Honda Fit Hybrid: My Okinawa Rental Experience

A Fit parked briefly by the sea, and a vacation in Okinawa

Haisai! I’m CULT.
Today’s Okinawa rental car is.. the Fit Hybrid I rented for my week off. It’s a Honda. I wasn’t too keen on the gasoline Fit, but I like the hybrid. The fuel economy is fantastic.. so I could get around without worrying much about fuel costs.
For starters.. I didn’t go anywhere on vacation, just around my neighborhood or out to buy bento boxes. It was all city driving, which should have been the worst for fuel economy.. so I was quite surprised to get 18 km/L. Of course, that was with just me in the car; with luggage and other people aboard, fuel economy drops by about 20–30%.
It’s a very good option for a family of four traveling light, so consider it.

You can collect the car at Akamine Station, one monorail stop from the airport, or arrange the handover at a hotel or parking lot in Naha or Tomigusuku. One advantage is how quick the handover is.
Well.. people who rent from the big companies are more likely to arrive late for my photo shoots. You can stay in touch on KakaoTalk and ask any questions.

I collect and return cars at all sorts of times. Lately, I’ve often been doing it at night. What’s unusual is.. they also accommodate the flights that now arrive in Okinawa early in the morning. If I say, I need the car from 7 a.m., so please bring it to my place~ they do. They all seem to be morning people..
They’ll go anywhere except the airport. Handing over rental cars at the airport is illegal. They can, of course, give you a ride to the airport after you return the car.

The car is small, but it makes very good use of space.
I’ve been looking into buying a Kia Ray van or Hyundai Casper van in Korea to carry photo shoot props, and this makes far better use of space than those kei cars. For the record, this isn’t a kei car.. it’s a subcompact. Still, it’s small and compact, so parking is easy.

There’s a USB charging port, so my phone charges quickly. It’s a shame it doesn’t support Google Auto or Apple CarPlay.. but I’ve had no trouble driving with my phone just propped up. Apparently, in Japan, if a rental company provides a phone mount and something goes wrong with it, the company shares some of the liability, so they deliberately don’t provide one.
Bringing a 1,000 KRW clip from Daiso is another good option.
But I don’t have one, and I get along fine driving like this. There aren’t as many troublemakers driving strangely as there are in Korea.

Here’s the hand-operated parking brake and gear selector. I like how simple Hondas are.
Personally, I think Honda makes the best Japanese cars, and Nissan the worst. Toyota is good too.. but the only design I like is the new 2023–2025 Alphard..

Three people can sit in the back. It’s a five-seater, but for five people to travel in this car, everyone needs to bring exactly one carry-on suitcase each. Even one extra backpack could make things cramped. So I’d recommend it for 3–4 people.

Summer’s over now, so I’m drinking hot drinks.. but this is fantastic in summer.
Picture this.. your family comes to Okinawa, rents a car and drives along the coast on Route 58. The emerald sea is so beautiful that you stop for a few photos, and by the time you get back, the drinks in the car are nice and warm~ But with this cup holder, the A/C quickly cools your drink down again.
I love this so much..

Here’s the trunk space. It fits exactly two 28-inch suitcases, or up to five 20-inch carry-on suitcases. If all five people promise to bring only carry-on suitcases, you can use it as a five-seater. But people usually bring backpacks and other things too, so it’s a little short on space for five people’s luggage.

I used this car during my time off. I didn’t go out much. Mostly, I used it for grocery runs. So it was all city driving.. I didn’t take the expressway once.

I also head over to Umikaji Terrace for some fresh air. I know people at other rental companies nearby, so I sometimes visit during the day. They’re all washing cars or doing maintenance, and I keep them company, snacking and chatting.

I tried to photograph the car with the Umikaji Terrace buildings in the background.. but there were too many cars, so I went outside to take the photos. That didn’t work out..
I was on vacation, so I didn’t make much effort to get good photos. Chuseok had been exhausting, so I was focused on resting..

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Senaga Island Umikaji Terrace

The Umikaji Terrace, which marks the beginning and end of a trip to Okinawa, is located near Naha Airport, making it a must-visit spot. It's a place where you can enjoy the leisurely atmosphere while watching the planes take off and land against the backdrop of Southern European-style buildings, or gaze at the sunset in anticipation of your next adventure. Why not consider including it in your travel plans?

I also stop by Toyosaki Coffee Factory for a good cup of coffee.
Go in the morning and they’re roasting coffee. Stop in for a cup with that lovely roasted aroma. They sell drip coffee bags too, and that’s where I buy coffee for home. It’s delicious.

The next day, I took a break from editing and went back to Umikaji Terrace to take some photos of the weather. Luckily, there was a space that day, so I parked there and took some photos with the buildings in the background. So much for.. taking a break.

Then I stayed holed up at home for 3 days without driving. Until my vacation ended.
I’m not one for driving around without a reason. I prefer cycling.

After driving 131 km, the fuel gauge dropped by one bar. Such.. good fuel economy..

I’ve come to American Village for a photo shoot. I wish the weather were a bit better.. it was pretty bad around then. There was all that uncertainty about whether a typhoon was coming..

I’m heading out for work again.
My driving route was a bit unusual that day, so I needed an energy drink first thing in the morning and stopped at a convenience store.

Today, I’m returning the car after my photo shoot. In exchange for renting it very cheaply, I have to keep it clean and return it to the rental office myself. So I have a bit of a long drive.

Pull the fuel door release lever below the driver’s seat to open the fuel door. Open it and fill up at a self-service gas station before returning the car.

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How to Use Self-Service Petrol Stations in Okinawa

Before returning your rental car in Okinawa, you'll need to refuel. Today, let's learn how to use a self-service petrol station. It's not too difficult, so anyone can easily follow along.

Of course.. I return the car to the office myself for the discount, but you can return yours in your hotel parking lot. After checking the car’s condition on return, they can also give you a ride to the airport. Free, of course. There’s a small extra charge for areas outside Naha and Tomigusuku.

This car takes gasoline. In Japan, choose regular and use the red nozzle.
Some cars, like the Mitsubishi Delica D5, need diesel, but this rental company doesn’t have any Mitsubishis, let alone a Delica, so we’ll skip that..

I drove 206.7 km and used 10.88 liters of fuel.
That’s 18.9 km/L, without any expressway driving at all. Even with only city driving, the fuel economy was very good.

When I rented in October 2025, the off-season rate was 4,000 yen per day. Insurance was 2,200 yen per day, bringing the daily total to 6,200 yen. After booking, you can stay in touch with the staff on KakaoTalk. Give them your hotel details and they’ll bring the car at the agreed time, and you can return it in your hotel parking lot too. Or.. if you’re arriving very late at night, they sometimes park it at the hotel and leave the key at reception.

With good fuel economy, decent use of space and low running costs, it’s a good car to consider if you’re visiting Okinawa around this time of year. I don’t really plan to cover Okinawa regularly anymore, but if I find something interesting, I’ll let you know.

That’s all for now. See you tomorrow with something else to share. Mata yasai