Nissan Moco: Traveling Light in Okinawa

Exploring Okinawa in a kei car with room to spare in tight parking spaces

Haisai! I’m CULT.
It’s been a while since I wrote about an Okinawa rental car.. a kei car this time. I’ve been renting bigger cars lately because I need to carry lots of gear for photo shoots, but this time I went with a little Nissan Moco for getting around Okinawa with less to carry. Naturally, it’s a small car with a 660cc engine. In Okinawa, you don’t have to worry about other drivers nearly as much as in Korea, so as long as you don’t do anything odd like cruise along in the passing lane, it’s perfectly fine for traveling around.
Best of all, it was off-peak season when I rented it, and the daily rental rate was a pretty affordable 4,200 yen. Worth keeping in mind for a really budget-friendly trip for 2 or 3 😀

This time, the rental company was White One. They offer free car delivery in Naha and Tomigusuku.
I asked them to deliver it to my home, and here it is outside my place. But.. they arrived about 30 minutes earlier than I requested.. so I had to park it in a nearby paid parking lot…
You can use KakaoTalk to coordinate the delivery time and check on their arrival. The staff are Japanese, but translation apps are pretty good these days 😀

So I ended up leaving the car in this paid parking lot. I still had some time before heading out for my photo shoot. As you can see in the photo on the left, there’s lots of room on the left side of the parking space. That’s how easy it is to park.
I’ve parked an Alphard here before, and the high curb on the left makes it pretty tricky. But the Moco is a kei car.. a quick turn and in it goes. Kei cars really are.. so stress-free to drive..

This parking lot is run by Times Car Rental. I like that it accepts cards. Renting from Times is expensive, but the variety of services they offer is a plus.

No phone mount is provided. Rental companies probably won’t provide them.. because of a court ruling. A Japanese court ruled that the rental company also bears some responsibility if a smartphone mount causes a traffic accident. But well.. resting it here like this doesn’t get in the way of driving. As long as your phone case has some grip, like a soft gel case.. it won’t fall off even on a wide right turn.

There was another Moco ahead, so I took a photo.
I’m not a big fan of recent Nissan models. Something feels off.. I like their older cars, and this Moco has a few years on it. Still, it’s well maintained.

The first place I visited in the Nissan Moco was Cape Zanpa Lighthouse. I drove there for a photo shoot. Maybe because it was morning.. there was nobody around and no other cars parked there. Usually, there are lots of parked cars. The car is so small.. you barely have to think about parking.

Next up was American Village. Again, parking was so easy with such a small car. It does have a rear camera.. but honestly, I barely needed to look..

This is the paid parking lot near my home. It’s a tough one, with only 4 spaces that are all a bit tricky to park in. Every time I bring the Alphard, I have to turn around on the road, saying sumimasen as I maneuver my way in.. but none of that with the Moco. Just turn straight in, give the wheel a few turns in the tight lot, and you’re in the space you want.

I came to Depot Island the next day. It was around 11 a.m., and there were lots of cars parked there. Still easy to park. Look at all that room in front…

This is an Okinawa soba restaurant I visit from time to time.
My impression from driving it.. being a kei car, it really doesn’t have much acceleration. Well.. to put a positive spin on it, it makes you drive safely. On the expressway, you can build up speed gradually, reach 80 km/h, and hold the accelerator steady without getting in other drivers’ way.
And with a 660cc engine, it pretty much has to be fuel-efficient too.. so fuel costs aren’t much of a worry. Of course, good driving habits will improve the fuel economy further.

Here are the front seats. Since the car is small, neither the driver’s seat nor the passenger seat has an armrest. It feels like one wide seat.

The plaid fabric gives it a slightly dignified feel. I didn’t take a photo.. but this car comes with state-of-the-art cup holders. The kind that use the air conditioning to keep your drinks cool. A feature I really like.

Honestly, I wonder if a car this small even needs a rear camera.. but it has one.. and it could be useful for less experienced drivers.

There are 3 pedals. The one on the far left is the foot-operated parking brake. The reason I always mention this.. apparently, lots of people drive with the parking brake on.. and ask why the car won’t pick up speed. I hear about it in group chats now and then too.. And the fuel door release button is down on the right of the driver’s seat.

There’s a USB charger. It plugs into the cigarette lighter socket, but the USB-C port still charges pretty quickly. USB-A was slow when I tried it.. The gear lever.. is typical Nissan. L below D.. But you get used to it after a little driving, so it’s no great inconvenience. Also.. there’s a dashcam.

The back seat.. you might squeeze 3 people in if you really tried.. but that would exceed the seating capacity, so it’s a slightly roomy seat for 2.

Let’s look at the trunk space. Being a kei car, it has a small trunk. One 28-inch suitcase and that’s it.. No matter how good you are at luggage Tetris, if even one person in your group brings a 24-inch or 28-inch suitcase, it’s game over.

This is a 20-inch carry-on suitcase. If 4 adults are traveling together, this car can work, provided everyone keeps their promise to bring just one carry-on suitcase each. As I said.. if someone breaks the deal and brings a 24-inch or 28-inch case, you’re done for.

With 3 people, there’s a bit more room. But if a child sits in the back.. their clothes keep rubbing against the suitcases.. and get dirty. So I don’t really recommend renting a kei car when traveling with children.

Of course, you need to refuel before returning the car. So I used a self-service gas station.

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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.

I didn’t calculate the distance, but I drove from Naha to Cape Zanpa Lighthouse, then American Village, and back to Naha. The next day, I made another round trip from Naha to American Village. The fuel economy seemed average rather than outstanding for a kei car. 1,537 yen

I returned the car.. outside my home again. I parked it in the paid parking lot, and a staff member came to collect it at the agreed time. Just hand over the key and show your fuel receipt. If you’re continuing your Okinawa trip afterward, doing it this way can be really economical.

오키도키 렌트카

Book a NISSAN MOCO Rental Car | Aosora Rent-a-Car

Book a NISSAN MOCO rental car in Okinawa. Seats 4, from 3,000 KRW per day.

Book using the link above

You can book through the link above.
Let’s crunch the numbers.. When I rented it, the daily rate was 4,200 yen, so 3 nights and 4 days (72 hours) came to 12,600 yen. Insurance was 8,800 yen, bringing the total to 21,400 yen. They ask for very little personal information, so just create an account, choose your dates, and book.

I’ll keep this short and wrap up here, wishing you a budget-friendly trip to Okinawa. I’ll be back tomorrow with more Okinawa travel information. Mata yasai

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White One car rental pickup: Finding your way from airport to return

Finding the rental car pickup point at Naha Airport, past the Shuri Castle picture