Before you drive Ehime's expressways in a rental car: borrowing an ETC card, toll gate lanes, and what to do if you enter an ETC-only entrance

Toll gate lanes are of 3 types: “ETC-only,” “ETC/General” and “General”

At NEXCO West Japan toll gates, a sign is shown above each lane. The page “いよいよ出発!おさらい” says that outside ETC-only toll gates there are 2 types of ETC lanes. With the General lane, that makes the 3 types below.

Sign	Vehicles that can pass	How you pay
ETC-only	Only ETC-equipped vehicles with an ETC card set correctly	ETC wireless communication
ETC/General	ETC-equipped vehicles and vehicles without an ETC on-board unit	ETC vehicles pay by wireless communication. Vehicles without an ETC on-board unit stop and pay
General	All vehicles	Cash or credit card

For the “ETC-only” lane, the same page says the following.

ETC車載器が付いていない車両やETCカードが挿入されていないETC搭載車はご利用いただけません。

Translation: “Vehicles without an ETC on-board unit, and ETC-equipped vehicles without an ETC card inserted, cannot use this lane.”

For the “ETC/General” lane, it says the vehicle ahead may stop.

料金支払いなどのため、前を走っている車両が停止する場合もありますのでご注意ください。 また停止している車両の追越しは禁止されています。

Translation: “The vehicle ahead may stop to pay the toll, so please be careful. Passing a stopped vehicle is also prohibited.”

It also says that how “ETC-only” and “ETC/General” lanes are used may change depending on the time of day.

Source: いよいよ出発!おさらい | NEXCO西日本

When an ETC lane is closed, the page says the lane sign shows “closed” or goes completely black, and the signal light is red. It continues as follows.

この場合、全ての車両がご利用いただけませんので、レーンには進入しないでください。

Translation: “In this case, no vehicle can use the lane, so please do not enter it.”

Use another ETC lane that is open, or a “General” lane.

Source: いよいよ出発!おさらい | NEXCO西日本

Enter an ETC lane at 20 km/h or less, and pass after you see the bar open

The FAQ “ETC” from NEXCO West Japan describes how to pass an ETC lane as follows.

ETCレーンをご利用の際は、先行車両と十分な車間距離をとり、時速20km以下の安全な速度で進入し、ETC開閉バーが開いたことを確認の上で通過していただくよう、安全運転でお願いいたします。

Translation: “When you use an ETC lane, please keep a sufficient distance from the vehicle ahead, enter at a safe speed of 20 km/h or less, and pass after you confirm that the ETC bar has opened. Please drive safely.”

Source: ETC | NEXCO西日本

Use the same ETC card at the entrance and the exit. If you insert a different card, the bar does not open at the exit.

入口料金所を通過の際に挿入されていたETCカードと異なるETCカードを挿入した場合、出口料金所では開閉バーが開きません。

Translation: “If you insert an ETC card different from the one inserted when you passed the entrance toll gate, the bar will not open at the exit toll gate.”

Source: ETC | NEXCO西日本

The same page “いよいよ出発!おさらい” also says that the bar does not open when the card has expired.

In a General lane, pay with cash or a credit card. You can also use an ETC card if you stop once

On how to pay in a General lane, the page “いよいよ出発!おさらい” says the following.

ETCの無線通信による走行はできませんが、一旦停止によりETCカードでのお支払いは可能です。

Translation: “You cannot drive through using ETC wireless communication, but you can pay with an ETC card by stopping once.”

According to the FAQ “通行料金” from NEXCO West Japan, credit cards of the following 5 brands can be used on all roads managed by NEXCO West Japan. It says no signature is needed.

• JCB
• AMERICAN EXPRESS
• Diners
• VISA
• MasterCard

The same page also lists the payment methods that cannot be used.

※デビットカード・プリペイドカード・電子マネー（交通系IC、ID、QUICPay等）・QRコード決済はご利用いただけません。

Translation: “Debit cards, prepaid cards, electronic money (transport IC cards, iD, QUICPay and others) and QR code payments cannot be used.”

