Takayama Station Car Rental: 5 Companies and Branches Compared

Five rental branches at Takayama Station: how to choose

JR Takayama Station — served by the JR Takayama Main Line's Limited Express Hida from Nagoya, Gifu, Osaka and Toyama, alongside highway buses at the adjacent Takayama Nohi Bus Center — has five staffed car rental branches from five companies within an 8-minute walk. Unusually for a major Japanese sightseeing hub, Toyota Rent a Car is the only national major brand in Takayama: Nippon, Orix, Nissan, Times, Budget and JR Eki Rent-a-Car have no rental counters in Takayama City. Two branches (Toyota and Carsta) stand 1 minute outside the Hakusan Exit (West Exit), and three (Nico Nico, J-Net and Guts) sit 2–8 minutes outside the Norikura Exit (East Exit) toward the historic old town.

This page compares foreign-licence eligibility, exit walks, opening hours, winter studless tyres and mountain road closures, one-way returns, and reference rates.

• International Driving Permits (crucial for overseas visitors): out of all five branches around JR Takayama Station, Toyota Takayama Ekimae is the only counter that accepts an International Driving Permit (1949 Geneva Convention IDP with passport, or a licence from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan with an official Japanese translation and passport). Carsta, J-Net, Nico Nico (at Takayama Ekimae) and Guts require a Japanese driving licence. Book Toyota early, or pick up a car at Toyama, Kanazawa, Matsumoto or Nagoya if Toyota is sold out.
• Early starts (08:00) and evening returns (18:00–20:00): Toyota, J-Net and Nico Nico open at 08:00 (Carsta and Guts open at 09:00). In the evening, Nico Nico and J-Net close at 18:00, Carsta and Guts close at 19:00, and only Toyota stays open until 20:00. None of the five branches accepts after-hours returns.
• Winter snow tyres for Shirakawa-go and Okuhida: Nico Nico fits studless winter tyres from 11 November to 30 April (select a studless-equipped class when booking), Toyota Takayama Ekimae equips studless tyres as standard on all cars from 1 December to 31 March (winter season pricing applies; paid option outside those dates), and Carsta equips studless tyres as standard in winter. Guts applies a winter rate surcharge from 21 November to 5 May (+¥1,100 per 24 hours) and offers studless tyres as an option.
• One-way drops to Toyama, Kanazawa, Matsumoto or Nagoya: Toyota Takayama Ekimae supports one-way departures and returns inside and outside Gifu Prefecture (excluding W4 vans, buses and 1-number trucks) and is the only branch at Takayama Station that rents out ETC cards.
• Lower base rates (for Japanese-licence holders): on standard rates before discounts, a compact car for 24 hours is ¥4,070 at Guts, ¥4,500 at Carsta, ¥5,610 at Nico Nico, ¥8,580 at Toyota and ¥10,450 at J-Net, with important cover and mileage caveats at the budget brands.

Compare the 5 Takayama Station branches

Branch names link to their official pages. The numbers match the station data ledger (1–5) and are not a ranking.

Reference prices: standard rates at five companies

This table compares each company's published standard rate for a compact car, together with a 48-hour total including basic collision damage waiver (CDW). Figures are regular-season rates before 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 (at Takayama Ekimae, Guts also adds a winter surcharge of ¥1,100 per 24 hours from 21 November to 5 May). Extra hours, fuel, winter options, seasonal surcharges, one-way fees and child seats are separate.
• Watch the cover and pricing caveats at the three budget brands: Guts includes no vehicle damage cover in its base rate (excess up to ¥50,000 or ¥100,000, waived by joining CDW; NOC is ¥30,000 even if driven back) and caps distance at 300 km per 24 hours (¥11/km beyond). Carsta's national rate table does not specify tax inclusion, steps by ¥2,250 per 12 hours from day 2, charges 30% more for new or hybrid cars, and adds ¥550/day in peak periods. Nico Nico's basic CDW does not waive the vehicle excess on single-vehicle accidents, and operator Hida Next adds ¥1,100/24h (¥2,200/24h for F1 minivans) during peak holiday windows such as 25 December–5 January.
• Foreign-licence pricing at Toyota: Toyota publishes a separate English foreign-licence rate schedule where C1 is ¥10,340 for the first 24 hours and ¥8,690 for each additional 24 hours before optional cover (compared with ¥8,580 and ¥7,260 on a Japanese licence), and winter season rates apply at Takayama Ekimae from 1 December to 31 March when studless tyres are fitted as standard. Toyota also operates an English reservation centre (0800-7000-815, 08:00–20:00).

To rent at Toyota Takayama Ekimae as an overseas visitor, bring a booklet-type 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit, or a licence from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan accompanied by an official Japanese translation (such as from JAF), together with your physical passport. See driving in Japan with a foreign licence.

Hakusan Exit (West) vs Norikura Exit (East) walks and Limited Express Hida timing

JR Takayama Station's single ticket gate sits on the 2F concourse and opens directly onto the covered East–West Free Passage (Takumi-dori), linking the Norikura Exit (East Exit) and Hakusan Exit (West Exit) by lift and escalator. None of the five branches runs a shuttle bus; every pickup is on foot.

