Toyama Station Car Rental: 7 Companies and 8 Branches Compared

Eight rental branches at Toyama Station: how to choose

Toyama Station is served by eight rental branches from seven companies. Under the Shinkansen viaduct on the south (main) side is Eki Rent-a-Car; walking west from the south exit into Takaramachi brings you to Budget, Nissan, Nico Nico Toyama Station South Exit and Toyota. On the north side (towards Aubade Hall and Fugan Canal Kansui Park, in Ushijimamachi) are Nippon and Orix. One off-site branch, Nico Nico Toyama Fuchumachi about 7 km away, runs a free shuttle to and from Toyama Station for rentals of 24 hours or longer when booked by phone.

This page compares which exit each branch uses, opening hours, shuttle conditions, one-way returns, winter tyres, and reference prices on Japanese and foreign licences.

• Early-morning Shinkansen arrivals (08:00 start): Toyota, Nippon, Orix, Budget, Eki Rent-a-Car and both Nico Nico branches open at 08:00. Nissan opens at 09:00. The shortest walks from the ticket gates are Eki Rent-a-Car under the viaduct, Nippon right outside the north exit, Orix 2 minutes from the north exit, and Budget 2 minutes from the south exit.
• Returning up to 20:00 or later: Toyota, Nippon, Budget, Eki Rent-a-Car and Nico Nico Fuchumachi stay open until 20:00 in regular periods, whereas Orix, Nissan and Nico Nico South Exit close at 19:00. Nico Nico Fuchumachi accepts out-of-hours returns (note that the branch is about 7 km southwest of the station), and Nissan also operates a separate app-only unattended Self Ride Go station (07:00–23:30) for registered members.
• One-way returns towards Kanazawa or Matsumoto / Shinano-Omachi: Toyota, Orix, Nippon, Nissan and Eki Rent-a-Car handle one-way rentals. Nico Nico South Exit allows one-way drop-offs only to its sister branches at Kanazawa Station Kenrokuen Exit (¥7,000 tax included, limited cars, phone booking only) and Toyama Shinjomachi. Private and rental cars cannot drive through the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route between Tateyama Station and Ogizawa; commercial car-forwarding services for private cars are separate from rental one-way drop-offs.
• Standard rates before discounts: on a Japanese licence for 24 hours in a compact class, Nico Nico is ¥5,610. Among the major and JR companies, Eki Rent-a-Car is ¥8,470, Toyota and Budget are ¥8,580, Nippon is ¥8,910, Nissan is ¥9,790 and Orix is ¥9,900.
• International Driving Permits and language support: Toyota, Nippon, Orix, Nissan, Budget and Eki Rent-a-Car rent on a 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit with a passport (and most accept the six eligible foreign licences paired with an official Japanese translation). Toyota runs an English reservation centre (0800-7000-815, 08:00–20:00), and Budget and Eki Rent-a-Car publish English pages. Nico Nico conducts all contracts in Japanese only and does not allow interpreters or translation apps at the counter.

Compare the 8 Toyama Station branches

Branch names link to their official pages. The numbers match the store ledger and are not a ranking.

Reference prices: standard rates at seven companies

This table takes each company's standard rate for a compact car, with the total for two days (48 hours) including basic collision damage waiver (CDW). These are regular-season, tax-inclusive rates before discounts, on a Japanese driving licence.

• The 48-hour total combines the first 24 hours, one additional day and two days of basic CDW. Extra hours, fuel, winter options where charged, one-way fees and child seats are separate.
• Most companies offer online or member discounts, while peak seasons (Golden Week, Obon, New Year) cost more:
  • Toyota offers member discounts of 10% and 20%.
  • Eki Rent-a-Car offers discounts of up to 10% depending on the office.
  • Budget offers a 10% web member discount.
  • Nippon publishes a separate member rate table.
  • Nissan's basic CDW is calculated on the Standard Plan at ¥1,650 per day.
  • Orix offers member discounts and a 5% web discount.
  • Nico Nico's basic CDW does not waive the vehicle excess after a single-car accident.

Prices can differ on a foreign 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 Japanese-licence rates of ¥8,580 and ¥7,260. At the other companies, check the quote for your own licence and dates.

To drive in Japan as a visitor, you need either a booklet-type International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention (valid for up to one year from landing or until one year from issue, whichever is earlier) or an original licence from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco or Taiwan accompanied by an official Japanese translation such as one from JAF. Bring your original passport showing your entry stamp (if you used an automated gate without a stamp, Budget asks for your boarding pass stub as well). Residents registered in Japan who leave and re-enter within three months do not reset the one-year driving period. Read driving in Japan on a foreign licence before booking.

Check the south and north exit routes and the tram tracks

Toyama Station is an elevated station. Beneath the tracks, the north–south concourse and the Toyama Chiho Railway city tram stop (Toyama Station) run straight through the ground floor, connecting the south (main) side and the north side.

• Under the viaduct (south side): Eki Rent-a-Car Toyama Station is next to the station police box under the Shinkansen viaduct—turn left out of the Shinkansen central gate, step outside on the south side and turn right. It is an independent JR West Group office, not a shared desk inside another company's branch.
• South exit, west towards Takaramachi: Budget (2 minutes on foot), Nissan (3 minutes), Nico Nico South Exit (about 3 minutes, 2nd floor of Amity Takara) and Toyota (5 minutes west, no shuttle) are clustered west of the south exit square.
• North exit (Ushijimamachi / Kansui Park side): Nippon is right in front of the north exit and Orix is 2 minutes away on foot. Leaving from the north side avoids the busiest bus and tram junctions on the south plaza when heading towards Kansui Park, Route 8 or Himi.
• Free shuttle (phone booking required): Nico Nico Toyama Fuchumachi collects customers on rentals of 24 hours or longer; call 076-482-5478 and wait at the passenger drop-off bay past the tram stop diagonally right from the Shinkansen exit.