In lanes with a toll payment machine, there is a rule about coins. You also cannot combine an ETC card with cash.

※料金精算機では、1円硬貨、5円硬貨はご使用いただけません。

Translation: “The toll payment machine does not accept 1-yen and 5-yen coins.”

通行料金の支払いにあたり、ETCカードと他の支払手段（現金など）との併用はできません。

Translation: “When you pay the toll, you cannot use an ETC card together with another means of payment (such as cash).”

Source: 通行料金 | NEXCO西日本

If ETC could not be used at the entrance: take a ticket, and use a General lane at the exit

If the ETC on-board unit is broken or you forgot the ETC card, you cannot use an ETC lane. The FAQ “ETC” from NEXCO West Japan gives the following guidance.

車載器が故障の場合や、ETCカードを忘れた場合はETCをご利用いただけません。 あらかじめ一般レーン又は混在（「ETC／一般」の表示）レーンで通行券をお取りください。 走行途中に故障が判明した場合は出口で一般レーンをご利用ください。

Translation: “If the on-board unit is broken or you forgot your ETC card, you cannot use ETC. Please take a ticket beforehand in a General lane or a mixed lane (marked ‘ETC/General’). If you find a breakdown while driving, please use a General lane at the exit.”

Source: ETC | NEXCO西日本

How to pass the exit after you take a ticket at the entrance is written on the page “いよいよ出発!おさらい”.

入口で通行券を受け取り、出口では一般レーンにて通行券とETCカードでご精算ください。 （出口ではETCレーンの開閉バーは開きません。）

Translation: “Receive a ticket at the entrance, and at the exit pay with the ticket and the ETC card in a General lane. (At the exit, the bar of an ETC lane will not open.)”

Source: いよいよ出発!おさらい | NEXCO西日本

Guidance for when you enter an ETC lane and the bar does not open is on a separate page. For a four-wheeled vehicle, it is as follows.

開閉バーに接触しないように停車してください。 絶対に後退しないでください。 車両から降りてレーンを歩かないでください。

Translation: “Stop so that you do not touch the bar. Never back up. Do not get out of the vehicle and walk in the lane.”

停車していただくと、料金所係員がインターホンにて対応させていただきますので、料金所係員の声が聞こえるように窓を開けてください。

Translation: “When you stop, a toll gate attendant will respond by intercom, so please open your window so that you can hear the attendant’s voice.”

Source: ETC開閉バーが開かなかった場合のご利用について | NEXCO西日本

What happens next when the bar does not open at an entrance is in the FAQ “ETC”.

入口料金所でETCレーンのバーが開かない場合は通行券を発券しますので、お取りいただき、出口料金所で「ETC／一般」又は「一般」の表示のあるレーンをご利用になり、通行券とETCカードを係員にお渡しください。

Translation: “If the bar of an ETC lane does not open at the entrance toll gate, a ticket will be issued. Please take it, use a lane marked ‘ETC/General’ or ‘General’ at the exit toll gate, and hand the ticket and the ETC card to the attendant.”

Source: ETC | NEXCO西日本

If you pass through without the bar opening, the page asks you to contact the toll gate or the road company.

ETCカードの挿入忘れなどにより、万が一開閉バーが開かない状態で通過してしまった場合は、料金所または管轄の道路会社に必ずご連絡をいただき、通行料金のお支払いについてお問い合わせください。

Translation: “If, for example because you forgot to insert the ETC card, you pass through without the bar opening, please be sure to contact the toll gate or the road company in charge, and ask about paying the toll.”

Source: ETC開閉バーが開かなかった場合のご利用について | NEXCO西日本

ETC-only toll gates in Ehime Prefecture: 5 on the list (as of September 1, 2026)

NEXCO West Japan is working to make toll gates ETC-only. The page “ETC専用料金所のご案内” explains an ETC-only toll gate as follows.

