Flights to Osaka

From Kansai Airport

Kansai International is built on an artificial island in Osaka Bay. The Nankai Rapi:t express reaches Namba, close to Dotonbori, in about 40 minutes, and JR Haruka trains run to Tennoji, Shin-Osaka and Kyoto. Limousine buses serve major hotels. If you're connecting from Tokyo, a domestic flight to Itami, closer to the city, or the bullet train are alternatives. An ICOCA card, the local equivalent of Suica, works on trains and buses across the Kansai region.

Around the city

Dotonbori, along the canal in Minami, is lined with giant signs and street-food stalls selling takoyaki and okonomiyaki. Osaka Castle stands in a large park, and Shitennoji, founded in 593, is among the oldest temples in Japan. Shinsekai, around the Tsutenkaku tower, keeps a retro atmosphere with skewer bars and old game arcades. Universal Studios Japan sits by the bay. Kuromon Market, near Namba, is a good place for a breakfast of grilled scallops and fresh fruit, and Umeda's Sky Building has an open-air observation deck with views across the city.

Day trips

Kyoto is about 30 minutes away by fast train, and Nara, with its giant Buddha and free-roaming deer, takes under an hour. The bullet train reaches Hiroshima in around 90 minutes, and Himeji's white castle, one of the few in Japan to survive in its original form, is under an hour west. Koyasan's temple lodgings, high in the mountains to the south, make a peaceful overnight stay.

When to plan your trip

Late March to early April brings cherry blossom, and November is the time for autumn leaves. Summers are hot and humid, and the Tenjin Matsuri festival in late July brings boat processions and fireworks along the river.

Planning to arrive in Tokyo and fly home from Osaka? Call 020 7871 4545 for a tailored quote.