Rental cars and gasoline

Here's some basic information for anyone renting a car in Japan for the first time or concerned about doing so.

Renting a car

Renting a car at New Chitose Airport

1. Checking in at the counter at the airport
・Check in at the counter of the appropriate rental car company at the airport
・Take the shuttle bus to the rental car office (approx. 10 min.)
2. Checking in at the rental car office
・Present a driver's license that is valid in Japan and your passport
・Confirmation of reservation details
・Explanation of rental and insurance
・Payment (credit, cash)
3. Car information
・Exterior check of the car for scratches, etc.
・Explanation of basic operations
・Explanation on how to use the navigation system
・Receive the automobile inspection certificate
4. Self-check
・Pre-driving inspection
・Re-check driving operations by yourself

Returning the rental car

Generally, rental cars must be returned with a full tank of gas,
but some rental car offices have an adjoining gas station.
Check before you leave the office.

There are two types of gas station

Full service
Gas station staff fill your car
Self service
The driver fills their own car

About the pluses and minuses of full and self service

We recommend using full service over self service because the difference in price is generally no more than ¥3 to ¥8 per liter.

However, there are very few full service stations in some areas, so make sure you know how to correctly use self service gas stations.

About types of gas

Make sure to check what kind of gas your car takes.

If you put in the wrong kind,
this may cause it to break down or stop running.

You may also be found at fault and charged for repair

Regular
Gasoline with an octane rating of 89 or higher.
This is used for most rental cars
High octane
Gasoline with an octane rating of 96 or higher.
This is mainly for imports and sports cars.
Diesel
This gasoline is mainly used for things like trucks and heavy construction equipment, but passenger cars with environmentally friendly clean diesel engines have been increasing in recent years.

Types of rental cars

A variety of types of cars can be rented, from compact cars to minivans that seat multiple people.

Choose the car that best suits the number of passengers and your purpose.

Compact
Recommended number of passengers and standard load capacity
Standard
Recommended number of passengers and standard load capacity
Middle
Recommended number of passengers and standard load capacity
Minivan
Recommended number of passengers and standard load capacity

Car rental inquiries

Company name URL
ORIX Auto Corporation http://car.orix.co.jp/eng/
Sapporo Renta-Lease Corporation https://www.sappororenta.co.jp/
JR Hokkaido Rent A Lease Corporation http://www.jrh-rentacar.jp/en
TOYOTA Rent-A-Lease SAPPORO Corporation http://www.toyotarentacar.net/english/
TOYOTA Rent-A-Lease SHINSAPPORO Corporation http://www.rent-a-lease.com/english/
NISSAN Rent a carLaunch the site https://nissan-rentacar.com/english/
Nippon Rent-A-Car Hokkaido Corporation https://www.nrgroup-global.com/en/
Times Car Rental Corporation https://www.timescar-rental.com/
MITSUBISHI-Rentacar https://0123.ne.jp/mmc/
Honda Rent-A-Lease Sapporo Corporation https://www.hondarent.com/en/
Worldnet-Rentacar https://worldnet-rentacar.co.jp/en/
OTS RENT-A-CAR http://www.otsinternational.jp/otsrentacar/en/
Hokkaido BUBU RENT-A-CAR https://bubu-iss.com/
Budget Rentacar https://www.budgetrentacar.co.jp/en/