ETC車載器を搭載し有効なETCカードが挿入された車両（ETC車）がご利用できる料金所です。

Translation: “A toll gate that can be used by vehicles (ETC vehicles) equipped with an ETC on-board unit and with a valid ETC card inserted.”

Source: ETC専用料金所のご案内 | NEXCO西日本

In the PDF “ETC専用料金所一覧” (as of September 1, 2026) on the same page, 5 rows have Ehime Prefecture as the prefecture. The list gives start dates in the Japanese era form, such as “R6.3.18,” so the Western years are added here.

Toll gate (IC name)	Route	Start date
Doi IC (土居)	E11 Matsuyama Expressway	Reiwa 6, March 18 (March 18, 2024)
Niihama IC (新居浜)	E11 Matsuyama Expressway	Reiwa 7, February 27 (February 27, 2025)
Uchiko-Ikazaki IC (内子五十崎)	E56 Matsuyama Expressway	Reiwa 6, March 18 (March 18, 2024)
Iyo-Komatsu-kita IC (いよ小松北)	E76 Imabari-Komatsu Road	Reiwa 6, March 18 (March 18, 2024)
Toyo-Tanbara IC (東予丹原)	E76 Imabari-Komatsu Road	Reiwa 5, April 3 (April 3, 2023)

Source: （ETC専用料金所一覧、2026年9月1日時点、PDF、NEXCO西日本）

Matsuyama IC and Iyo IC, which are near Matsuyama Airport, are not on this list. The toll gates of the Shimanami Kaido (Nishiseto Expressway) are not on it either. The 2 toll gates that JB Honshi Expressway lists as “ETC-only toll gates” are not in Ehime Prefecture. Details are in the article on Shimanami Kaido tolls.

Of these, Niihama IC appears as the exit in the article on the drive from Matsuyama Airport to Minetopia Besshi.

Smart ICs are for ETC vehicles only. The Ehime list shows Toon and Nakayama

On smart interchanges, the page “いよいよ出発!おさらい” says the following.

スマートインターチェンジとは、本線やサービスエリア等から乗り降りができるように設置された、ETC車両限定でご利用いただけるインターチェンジです。

Translation: “A smart interchange is an interchange set up so that you can get on and off from the main line, a service area and so on, and it can be used only by ETC vehicles.”

利用時間や利用可能車種が限定されているスマートインターチェンジがあります。

Translation: “Some smart interchanges have limited hours of use or limited vehicle types.”

Source: いよいよ出発!おさらい | NEXCO西日本

In NEXCO West Japan’s “スマートIC実施箇所一覧,” 2 smart ICs are listed on the Matsuyama Expressway in Ehime Prefecture.

Smart IC	Section	Hours of use	Directions available	Vehicles
Toon Smart IC (東温スマートIC)	Kawauchi to Matsuyama	All day	All directions	All vehicles
Nakayama Smart IC (中山スマートIC)	Iyo to Uchiko-Ikazaki	All day	Entrance toward Matsuyama and exit from the Matsuyama direction only	All vehicles

Source: スマートIC実施箇所一覧 | NEXCO西日本

The page “いよいよ出発!おさらい” tells you to stop once in front of the bar at a smart IC.

ETCカードの車載器挿入を確認の上、開閉バーの手前で必ず一旦停止してください。

Translation: “After you confirm that the ETC card is inserted in the on-board unit, be sure to stop once in front of the bar.”

Source: いよいよ出発!おさらい | NEXCO西日本

If you enter an ETC-only entrance: do not back up, go to the “Support” lane

What to do if you enter an ETC-only toll gate when ETC cannot be used is written on the page “ETC専用料金所のご案内”. This covers vehicles without an ETC on-board unit and vehicles without an ETC card inserted.

ETCが使えない状態（ETC車載器未設置、ETCカード未挿入等）で誤ってETC専用料金所をご利用された場合は後退せずに、「ETC/サポート」又は「サポート」と表示されたレーンにお進みいただき、一旦停止してインターホン等による係員の指示に従ってください。

Translation: “If you enter an ETC-only toll gate by mistake when ETC cannot be used (no ETC on-board unit installed, no ETC card inserted and so on), do not back up. Go to the lane marked ‘ETC/Support’ or ‘Support,’ stop once, and follow the instructions of the attendant by intercom or other means.”

