Takasaki Station Car Rental: 9 Companies and 15 Branches Compared

Fifteen rental branches at Takasaki Station: how to choose

About 50 minutes north-west of Tokyo Station on the Joetsu and Hokuriku Shinkansen, JR Takasaki Station is Gunma Prefecture's main rail-to-road gateway. Fifteen branches across nine companies serve the station: seven within walking distance of the East Exit (Nippon East, Eki Rent-A-Car, Nissan, Toyota, ORIX East Counter, Guts and Nico Nico Iwaoshimachi), three within walking distance of the West Exit (Nippon West, ORIX West and Nico Nico Takasaki Station), and five city branches that run a free station shuttle (ORIX Shimonojyo, ORIX Egi, J-Net and Carsta on the East Exit side, plus Nico Nico Namiemachi on the West Exit side).

• Early departures off morning Shinkansen trains: nine branches — Toyota, both Nippon branches, ORIX West, Nissan, Eki Rent-A-Car and all three Nico Nico branches — open at 08:00. Nissan Takasaki Station East Exit also supports app-only unattended Self Ride Go rentals with 24-hour car-park access.
• Evening returns and the 20:00 cutoff: eight staffed counters stay open until 20:00 (Toyota, both Nippon branches, ORIX West, Eki Rent-A-Car and the three Nico Nico branches), while no staffed counter stays open past 20:00. After-hours returns are available only at Nico Nico Namiemachi (domestic-licence service) or via Nissan's Self Ride Go. Nissan's counter, ORIX Shimonojyo, ORIX Egi, J-Net and Guts close at 19:00, and ORIX East Exit Counter and Carsta close at 18:00.
• Winter tyres for Kusatsu, Ikaho, Minakami and Karuizawa: because central Takasaki sits on the dry Kanto Plain, neither Nippon nor Nissan includes free standard winter tyres here. From November through April, reserve a paid studless winter tyre option or guaranteed snow-tyre plan before climbing into the mountains.
• One-way drops to Nagano or Tokyo: eight branches — Toyota, both Nippon branches, ORIX West, ORIX Shimonojyo, ORIX Egi, Nissan and Eki Rent-A-Car — handle one-way rentals. ORIX Takasaki Station East Exit Counter keeps no cars on site and does not allow one-way pickups or returns.
• International Driving Permits (IDP): six companies (nine branches) — Toyota, Nippon, ORIX, Nissan, Eki Rent-A-Car and J-Net — accept a 1949 Geneva Convention IDP (or an eligible licence with an official Japanese translation). Carsta, Guts and all three Nico Nico branches in Takasaki do not accept an IDP.

Compare the 15 Takasaki Station branches

Branch names link to their official pages. Numbers (1–15) match the station data ledger and are not a ranking.

Reference prices: standard rates at nine companies

This table compares each company's published national 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; also note that Guts Takasaki Station East Exit primarily stocks kei classes (A-1, A-2, A-2 Premium, B kei van and B kei truck).
• Carsta's rate table does not specify whether ¥4,500 is tax-inclusive or tax-exclusive, prices additional days at ¥2,250 per 12 hours, and adds 30% for new or hybrid cars. Nissan's CDW uses the Standard Plan at ¥1,650 a day.
• On a foreign licence, Carsta, Guts and Nico Nico at Takasaki cannot be used, and major brands may apply a separate tariff. Toyota publishes a foreign-licence schedule where class C1 is ¥10,340 for the first 24 hours and ¥8,690 for each additional 24 hours before optional cover. 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.
• International visitors need either a booklet-type 1949 Geneva Convention IDP or a licence from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan (plus Slovenia at J-Net) accompanied by an official Japanese translation (for example from JAF), together with a physical passport. See driving in Japan on a foreign licence.

East Exit vs West Exit pedestrian-deck walks and five free shuttles

Both the Shinkansen and JR conventional gates open onto Takasaki Station's second-floor concourse, with elevated pedestrian decks leading out to the East and West plazas. Pick the East Exit for quick access to the Kan-etsu Expressway (Takasaki IC), or the West Exit for Route 406 toward Mount Haruna and Kusatsu or transfers from Joshin Dentetsu.

