How to get from airport to Osaka?

Where is Osaka?

Osaka is located approximately 400km west of Tokyo. The total population of Tokyo is 14 million, whereas Osaka is 8.8 million. More than anything, Osaka is famous as a city where you can eat until you drop. It attracts large numbers of tourists wishing to sample the many popular street foods beloved by ordinary people, for example; Takoyaki (octopus balls), Okonomiyaki (savory pancake), Udon noodles and Kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers). Osaka is known as a “comedy town” and has produced many comedians over the years. They speak the Osaka dialect, which is comical and witty.

Osaka’s two airports

There are two airports – Itami and Kansai airports. Flights into Itami are generally domestic, whereas flights into Kansai International Airport are usually international. Kansai airport sits on reclaimed land in Osaka Bay, 40km from the center of Osaka. The airport code is KIX.

Kansai International Airport

The airport is divided into Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. International flights can arrive at Terminal 1 or Terminal 2, which is used exclusively by low-cost carrier airlines. At times, a small number of low-cost carriers also use Terminal 1, so make sure you check Kansai Airport’s website for details.

The official website of Kansai Airport

Airport Wi-Fi

As soon as you arrive at the airport, you can connect to Free Wi-Fi.

Airport Information Center

If you have any concerns or questions, don’t hesitate to visit the airport information center. The staff at the information center speak fluent English and can help you with your concerns.

Buying a SIM Card

You can buy a SIM card at one of the convenience stores inside the airport. Also, there is a vending machine for SIM cards

Buying a converter

You can also buy converters at convenience stores in the airport.

Renting a portable Wi-Fi

The airport has a Wi-Fi rental company where you can rent a portable Wi-Fi. When you go home you can drop it in the return box at the airport.

Renting a mobile phone

You can rent a phone at the mobile phone rental counter.

Exchange Currency

You can exchange currency at the airport. As in most airports around the world, the exchange rates are not very good, so it’s best to exchange only a small amount of money.

ATMs

You can also use ATMs that allow debit withdrawal from overseas cards.

Travel guides and maps

Travel Guides and Maps are available for free in English and Chinese with Simplified Chinese characters, Traditional Chinese characters etc. and other languages.

Transportation to Osaka and Kyoto

If visitors have accommodation booked in Osaka or Kyoto, many use the bus or the train to get there. If you are new to Japan, we recommend the bus. Not only is it difficult to get on and off the train carrying a heavy suitcase, but you will encounter rush hour crowds in the morning and evening. Buses can be reserved in advance, or you can purchase a ticket when you arrive.

The Airport Limousine Bus

Osaka Central (Namba Station) / 50 min. / 1,100 yen (About 10USD)

Kyoto Station / 95 – 120 min. / 2,550 yen (About 23USD)

These are the most popular buses to major areas in Osaka and Kyoto. They don’t just stop at one location, but make several stops at such places as terminal stations and hotels. The easiest thing to do is take the bus to the stop nearest to your accommodation, then take a taxi from there. Then there is no need to walk around with heavy luggage. After arriving at the airport, you can purchase a ticket by telling the staff at the Airport Limousine counter your destination. (In some cases, tickets may also be purchased from a ticket vending machine outside the airport)

The official website of Airport Limousine Osaka

Nankai Airport Express

Osaka Central (Namba Station) / 45 min / 920 yen (About 9USD)

* Rapid Express trains take 34 min. / 1270USD (About 12USD)

For experienced travelers to Japan, we would also recommend the Nankai train. Purchase your ticket at the ticket vending machine and then head towards the station. (You can change the display language on ticket vending machines to English)

The official website of Nankai Express

Taxi

If you are traveling to Osaka city from Kansai Airport, the basic fare is 14,500JPY (approximately 50 min.), to Kyoto it is 30,800JPY (approximately 120 min.). Highway toll fees and late night / early morning surcharges will be added.

Taxi information in the Kansai airport website

Want to know more?

What is edomae?

Outline

“Edomae” – it’s a keyword when talking about Tokyo’s food culture. In English, Edomae is often referred to as “Edomae style” or “Edo Style”. But there are a lot of people who don’t know what Edomae was originally, so let’s take a closer look. Tokyo reportedly has more than 5,000 sushi restaurants. Most of the high-end sushi restaurants that cost on average 10,000 yen or more per person are Edomae style, where master sushi chefs are proud to continue the tradition of Edomae sushi.

Here are some keywords to remember as you learn about food in Tokyo.

Edomae refers to the river and ocean that flowed in front of Edo Castle!

“Edo” is the old word for Tokyo, and the “Edo period” is the name of the time period that lasted from 1603 to 1868, around 260 years. This is the so-called samurai era when the House of Tokugawa ruled over Japan.

During this period, the current Imperial Palace was called Edo Castle and the area that could be seen from the top floor was called Edomae. Also, dishes using seafood caught from Edo Bay (Tokyo Bay) or the river, which could be seen from Edo Castle, came to be called Edomae cuisine.

Example of Edomae cuisine and ingredients

In Tokyo, broiled eel (unagi no kabayaki), sushi, tempura etc. were popular examples of Edomae cuisine in the 1800’s.

These dishes used eel, tiger prawns, gizzard shad (kohada), conger eel, clams, tuna etc. caught from the river and ocean that ran in front of Edo castle.

The photo below is a replica of an Edo period sushi stand at the Edo Tokyo Museum. Broiled eel, tempura and sushi were popular forms of fast food for the masses. It seems a piece of sushi at that time, depending on the store, cost around 100 to 200 yen, which is about the same price as present day conveyor belt sushi.

Edomae technique of preserving food

As there were no refrigerators or freezers in the 1800’s, chefs of that time needed to use their wisdom and ingenuity to find safe and delicious ways to eat fish. Eel was broiled in a sauce made from soy sauce and sugar, and seafood was battered and fried as tempura.

Sushi in particular evolved from a number of different methods, such as marinating seafood in vinegar or soy sauce, salting, simmering, boiling etc. Some people may think sushi is simply sliced fish on top of vinegared rice, but the safe and delicious sushi that can be eaten in Tokyo today is a result of much trial and error on the part of chefs from the Edo period.

Past and Present day Edomae

In the past, Edomae sushi may have developed as a way to preserve food, but as refrigeration technology and distribution methods developed, fresh seafood started to come from all over the world to Toyosu Market and there is no longer any need to think of ingenious ways to eat fish safely. At the same time, Edomae cuisine has been reevaluated during the last 10 to 20 years and there is growing momentum to re-examine the techniques of the forefathers of Edomae, such as looking into how they devised ways to bring out the flavor of seafood.

Like Sushi Sho in Honolulu, that uses the techniques of Edomae and a little ingenuity on local Hawaiian fish, there is an increasing number of chefs attempting to apply the art of Tokyo’s Edomae to local fish from around the world.