逆走・バックは危険ですので絶対にしないでください。

Translation: “Driving the wrong way or backing up is dangerous, so never do it.”

Source: ETC専用料金所のご案内 | NEXCO西日本

The same page describes the role of the Support lane as follows.

ETC専用料金所には、ETCが使えない状態（ETC車載器未設置、ETCカード未挿入等）で誤ってETC専用料金所をご利用された場合に通行いただくサポートレーンを設置しています。

Translation: “ETC-only toll gates have a Support lane for vehicles that enter an ETC-only toll gate by mistake when ETC cannot be used (no ETC on-board unit installed, no ETC card inserted and so on).”

The PDF guide to the toll payment machine in the Support lane says you go to the lane marked “Support” or “ETC/Support” and pay the toll at the toll payment machine.

Vehicles that can use ETC also go to the Support lane when the lane is closed.

設備点検等によるETCレーン閉鎖時は、ETC車もサポートレーンをご利用ください。

Translation: “When an ETC lane is closed for equipment inspection or other reasons, ETC vehicles should also use the Support lane.”

Source: ETC専用料金所のご案内 | NEXCO西日本、（サポートレーンの料金精算機 ご利用ガイド、PDF、NEXCO西日本）

The same page says that near entrances and exits with an ETC-only toll gate, signs on the expressway main line and on general roads have a board telling you that you need to use an ETC vehicle.

The 7 companies at Matsuyama Airport: ETC card lending and on-board units

This is what was checked on each company’s official page, for the 7 companies listed on the Matsuyama Airport official page. Amounts include tax. Some companies write that ETC card lending differs by shop. Check with the office where you will pick up the car when you reserve.

Company	ETC card lending	ETC on-board unit
Toyota Rent a Car	550 yen per rental. The Matsuyama Airport shop page has a circle mark for “ETC card lending”	Standard on all passenger-type cars and the V Class
Nippon Rent-A-Car	330 yen for up to 7 days, 1,100 yen from 8 days to 1 month. Matsuyama Airport is on the list of lending shops in Ehime Prefecture	Standard on all passenger cars, wagons, vans and trucks
ORIX Rent-A-Car	550 yen per rental. The Matsuyama Airport shop page says “lending shop”	Standard on all cars, free
Times Car Rental	Does not lend	May not be fitted, depending on the car type
Budget Rent a Car	Says it rents ETC cards. The fee and how it is handled at the Matsuyama Airport shop could not be confirmed	Says its rental cars also have it. It does not say whether all cars do
Heisei Rent-A-Car	1,650 yen (flat rate). The smartphone page also says 1,100 yen	Fitted free on all cars
Nissan Rent a Car	220 yen per day. The Matsuyama Airport shop page says “ETC card lending available”	Fitted on all cars

The details of the sources are as follows.

• The Toyota Rent a Car ETC card rental page writes “1回550円（消費税込み）” (550 yen per rental, including consumption tax) in an image, and writes “一部店舗では実施していません” (not offered at some shops) and “カードの枚数には限りがございます” (the number of cards is limited). For the on-board unit, the options page says “※ETC車載器は乗用系全車（ワゴン・SUV含む）とVクラスに標準装備。” (ETC on-board units are standard on all passenger-type cars, including wagons and SUVs, and the V Class.)
• The Nippon Rent-A-Car ETC guide page says ETC card rental is not available through internet reservation, and is accepted by phone after you reserve the rental car. It also says that even without a prior request, you can use a card at departure if the shop has one in stock. It does not rent ETC cards on their own.
• The ORIX Rent-A-Car FAQ says “1レンタルあたり550円でETCカードを貸出しております。” (We lend ETC cards for 550 yen per rental.) It tells you to phone the shop, because some shops do not lend and the number of cards is limited. For the on-board unit, the rental car option fee page says “無料／オリックスレンタカーは全車標準装備です” (free; standard on all ORIX Rent-A-Car cars).
• The Times Car Rental FAQ says the following.

