There are two main airports recommended for coming to Osaka: Kansai International Airport (KIX) and Osaka International Airport (ITM). Both airports are heavily used. This article briefly summarizes the two airports.
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Kansai International Airport (KIX)
This airport is especially accessible for international travelers, as it has plenty of international flights from all over the world. It is about 40 km from the center of Osaka City, and it takes about one hour to get to the center of Osaka. It is convenient to use trains or buses. Please refer to the following for access from KIX to Umeda (central Osaka).
Osaka International Airport (ITM)
Located about 15 km from the center of Osaka City, this airport is convenient for business and tourists. It is an airport for domestic flights only. It may be used when coming to Osaka via Tokyo or when going from Osaka to a different domestic airport. Please refer to the following for how to access from ITM to Umeda (central Osaka).
Kansai International Airport is the airport of choice for international flights, but Itami Airport is also convenient for domestic travel. On the other hand, the following two airports are not suitable for sightseeing in Osaka.
Kobe Airport (UKB)
Located about 50 kilometers from the center of Osaka City, this airport is mainly for domestic flights. It is basically not necessary to use this airport because of its poor accessibility to Osaka and the fact that it is a fairly small airport.
Chubu International Airport (NGO)
Located approximately 200 km from the center of Osaka, the airport has plenty of international flights to all parts of the world. However, access to Osaka is quite time consuming. To get to Osaka, one must take the Shinkansen bullet train. If you can come to KIX instead of NGO, you should choose KIX.
Conclusion
Getting from the airport to the hotel is nerve-wracking and very tiring. There are four airports in the vicinity of Osaka. If you can choose KIX or Itami airport, it is better to choose these. By choosing an airport that is easy to get to, you will have plenty of time for sightseeing. Enjoy your sightseeing in Osaka.