When walking to Takaramachi or driving out of and back to the south-side branches, watch for trams crossing the station plaza and running west along the main avenue. Trams have priority, driving onto paved or unpaved tram-only beds where prohibited is an offence, and right turns across the rails require checking both directions for approaching trams. For returns, Toyota (40415739\*87) and Nippon (40 416 784\*27) publish dedicated MAPCODEs you can enter into the car navigation system.

Plan drives to Tateyama, Gokayama and Himi, plus winter hours and studless tyres

From Toyama Station you can reach Tateyama Station (the western gateway to the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route), the UNESCO thatched villages of Gokayama and Shirakawa-go (via the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway), or the Amaharashi Coast and Himi within a day trip. However, private and rental cars are banned on the Alpine Route between Tateyama Station and Ogizawa. Paid car-forwarding services advertised along the Alpine Route move private cars through commercial drivers and are completely separate from rental car one-way drop-offs. Either park at Tateyama Station and return the car to Toyama, or cross the Alpine Route by mountain transport and rent separately in Shinano-Omachi or Matsumoto.

Check reduced New Year hours when planning winter returns: Toyota runs 08:00–19:00 on 31 December and 09:00–17:00 on 1–3 January; Nippon runs 08:00–18:00 from 31 December 2026 to 3 January 2027; Orix runs 09:00–18:00 from 30 December 2026 to 3 January 2027; Eki Rent-a-Car keeps 08:00–20:00 all year. Aim to reach central Toyama at least 30 minutes before closing to refuel and clear evening traffic.

For snow, Nissan Toyama Ekimae fits studless winter tyres as standard from 1 December 2026 to 31 March 2027, and Budget Toyama Station South Exit fits them as standard from about December to about March without a separate option request. At other companies—or if you drive into higher elevations such as Gokayama, the Tateyama foothills or the Abo Pass / Route 158 corridor in November or April—confirm winter tyre availability and fees when booking.

One-way rentals towards Kanazawa and Matsumoto differ by branch

If you want to pick up at Toyama Station and drop off at Kanazawa Station along the Hokuriku Shinkansen, or drive south via Hida-Takayama and the Abo Tunnel to Matsumoto Station, check each branch's one-way rules first:

• Toyota Toyama Ekimae accepts one-way departures and returns both within and outside Toyama Prefecture (microbuses and trucks excluded).
• Orix Toyama Station North Exit accepts one-way departures and returns nationwide except Hokkaido, Okinawa and outlying islands.
• Nippon Toyama Station North Exit accepts returns of all classes from other branches and offers one-way departures under Nippon's distance-based fee scale (free under 20 km; check on the booking screen that your chosen return office is available).
• Nissan Toyama Ekimae and Eki Rent-a-Car Toyama Station both support one-way rentals; verify vehicle classes and inter-prefecture drop-off charges on the booking screen.
• Budget Toyama Station South Exit sits in Budget's main-island one-way zone (trips between Hokkaido/Okinawa and other prefectures are excluded), subject to branch and class availability on the booking screen.
• Nico Nico Toyama Station South Exit allows one-way rentals only between itself, Kanazawa Station Kenrokuen Exit (¥7,000 tax included) and Toyama Shinjomachi (free). Numbers are capped and bookings must be made by calling the departure branch directly (076-471-0674), not online or via the call centre, and contracts are in Japanese only. Nico Nico Toyama Fuchumachi is outside this sister-branch scheme.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use J-Net Rent a Car or Times Car at Toyama Station?

No. J-Net Rent a Car Toyama Station North Exit closed on 31 March 2026, and Times Car Toyama Station North closed on 31 October 2020. Choose from the seven companies (eight branches) compared on this page.

Do cars have studless tyres in winter?

Nissan Toyama Ekimae includes studless winter tyres as standard from 1 December 2026 to 31 March 2027, and Budget Toyama Station South Exit includes them as standard from about December to about March. For the other companies—or for mountain trips in November or April—request or confirm winter tyres when you book.

Can I drive through or do a one-way rental on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route?

No. General vehicles cannot drive between Tateyama Station and Ogizawa, and commercial car-forwarding services for private cars are separate from rental company one-way systems. If you book a one-way rental from Toyama Station to Matsumoto Station with a major company, you must drive around via public highways such as the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway and Route 158 (Abo Tunnel) or the Hokuriku and Joshin-etsu Expressways, and pay the inter-prefecture one-way fee.

What does a two-day rental cost?

On Japanese-licence standard rates before discounts, a compact car for 48 hours with basic CDW comes to ¥17,820–¥20,790 across the six major and JR companies (Eki Rent-a-Car, Toyota, Nippon, Budget, Orix and Nissan), and ¥13,420 at Nico Nico (where basic CDW does not waive the vehicle excess for single-car accidents). On a foreign licence, Toyota's C1 base rate starts at ¥10,340 for the first 24 hours and ¥8,690 for an extra day before cover; see the price section above.

Guides to read before booking

• Tateyama Kurobe and Unazuki driving guide
• Shirakawa-go and Gokayama driving guide
• Kanazawa Station car rental: branches and rates compared
• Matsumoto Station car rental: branches and rates compared
• 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