Originally Posted by
cardesigner2000
It's quite surprising that all the sites I've found seem to be on request only, with the requirement to book several days in advance and no responses on the weekend. Is it just another Japanese idiosyncrasy of not allowing real time bookings?
I don't know what sites you're looking at. Possibly those of intermediaries rather than the sites of the rental companies themselves?
Originally Posted by
cardesigner2000
Is it even possible to walk up and rent a car at an agency.
Certainly. At the same time, you can usually sign up for whatever membership program they have. I think that's how I discovered discounts for program members. However, in that case, be prepared to interact in Japanese.