minute) and Sky (a free shuttle; wait at the south exit square).
• North exit: Eki Rent-a-Car (50 m on the left, under the Shinkansen viaduct).

Sky's shuttle needs a booking: contact the branch after arriving and wait at the south exit square. The pickup takes about 5–10 minutes. Toyota and Times state they have no shuttle.

Work back from closing times and New Year

Closing times run from 18:00 to 20:00. At New Year, Nippon is open 08:30–18:00 from 31 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, Times 09:00–17:00 from 31 December to 2 January, and Sky is closed from 31 December to 3 January. Eki Rent-a-Car is open 08:00–19:00 from 1 December to 31 March.

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 West Exit accepts both, inside and outside the prefecture, but 1- and 2-number vehicles cannot be rented or returned.
• Orix's two branches accept both (except Hokkaido, Okinawa and outlying islands).
• Nippon accepts cars rented at other branches, with trucks up to 2-tonne long. Check on the booking screen whether you can choose a return branch when you rent here.
• Times accepts cars rented at other branches with no conditions.
• Eki Rent-a-Car, Budget, Carsta, Nico Nico and Sky do not state their directions.

Frequently asked questions

Will anyone collect me at the station?

Sky runs a free shuttle from the station; booking is required. Toyota and Times state they have no shuttle, and the other branches give walking directions.

Can I rent on an International Driving Permit?

Carsta Shin-Aomori Station Front does not rent on an International Driving Permit. For the other branches, confirm before you book.

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, ¥18,480 at Sky, ¥13,420 at Nico Nico on a Japanese licence. Carsta uses variable pricing at this branch, so its national rate is not included. 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 Hakkoda, Lake Towada, Tsugaru and Shimokita in November or April, add winter tires in advance as an option (¥2,200 per day/24 hours at Toyota, Times and Nissan).

Which companies rent ETC toll cards at the station?

Toyota (¥550 per rental at participating branches), Nippon (¥330 for up to 7 days; phone the branch after booking online), Orix (¥550 per rental; reserve directly with the branch) and Nissan (¥220/day where stocked) rent ETC toll cards for expressway gates toward Hakkoda, Lake Towada, Tsugaru and Shimokita. Times and JR Ekiren fit ETC readers in their cars but do not rent out ETC cards — see ETC cards for rental cars in Japan for alternatives.

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