• Seven East Exit walk-in branches: Nippon East Exit (2 min) and Eki Rent-A-Car (~200 m right along the tracks inside the JR East Exit car park) are closest. Heading north, Nissan is 300 m (~4 min) away and Toyota is 5 min along Higashi-Sanjo-dori. Heading east, ORIX East Exit Counter is 5 min away (counter only — cars are brought over only for pre-booked times), Guts is 6 min away, and Nico Nico Iwaoshimachi is ~7 min (400 m straight along Pref. Route 24) inside an ENEOS petrol station.
• Three West Exit walk-in branches: Nippon West Exit is 2 min on foot, ORIX West Exit is 4 min north on the ground floor of the Heiwa Park Asahicho multi-storey car park, and Nico Nico Takasaki Station is 4–5 min south-west on the second floor of the Accola Building near Toyoko Inn (credit card only at the counter).
• Five free-shuttle branches: ORIX Shimonojyo (phone by the day before; East Exit shuttle 09:30–18:30), ORIX Egi (contact by the day before), J-Net Takasaki (East Exit shuttle 09:15–18:45) and Carsta Takasaki (09:00–18:00; must write your shuttle request in the booking comment box, no last-minute calls) serve the East Exit. Nico Nico Namiemachi picks up at the West Exit 1F rotary when you phone 090-7408-4799 on arrival, though busy periods can prevent shuttle runs.

Routes to Haruna, Ikaho, Kusatsu, Karuizawa and Minakami, plus winter tyre rules

Central Takasaki sits around 100 m above sea level, whereas Gunma's hot-spring towns and passes climb above 1,000–2,170 m. Plan around seasonal closures and snow tyres before leaving the plain:

• Haruna and Ikaho Onsen: 45–60 minutes to Ikaho Onsen via the Kan-etsu Expressway (Shibukawa-Ikaho IC) or prefectural roads, then another 25 minutes up steep switchbacks on Prefectural Route 33 to Lake Haruna. Open year-round, but icy from December through March.
• Shiga Kogen and Kusatsu Onsen & the Shiga-Kusatsu Road: Kusatsu Onsen is 90–110 minutes away via Route 406 or the Yamba Bypass and Route 292. Beyond Kusatsu, the high-altitude Shiga-Kusatsu Road (Route 292 over Shibu Pass) closes completely for winter from mid-November to late April, and spring reopenings often carry overnight frost closures or volcanic gas restrictions. Kusatsu town itself requires winter tyres from November through April.
• Karuizawa and Minakami: Karuizawa is 50–60 minutes west via the Joshin-etsu Expressway (Usui-Karuizawa IC) or Route 18 (Usui Bypass), while Minakami and Mount Tanigawa are 50–60 minutes north via the Kan-etsu Expressway (Minakami IC). Expect black ice around Karuizawa and frequent expressway winter-tyre checks north of Shibukawa-Ikaho IC.
• Book winter tyres explicitly at Takasaki: unlike Nagano or Niigata branches, Nippon's two Takasaki branches and Nissan Takasaki Station East Exit do not fit free standard winter tyres — you must add a paid studless tyre option or book a snow-tyre-guaranteed plan. Nico Nico offers studless options at Takasaki Station and Namiemachi (not Iwaoshimachi), and Guts offers paid studless tyres.

