How to Hire a Car for Myoko Kogen Your Complete Pre-Arrival Car Rental Guide
— June 2026
Getting to Myoko Kogen is easy on the Shinkansen & local train. Getting around once you're there? That requires a car. There are no foreigner-friendly rental options in Myoko Kogen village itself, so the plan is simple: pick up a car at the station and drive up. You have two station options depending on your route — Joetsu-Myoko Station (the closest to Myoko) or Nagano Station (if you're coming from Tokyo or doing a broader Nagano trip). This guide covers both.
Option 1: Rent from Joetsu-Myoko Station
This is the closest pickup to Myoko Kogen — about 20km and 25–30 minutes up Route 18. All three major rental companies are clustered right at the East Exit, most within a 1-minute walk.
Toyota Rent a Car is the most popular choice for international visitors. The branch sits at 2-3-49 Yamato, Joetsu — a 1-minute walk from the East Exit — and is open 08:00–19:00 (check the calendar for public holidays). They accept cash, Visa, Mastercard, and JCB. Phone: 025-546-7877. Compact cars like a Toyota Yaris or Roomy currently start from around USD $61 / JPY 9,570 per day including tax and unlimited mileage.
For English booking, Toyota's official overseas agent site at toyotarenta.net lists Joetsu-Myoko Station directly. You can also use Jcation at en.jcation.com/rentacar/prefecture-niigata/company-toyota/detail-918/ for English comparison and booking, or ToCoo! at www2.tocoo.jp/en/ if you want GPS bundled in. Note that peak season reservations can take up to 72 hours to confirm, so book well ahead.
Nissan Rent a Car is the second solid option at Joetsu-Myoko. Book via their English site at nissan-rentacar.com/en/ — use the "Search by Shinkansen" filter and select Joetsu-Myoko for the quickest results. Toll-free reservations: 0120-00-4123. Jcation also lists Nissan alongside the other brands if you want to compare.
ORIX Rent a Car (Joetsu Myoko Ekimae) is worth considering if you need one-way drop-off flexibility — they allow returns anywhere on the Japanese mainland except Hokkaido, Okinawa, and remote islands. They're at 2-3-5 Yamato, Joetsu, also a 1-minute walk from the East Exit. Phone: 025-521-0543. Compact cars start from JPY 6,160 for up to 6 hours. Book in English at car.orix.co.jp/eng/ or view the specific branch page at car.orix.co.jp/eng/shops/?md=view&shops_pk=1217.
To compare all brands at Joetsu-Myoko in one place, Jcation (en.jcation.com/rentacar/prefecture-niigata/city-joetsu/) is the best English-language tool — it shows Toyota, Orix, Nissan, Times, and Nippon side by side with USD pricing. Kayak also covers Joetsu at kayak.com/Cheap-Joetsu-Car-Rentals.59612.cars.ksp.
Driving from Joetsu-Myoko Station to Myoko Kogen: Head north on Route 18 (Nakamachi-dori) and follow signs for 妙高高原. It's about 20km and takes 25–30 minutes. In June the roads are completely clear — snow season is over and mountain roads are fully accessible. One practical note: fill up with fuel at the city level before heading up, as petrol stations become sparse in the highlands.
Option 2: Rent from Nagano Station
If you're arriving from Tokyo (about 1 hour 20 minutes on the Shinkansen) or planning to explore the broader Nagano region — Nozawa Onsen, Shiga Kogen, Hakuba, Matsumoto — picking up at Nagano Station makes sense. All three major rental companies have branches within easy walking distance of the station's Zenkoji Exit (West side). Joetsu-Myoko is then a further 30 minutes north by Shinkansen, or about 80km by car if you're driving straight up.
Toyota Rent a Car — Nagano Store is at 1275-1 Minamiishido-cho, Minaminagano — a 3-minute walk from the Zenkoji Exit. Hours are 08:00–20:00 on weekdays and 09:00–18:00 on Sundays. Phone: 026-228-0100. One standout perk: Toyota offers free one-way rentals within Nagano Prefecture, which is useful if you're driving to Matsumoto or another destination and want to return the car there rather than backtracking. Book in English via toyotarenta.net (search "Nagano") or Jcation at en.jcation.com/rentacar/prefecture-nagano/company-toyota/detail-970/.
Nissan Rent a Car — Nagano Station East Exit Store is located at No. 8, Block 69, Nagano Station Area — under a 2-minute walk from the East Exit. Hours are 08:00–20:00 (08:30–19:00 in winter). Phone: 026-268-1123. Important: there is a second Nissan "Nagano Store" at 4-7-19 Naka-gosho that's 30+ minutes from the station with no shuttle — always confirm you're selecting the East Exit Store. Book via nissan-rentacar.com/en/ (search by Shinkansen → "Nagano") or view the Nagano store listing at nissan-rentacar.com/en/fc/r-nagano/store.