ETCカードの貸出はおこなっておりません。お客様ご自身で用意してください。

Translation: “We do not lend ETC cards. Please prepare one yourself.”

車種により、ETC車載器が装備されていない場合がございます。ETC車載器が必要な場合は、インターネットでご予約の際に、必ず装備品項目の「ETC」にチェックを入れてください。

Translation: “Depending on the car type, an ETC on-board unit may not be fitted. If you need an ETC on-board unit, be sure to check ‘ETC’ in the equipment items when you reserve on the internet.”

• The Heisei Rent-A-Car usage guide writes “ETCカード” (ETC card), “1,650円” (1,650 yen) and “定額” (flat rate) in its options table, and writes “カーナビ、ETC車載器は全車に無料装備済みです。” (All cars come with a car navigation system and an ETC on-board unit, free of charge.) The smartphone usage details page also says “※ETCカードをお持ちでない場合1,100円で貸出しております” (if you do not have an ETC card, we lend one for 1,100 yen) in the items-to-bring column, and the options table on the same page says 1,650 yen. The English page also says 1,650 yen.
• The Nissan Rent a Car ETC card rental page writes “220円/1日(税込)” (220 yen per day, including tax) and “法人会員は貸出無料” (free lending for corporate members) in an image, and writes “一部ETCカードの貸出を行っていない店舗がございます。” (Some shops do not lend ETC cards.) For the on-board unit, the FAQ says “ETC車載器は全車に搭載されております。” (All cars have an ETC on-board unit.)

The tolls charged on a borrowed ETC card are settled when you return the car. How to settle is in the article on what to do before you return a rental car at Matsuyama Airport.

Some companies write that certain discounts cannot be used with a rental card. Nippon Rent-A-Car writes that unlimited-ride plans and excursion discounts that limit the number of uses per ETC card cannot be used with a rental card. Nissan Rent a Car also writes that unlimited-ride plans and excursion discounts cannot be used. Toyota Rent a Car writes that the adjustment of connecting tolls when a road is closed, and some ETC discounts from road companies, are toll adjustments or discounts that are not recorded on the IC chip.

The NEXCO West Japan page “あなたのETCカードがレンタカーで使えます” says to tell the rental company the following when you apply for a rental car.

レンタカーの申込時には、「ETC搭載車」と指定して申し込んでね。

Translation: “When you apply for a rental car, please specify ‘ETC-equipped car.’”

Source: あなたのETCカードがレンタカーで使えます | NEXCO西日本

The fixed-price pass for visitors from abroad is the SEP in Shikoku

On fixed-price expressway passes for visitors from abroad, the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) page says the following.

The Japan Expressway Pass (JEP) that covered most expressways across Japan (excluding Hokkaido and some regional areas), and the Central Nippon Expressway Pass (CEP) that covered Aichi, Fukui, Gifu, Ishikawa, Kanagawa, Mie, Nagano, Shiga, Shizuoka, Toyama, and Yamanashi Prefectures, are no longer available.

Source: Expressway Passes - Japan National Tourism Organization

The English news page of NEXCO East Japan also says “This item is currently not for sale.” for the Japan Expressway Pass.

The pass that can be used in the area that includes Ehime Prefecture is the “San’in-Setouchi-Shikoku Expressway Pass (SEP).” The conditions here were read from the English page of NEXCO West Japan.

