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Getting There By Air:

Kansai International Airport (KIX)
Tel: (072) 455 2500.
Website: www.kansai-airport.or.jp

Kansai International Airport is situated 50km (33 miles) south of Osaka city center and is the main airport in the Kansai region.

Facilities include currency exchange offices, ATMs, car rental, a large number of shops of all kinds and a wide choice of bars and restaurants. There is also a business center, as well as wireless Internet access and Internet access via coin-operated computer terminals, several airline lounges and two VIP rooms. Other facilities include showers, medical and dental clinics, a nursery and a play room for children.

Regular train services connect the airport with the city. The JR ‘Haruka’ Kansai Airport Limited Express train links the airport to Shin-Osaka station (journey time - 50 minutes). By car (whether rental car, taxi, limousine or van) it takes 50-60 minutes to get to central Osaka, depending on traffic. Taxis can be booked on arrival at the airport. Driving to Osaka from the airport is straightforward - cross the airport access bridge and then turn towards the north at the Rinku Junction on Hanshin Expressway and then follow the signs to Osaka.

Getting There By Road:

Like all the cities along the road network between Tokyo in the east and Hiroshima in the west, Osaka is extremely well connected in terms of expressways. There is the Sanyo and Chugoku expressways from the west, the Meishin expressway from Kyoto (and, ultimately, Tokyo) to the north east and the Kinki and Hanwa expressways from the south.

The Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) (tel: (03) 3436 2811 or 6833 9100; website: www.jaf.or.jp/e/index_e.htm), provides an English-language ‘Rules of the Road’ booklet and JAF Road Service offers 24-hour breakdown assistance for both members and non-members. In the case of an accident, the police must be informed (tel: 110).

Emergency breakdown service:
JAF (tel: 8139)

There are regular highway bus services running between Osaka and Kyoto, Nagoya and Tokyo to the east and Hiroshima and Fukuoka to the west. The trip from Tokyo to Osaka by highway bus takes eight to nine hours. Both daytime and overnight buses are available. J R Bus Kanto (tel: (03) 3844 1950; website: www.jrbuskanto.co.jp/mn) operates regular coach services between Osaka and Tokyo. J R Tokai (tel: (052) 563 0489; website: www.jrtbinm.co.jp) runs coach services between Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya and several other cities. J R Chugoku (tel: (082) 261 5489; website: www.chugoku-jrbus.co.jp) operates services from Hiroshima to Osaka.

Getting There By Rail:

The JR Tokaido Shinkansen line connects Osaka and Tokyo. The fastest of the shinkansen trains, the nozomi, take 155 minutes to reach Shin-Osaka Station from Tokyo. With hikari trains the journey takes 20 minutes more, and the kodama trains take about four hours. The shinkansen trains stop at Shin-Osaka Station, which is located one station north of Osaka Station on the JR line. West Japan Railway Company (tel: (06) 375 8981; website: www.westjr.co.jp/english) runs the shinkansen services as well as local trains between Osaka and Kobe, Kyoto, Nara and Kansai Airport. For more information in English, see www.japanrail.com

Getting Around:

Public Transport
The subway and train networks in Osaka are both excellent. The subway provides efficient and easy-to-use transport services within the city. The Osaka Municipal Transportation Bureau (tel: (06) 6311 2995; website: www.kotsu.city.osaka.jp/english) operates the city’s seven subway lines, providing the fastest and easiest way to get around Osaka. Japan Railways West (tel: (06) 375 8981; website: www.westjr.co.jp/english) operates a dense train network in the Osaka region, including a loop line around the city connecting with major terminals. Hankai Railway (tel: (06) 6671 5170; website: www.hankai.co.jp) operates a streetcar on the Hankai Tramway Uemachi Line from Tennoji to Sumiyoshikoen or Abikomichi in the south of Osaka.

One-day passes for the subway are available, except on the so-called ‘No-My-Car-Days’ when a special discount ticket is available instead. These are days (every Friday and on the 20th of every month) when people are encouraged to use the subway rather than their cars.

Taxis
There is a vast taxi fleet in Osaka, and taxis generally offer a good, reliable service. Osaka taxi companies include Aozora Kotsu (tel: (06) 6793 8180), Chidori Taxi Co Ltd (tel: (06) 6661 2181), Inoyama Taxi Co Ltd (tel: (06) 6328 2510), Osaka Kojin Taxi Rengokai (tel: (06) 6771 1437) and Toho Taxi Co Ltd (tel: (06) 6659 2523).

Car Hire
There are numerous car hire companies operating in Osaka. Among them are Hertz (tel: (06) 6363 8000; website: www.hertz.com), National (tel: (06) 6371 9354; website: www.nationalcar.com) and Nippon Rent-A-Car (tel: (06) 6232 0919 or (03) 3485 7196 for English service desk; website: www.nipponrentacar.co.jp).

Bicycle Hire
Bicycle hire is available from several hotels and hostels in Osaka, including Osaka Downtown Hostel (tel: (090) 3861 5641; website: www.osaka-downtown-hostel.com), Hotel Taiyo (tel: (06) 6631 0802; website: www.hotel-taiyo.com/en), Hotel Chuo (tel: (06) 6647 7561; website: www.hotel-chuo.com/english) and Novotel Koshien Osaka West (tel: (079) 848 1111; website: www.accorhotels.com.au).

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