Kansai International Airport is one of the busiest airports in Japan and is the primary
access point when flying into the Kansai Region. Located on a man made island in Osaka Bay about
40 km south of central Osaka, Kansai Airport has two terminal buildings. Terminal 1 handles
international and domestic flights by major airlines and is also where all transportation
options to the surrounding areas are located. Terminal 2, which is on the other side of the
island, services low-cost airlines and can be reached via free shuttle bus.
For many visitors these terminals are the first places in Japan they must navigate.
So here is a brief overview of how to maneuver through Kansai International
Airport and get to the surrounding cities when arriving on an international flight.
After deplaning, the first stop is immigration. To expedite the process,
each passenger should have their disembarkation form filled out before approaching the counter.
Here, an officer will scan the fingerprints of your index fingers and take your photo.
Assuming everything goes well, you can move on to the baggage claim. Everyone arriving on an
international flight except for those connecting to another international flight must collect
their checked luggage here, this includes passengers connecting to domestic flights.
With baggage in hand, Customs is next. Each family will need to hand in a Customs Declaration Form
which should be filled out ahead of time. Passengers with items to declare should
use the red lanes, while those with nothing to declare should go through the green ones.
Finally, after clearing Customs, you will enter the public area of the terminal where there
are many useful services you may want to take advantage of before leaving the airport such as:
-Currency exchange & ATMs -WIFI and SIM card rentals
-Information counters -Baggage delivery and storage
-Showers, Nap rooms, and lounges -Rental car pick-up and many more
Also, if you purchased a Japan Rail Pass,
this can be picked-up at the JR Ticket Office in Kansai-Airport Station which is connected
to Terminal 1 on the second floor. This is also where all trains arrive and depart.
When you’re ready to leave the airport there are many options to consider.
The most popular train routes are: The JR Limited Express “Haruka” which is a fast option that
goes directly to Tennoji Station where you can transfer to Nara, Osaka Station where you can
transfer to Kobe, as well as Shin-Osaka and Kyoto stations both of which are also shinkansen stops.
The Haruka has nice seats, luggage storage as well as both non-reserved and reserved seating options.
Although it is the most expensive train option, using the “Icoca & Haruka” or the
“Haruka 1-day” discount tickets makes it similar in price to the other options. More details
about purchasing these discount tickets can be found in the description box below the video.
Another fast option is the Nankai “Rap:t” which goes directly to
Namba station located in the middle of Osaka's southern downtown center.
From Namba it’s also possible to transfer to trains which go directly to Kobe and Nara.
Like the Haruka, the Rap:t trains also have nice seats and luggage storage. However,
one main difference is that the Rap:t has only reserved seating options. This
means that passengers need to have a reserved seat ticket in order to ride.
And finally, there are two types of slower but cheaper commuter trains. The JR Kansai Airport
Rapid goes to several major stations on the Osaka Loop Line including Tennoji and Osaka. And the
Nankai Airport Express which goes to Namba. It’s important to note that these two trains make more
frequent stops than their faster alternatives and can become somewhat crowded during rush hours.
Apart from trains, the other transportation options are the Airport Limousine buses which
go to a wide variety of destinations around the Kansai region including Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe,
and more. And of course taxis which cost between 15,000 to 20,000 yen to get to central Osaka.
Both buses and taxis depart just outside Terminal 1 on the first floor.
We hope this video helps you know what to expect when navigating through Kansai
International Airport. For more information or to watch another video, click the links on the
screen now or head over to japan-guide.com, your comprehensive, up-to-date travel guide
first-hand from Japan. Thanks for watching, and be sure to subscribe for more videos about Japan.
Happy travels.