ORIX Rent a Car — Nagano Ekimae Rental Site is at 1-15-1 Minami-Chitose, Nagano. Phone: 026-219-0543. Same one-way drop-off flexibility as the Joetsu branch applies here. Critical heads-up: ORIX has two Nagano locations — one right at the station (Ekimae) and one 30 minutes away by car with no shuttle. Always confirm you're booking the Nagano Ekimae Rental Site. Book at car.orix.co.jp/eng/ and search Nagano → select "Nagano Ekimae", or view all Nagano ORIX locations at car.orix.co.jp/eng/search_divisions/?divi_jiscode=20. Jcation also lists the Ekimae branch at en.jcation.com/rentacar/prefecture-nagano/company-orix/detail-2044/.
To compare all brands at Nagano Station, use Jcation at en.jcation.com/rentacar/prefecture-nagano/station-nagano/ — it covers Toyota, Orix, Nissan, Nippon, and Times with USD pricing. The official Go Nagano car rental page at db.go-nagano.net/en/travel-guide/transportation/car-rental/ is also a useful reference.
Key drives from Nagano Station in June: Nozawa Onsen is about 50km north via Route 117 — a beautiful valley drive, roughly an hour. Shiga Kogen is about 45km via Route 292, which is Japan's highest national highway and dramatically scenic (confirm it's open after winter before you go — it typically opens late May to early June). Hakuba is about 75km and 1.5 hours via Routes 19 and 148, with stunning Alps views in June. Obuse is a quick 30-minute drive and worth a stop for chestnuts and Hokusai art. Matsumoto is about an hour via the Nagano Expressway or the scenic Route 19.
Before You Arrive — The Checklist
This applies whether you're picking up at Joetsu-Myoko or Nagano.
International Driving Permit (IDP) — get this before you leave home. This is the most commonly missed step and the most consequential. An IDP cannot be obtained in Japan — you must apply in your home country before departure. It must be issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention format (which is what Australia issues). It's valid for up to one year from your entry date into Japan, and you must carry it together with your original home country licence and passport at all times. In Australia, apply through your state motoring authority (NRMA, RACQ, RAA, etc.) — it takes a few days and costs around AUD $40.
Book in advance. June is peak green-season across both Myoko and Nagano — hiking, cycling, and onsen tourism drive strong demand. Book at least 1–2 weeks out for June weekends. Booking online locks in your rate and saves time at a potentially busy counter.
ETC Card (Electronic Toll Collection). If you're using expressways — the Joshinetsu or Nagano Expressways — you'll encounter tolls. Request an ETC rental card at the time of booking or at pickup; all three companies offer them and tolls are automatically added to your final bill. No separate tourist application needed — just ask at the counter.
Car Navigation (GPS). Request an English-language GPS unit at time of booking where available. Google Maps works excellently throughout both areas — download offline maps before you arrive. ToCoo! includes English GPS with all rentals if that's a priority. For Myoko Kogen destinations, the phone number input method works reliably in Japanese GPS systems.
Child Seats. Available at all three companies at both stations. Quantities are limited — request at time of booking.
Japan Driving Rules to Know
Drive on the left — the steering wheel is on the right. Japan has zero tolerance for alcohol behind the wheel: 0.00% BAC, no exceptions. Speed limits are 40km/h in the city, 50–60km/h on rural roads, and 80–100km/h on highways. There is no turn on red unless a green arrow is shown. All passengers including rear-seat occupants must wear seatbelts. On rural mountain roads, watch for open drainage gutters at the road edges. Some older mountain roads around Myoko and Shiga Kogen are single-lane — a compact car is strongly recommended.
Quick Booking Links
For Joetsu-Myoko: Toyota at toyotarenta.net, Nissan at nissan-rentacar.com/en/, Orix at car.orix.co.jp/eng/, or compare all at en.jcation.com/rentacar/prefecture-niigata/city-joetsu/.
For Nagano: Toyota at toyotarenta.net (search Nagano) or en.jcation.com/rentacar/prefecture-nagano/company-toyota/detail-970/, Nissan at nissan-rentacar.com/en/fc/r-nagano/store, Orix (Ekimae) at car.orix.co.jp/eng/, or compare all at en.jcation.com/rentacar/prefecture-nagano/station-nagano/.