• Hakusan Exit (West Exit — 1 minute on foot to Toyota and Carsta): turn left (west) out of the 2F ticket gate and take the lift or stairs down to the quiet west rotary in Showa-machi 1-chome. Toyota Takayama Ekimae (Showa-machi 1-319) and Carsta Takayama Ekimae (Showa-machi 1-330, next to Hotel Kuretakeso Takayama Ekimae) both stand 1 minute from the exit. This side gives the shortest walk with heavy luggage or in snow, and puts you straight onto Route 41 and the Chubu-Jukan Expressway (Takayama IC) without driving through old-town pedestrian traffic.
• Norikura Exit (East Exit — 2 to 8 minutes on foot to Nico Nico, J-Net and Guts): turn right (east) out of the ticket gate toward the historic town centre and the Takayama Nohi Bus Center immediately north of the station building (convenient if you arrive on an express bus from Nagoya, Shinjuku, Kanazawa or Shirakawa-go). Walking right (south) out of the Norikura Exit for 130 m brings you to Nico Nico Takayama Ekimae inside the ENEOS service station at the Takayama-eki-minami traffic light (2 minutes on foot), with J-Net Hida-Takayama Ekimae just beyond in Hanasato-machi 4-chome (about 3 minutes on foot). Guts Takayama Ekimae is an 8-minute walk north-east in Hatsuda-machi.
• Matching Limited Express Hida and evening bus departures: if you plan a full day out to Shirakawa-go or Shinhotaka Ropeway before catching a late-afternoon or evening Limited Express Hida back to Nagoya or Toyama, watch closing times carefully. Nico Nico and J-Net close at 18:00, Carsta and Guts close at 19:00, and only Toyota accepts returns up to 20:00.
• New Year and holiday closures: Toyota Takayama Ekimae stays open every day of the year (shortened to 09:00–17:30 on 1–3 January on Toyota Rent a Lease Gifu's schedule). By contrast, J-Net closes 30 December 2026–3 January 2027 (closing early at 17:00 on 25–29 December and 4–5 January), Carsta closes on 25 November 2026 and 31 December 2026–2 January 2027 (closing at 17:00 on 30 December and 10:00–17:00 on 3 January), and Guts closes over New Year.

Winter snow tyres, mountain road closures and refuelling for Shirakawa-go and Okuhida

Drives north-west to the UNESCO thatched-roof village in the Shirakawa-go and Gokayama area (see the 2-day Hida-Takayama and Shirakawa-go itinerary and the Hida-Takayama area guide) take the toll-free Chubu-Jukan Expressway (Takayama-Kiyomi Road, Takayama IC to Hida-Kiyomi IC) onto the tolled Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway (Hida-Kiyomi IC to Shirakawa-go IC) in roughly 50 minutes each way. Drives east to Hirayu Onsen and Shinhotaka Ropeway in the Okuhida and Shinhotaka area follow Route 158 in roughly 60–80 minutes; note that a ~2.4 km landslide closure on Route 158 at Shioya (Nyukawa-cho) diverts passenger cars onto a signed municipal detour adding roughly 10 minutes (targeted for reopening at the end of FY2026) or via Prefectural Routes 75 and 76.

Because Takayama and its surrounding passes sit at high elevation in the Northern Alps, winter tyres and seasonal road rules are critical from mid-November through April (see the 2026–2027 winter road closures calendar):

• Mountain closures and private-car bans: the Hakusan Shirakawa-go White Road closes for winter after 10 November, and old Route 158 over Abo Pass closes in early November — use the tolled Abo Pass Road (Abo Tunnel), which stays open year-round between Hirayu and Matsumoto. Both Kamikochi (Prefectural Route 24, closed for winter from 19:00 on 15 November 2026 to 17 April 2027; Akandana Parking also closes in winter) and the Norikura Skyline (closed 31 October–15 May) enforce year-round private-car bans, so rental cars cannot drive into either valley even in summer.
• Shirakawa-go snow regulations and parking: winter tyre checks are routine on the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway and around Ogimachi from early December through late March. Park at the municipal Seseragi Park Parking Lot (¥2,000 for standard cars, 08:00–17:00, last entry 16:30; cars are barred from driving inside Ogimachi village between 09:00 and 16:00). On January and February winter light-up evenings, cars without an advance light-up reservation cannot enter after 15:30.
• Comparing studless snow tyres across the 5 branches: Nico Nico equips studless tyres from 11 November to 30 April (select a studless-fitted class when booking), Toyota Takayama Ekimae is the only Toyota branch in Gifu Prefecture with standard studless tyres on all cars from 1 December to 31 March (outside those dates, studless tyres are a paid option at ¥2,200/24h for passenger cars and ¥3,300/24h for wagons/SUVs), and Carsta equips studless tyres as standard in winter. At J-Net and Guts, request studless tyres as an option when booking.