One-way drops to Nagano or Tokyo, ETC cards and the 20:00 return cutoff

Travellers crossing the Shiga-Kusatsu Road in summer/autumn or visiting Karuizawa often drop the car at Nagano Station or return toward Tokyo Station. Check directional rules and one-way drop-off fees before booking:

• One-way-capable branches (8 of 15): Toyota East Exit and Nissan East Exit allow outgoing and incoming one-way rentals inside and outside Gunma. ORIX West Exit, Shimonojyo and Egi allow one-way rentals nationwide except Hokkaido, Okinawa and outlying islands (West Exit excludes vehicles >=225 cm high or TAB class and above). Eki Rent-A-Car allows one-way rentals (except during major event traffic restrictions), and both Nippon branches allow outgoing one-way drops (except microbuses and >=3t trucks). ORIX East Exit Counter does not allow one-way rentals in either direction.
• ETC card rental: for tolls on the Kan-etsu and Joshin-etsu Expressways, Toyota, the four ORIX branches, Nissan and both Nippon branches rent out ETC cards (Nippon charges ¥330 up to 7 days or ¥1,100 for 8 days–1 month, requested by phone after booking). Eki Rent-A-Car and Carsta fit ETC readers as standard (bring your own card), Guts rents the ETC unit as an option, and Nico Nico does not rent ETC cards.
• 20:00 return cutoff, refuelling and New Year hours: every staffed branch closes between 18:00 and 20:00. Allow time for full-tank refuelling before re-entering station traffic; Toyota lists sat-nav MAPCODE 20542482*37, Nippon East lists 20 542 061*51, and Nippon West lists 20 541 253*66. Over New Year, Toyota, Nippon East Exit and Eki Rent-A-Car keep normal 08:00–20:00 hours, whereas Nippon West (closed 1–2 Jan), ORIX West (closed 1–2 Jan), ORIX East Counter (closed 30 Dec–3 Jan), ORIX Egi (closed 31 Dec–2 Jan), ORIX Shimonojyo (closed 1 Jan), J-Net (closed 31 Dec–3 Jan), Carsta (closed Sundays and 31 Dec–1 Jan) and Guts (closed Wednesdays and New Year) close or shorten hours.

Frequently asked questions

Is Times Car Takasaki Ekimae still open for rentals?

No. Times Car Rental ended web listings and reservations for Times Car Takasaki Ekimae on 1 November 2023; Times locations around Takasaki Station are now membership car-share stations only. Choose from the nine rental companies and 15 branches compared above.

Can I rent on an International Driving Permit?

Yes at six companies (nine branches) — Toyota, Nippon (both branches), ORIX (all four branches), Nissan, Eki Rent-A-Car and J-Net — with a physical passport and either a 1949 Geneva Convention IDP or a licence from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan (plus Slovenia at J-Net) accompanied by an official Japanese translation. Carsta, Guts and all three Nico Nico branches in Takasaki do not accept an IDP (all three Takasaki Nico Nico locations are non-IDP branches, and Nico Nico nationwide requires Japanese-only counter procedures without translation apps).

What does a two-day rental cost with basic CDW?

On published standard Japanese-licence rates before discounts, a compact car for 48 hours with basic CDW comes to ¥17,820 at Eki Rent-A-Car, ¥18,040 at Toyota, ¥18,260 at Nippon, ¥20,020 at ORIX, ¥20,790 at Nissan and ¥21,450 at J-Net. Budget brands are lower on a Japanese licence — ¥11,200 at Carsta and ¥13,420 at Nico Nico — while Guts lists ¥4,070 for the first 24 hours on C-1 (with Takasaki East Exit mainly stocking kei classes). On a foreign licence, Toyota's C1 base rate starts at ¥10,340 for the first 24 hours before cover; check company payment, extension and cancellation rules before paying.

Guides to read before booking

• Haruna and Ikaho driving guide: stone steps, Lake Haruna and Haruna Shrine
• Shiga Kogen and Kusatsu driving guide: Yubatake and Shibu Pass
• Shiga-Kusatsu Road drive: Shibu Pass route map and winter closures
• Karuizawa driving guide: Kyu-Karuizawa, Shiraito Falls and Onioshidashi
• Nagano Station car rental: 8 branches compared
• Tokyo Station car rental: 6 branches compared
• One-way car rental in Japan: availability and fees at nine companies
• Rental car CDW and NOC in Japan: fees and cover explained
• Japanese rental car rules compared: payment, extensions and one-way rules
• Refuelling a rental car in Japan: full-tank return rules
• Driving in Japan on a foreign licence: IDP or official translation