Item	Details
Price (rental car fee is separate)	3 days 10,700 yen, 4 days 11,700 yen, 5 days 12,700 yen, 6 days 13,700 yen, 7 days 14,700 yen, 8 days 15,700 yen, 9 days 16,700 yen, 10 days 17,700 yen
Who can use it	People with a foreign passport, and Japanese nationals with permanent residence permission in a foreign country. A driver’s license valid in Japan is needed
Vehicles covered	ETC-equipped regular cars rented at designated offices of designated rental car companies. Kei cars can also be used, but the toll is the same as for a regular car
How days are counted	“1 day” runs from 0:00 to 23:59. From 13:00 on April 1 to 13:00 on April 4, the rental is 3 days (72 hours), and the SEP is 4 days

Source: San’in-Setouchi-Shikoku Expressway Pass（SEP）- West Nippon Expressway Company Limited.、（San’in-Setouchi-Shikoku Expressway Pass User Agreement、PDF、NEXCO西日本）

The SEP page and the user agreement (revised October 1, 2024) word the eligible people differently. The page says people with a foreign passport and Japanese nationals with permanent residence permission in a foreign country. The agreement says foreigners legally living in Japan and Japanese nationals with permanent residence permission in a foreign country. If you live in Japan, check at the counter of the company where you rent.

You apply at the rental car company’s counter. The page gives the steps for renting as follows.

1. At the reservation desk, reserve the SEP to match your plan and rental car.
2. Complete the procedure at a designated office of a designated rental car company, and pay the SEP fee.
3. Rent the car and the ETC card.
4. Use the expressways.
5. Return the car and the ETC card, and pay the toll for the part you drove outside the SEP coverage.

The SEP agreement also sets how to pass at an entrance, which is to use an ETC-only lane, and how to pass when an ETC lane is closed. You take a ticket at the entrance and pass a General lane, and at the exit you pay in a General lane with the ticket and the designated ETC card. After you use the road, it cannot be canceled.

The sections in Ehime Prefecture that are covered are listed in the table of the agreement as follows.

• Matsuyama Expressway (松山自動車道): Mishima-Kawanoe IC to Ozu IC, Iyo-Komatsu IC, Ozu-Kitatada IC to Seiyo-Uwa IC
• Imabari-Komatsu Road (今治小松自動車道): Iyo Komatsu-kita IC to Imabari Yunoura IC

Source: （San’in-Setouchi-Shikoku Expressway Pass User Agreement、PDF、NEXCO西日本）

The table in the agreement is written in English. Check at the counter of the company where you rent whether the IC where you get on or off is in a covered section.

The SEP page says the Honshi Expressway is not covered.

Using SEP, you can use all expressways in San’in/Setouchi/Shikoku for a fixed price. (Does not apply to Honshi Expressway/urban expressways, etc.)

The table on the page gives, as examples of Honshi Expressway tolls paid separately, 2,310 yen and 2,950 yen for a regular car on the Nishiseto Expressway (Nishiseto-Onomichi to Imabari), which is the Shimanami Kaido. The tolls between ICs on the Shimanami Kaido are collected in the article on Shimanami Kaido tolls.

Of the 7 companies with shops at Matsuyama Airport, those whose Matsuyama Airport shop is on the list of SEP offices are Toyota Rent a Car, Nissan Rent a Car and Heisei Rent-A-Car. The PDFs for Times Car Rental and ORIX Rent-A-Car list no offices in Shikoku. Nippon Rent-A-Car and Budget Rent a Car are not on the SEP page’s list of participating companies.

About this article

What is written here was checked on October 14, 2026, on the official pages of NEXCO West Japan, the Japan National Tourism Organization and each rental car company. The list of ETC-only toll gates is as of September 1, 2026. Tolls and handling may change. Give priority to the documents you receive when you rent and the explanation of the plan you reserved.

The following could not be confirmed.

• The ETC card fee at Budget Rent a Car, and lending at its Matsuyama Airport shop
• How each lane is used at toll gates that are not ETC-only, such as Matsuyama IC, Iyo IC and Imabari IC
• The date the SEP sales end. No date was found on the SEP page (the page for the Kyushu pass says sales end on March 31, 2027)
• The Japanese official SEP page. The English page was read
• The Nissan Rent a Car ETC card fee was read from an image on the page. The shop page for Matsuyama Airport does not say whether the fee is the same