Before returning the car (refuelling and returning the car), Nico Nico lets you refuel right at its on-site ENEOS station (Dr.Drive Takayama, Hanasato-machi 4-111). Several full-service and self-service stations also line Hanasato-machi near J-Net and Route 41 (Kamiokamoto-machi / Shimookamoto-machi) on the approach back to Toyota (sat-nav MAPCODE 191195490\*15) and Carsta. At Guts, keep your fuel receipt to show staff at return.

One-way drops to Toyama, Kanazawa, Matsumoto or Nagoya, and ETC cards

Cross-region Alps itineraries often pick up a car at Takayama, visit Shirakawa-go or Okuhida, and drop the car at Toyama Station, Kanazawa Station, Matsumoto Station or Nagoya Station. Because Nippon, Orix, Nissan, Budget and JR Eki Rent-a-Car do not operate in Takayama, your one-way options are straightforward (see one-way rentals: fees and rules):

• Toyota Takayama Ekimae is the sole major nationwide one-way counter at Takayama Station, allowing one-way departures and incoming returns both inside and outside Gifu Prefecture (excluding W4 vans, buses and 1-number trucks) — including drops to Toyama, Kanazawa, Matsumoto, Nagoya and Central Japan International Airport (Centrair).
• J-Net allows online one-way bookings only to selected participating branches (contact the branch directly for unlisted destinations), Carsta and Guts require advance confirmation at booking, and Nico Nico does not allow one-way returns.
• Toyota Takayama Ekimae is also the only branch at Takayama Station that offers ETC card rental for expressway toll gates on the Tokai-Hokuriku and Nagano Expressways. Carsta, J-Net and Nico Nico include an ETC reader in passenger cars (optional at Guts), so Japanese-licence renters at those branches must bring their own ETC card. Note that the Abo Pass Road (Abo Tunnel) toward Matsumoto does not accept ETC — keep cash ready for the toll booth.

Frequently asked questions

Are Nippon, Orix, Times, Nissan, Budget or JR Eki Rent-a-Car at Takayama Station?

No. None of those six brands operates a staffed rental car branch in Takayama City: JR Eki Rent-a-Car has no offices in Gifu Prefecture, Nippon, Nissan and Budget operate only around JR Gifu and Gifu-Hashima in southern Gifu, Orix operates only in the Mino and Tono regions, and Times runs car-share bays rather than rental counters around Takayama Station. All five walkable station branches are compared on this page.

Which branches at Takayama Station accept an International Driving Permit?

Only Toyota Rent a Car Takayama Ekimae (1 minute from the Hakusan/West Exit) accepts a 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit with your physical passport, or a licence from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan with an official Japanese translation and passport. Carsta, J-Net and Guts do not rent on an IDP here, and Nico Nico's official directory lists zero IDP-participating branches in Takayama City. If Toyota Takayama Ekimae has no cars left for your dates, book from Toyama Station, Kanazawa Station, Matsumoto Station or Nagoya Station where multiple IDP-friendly chains compete.

What licence-tenure, age and ID rules apply to Japanese-licence holders?

Each regional or budget chain enforces specific counter rules on Japanese licences: J-Net Hida-Takayama Ekimae does not rent to drivers licensed under 1 year or aged 75 and over, and requires a second ID document (such as a health insurance card or photo employee/student ID) alongside your driving licence. Carsta does not accept a standalone My Number licence card without a physical driving licence card, and requires a passenger with 3+ years' experience if the driver has held a licence for less than 1 year. Nico Nico likewise requires a 3-year-experienced accompanying driver for novices under 1 year and restricts optional extra cover for drivers under 21 or licensed under 1 year. See comparing rental company rules.

What does a two-day rental cost at Takayama Station?

On standard Japanese-licence rates before discounts, a compact car with basic CDW for 48 hours comes to ¥11,200 at Carsta (tax display unspecified in its national table), ¥13,420 at Nico Nico (single-car self-damage excluded from basic CDW), ¥18,040 at Toyota (before 1 Dec–31 Mar winter season pricing) and ¥21,450 at J-Net. Guts charges ¥4,070 for the first 24 hours (plus ¥1,100/day for basic CDW and +¥1,100/24h during 21 Nov–5 May) without publishing an additional-day rate in its national table. On a foreign licence at Toyota, C1 starts at ¥10,340 for the first 24 hours and ¥8,690 for an additional 24 hours before cover and seasonal adjustments. Compare excess waivers in basic CDW and the NOC explained.

Guides to read before booking

• Hida-Takayama area driving guide: old town and regional routes
• Hida-Takayama and Shirakawa-go 2-day driving itinerary
• Shirakawa-go and Gokayama driving guide: Seseragi parking and winter roads
• Okuhida and Shinhotaka driving guide: Hirayu, Route 158 detour and parking
• Winter road closures calendar 2026–2027: White Road, Abo Pass and Kamikochi
• Toyama Station car rental compared
• Kanazawa Station car rental compared
• Matsumoto Station car rental compared
• Nagoya Station car rental compared
• One-way rentals: fees and rules
• ETC cards for rental cars: where to borrow one and how tolls are settled
• Basic CDW and the NOC explained
• Refuelling and returning the car
• Comparing rental company rules: payment, extensions, one-way rentals and more
• Driving in Japan with a foreign licence