If you're planning a trip to the Kansai region, such as Osaka, Kyoto, or Nara, you'll likely fly into Kansai International Airport, Japan's second-largest international airport. It sits southeast of Osaka Bay, about 5 kilometers from the coastline and roughly 60 km from Shin-Osaka Station. The journey takes about 40-60 minutes depending on the train type and destination.
If you want to get to Shin-Osaka Station, the hub for Shinkansen (bullet train) connections to other cities, the fastest and most convenient way is the JR Haruka Limited Express, which takes only 49 minutes. It's also covered by several JR passes, such as the JR Kansai Wide Pass, which you can activate right at Kansai Airport Station, making it very convenient.
Another highlight right now: if you're a Hello Kitty fan, some trains currently run with an adorable Hello Kitty theme.
When you walk out of the airport toward the connecting passage to the train station, you'll see a sign like this. Once you enter the station, it splits into two sides: the blue side on the left for JR trains, and the red side on the right for Nankai trains. Both options can take you into the city.
The JR Pass exchange counter
Prices for buying a Pass in Japan
Let's take a look at the Hello Kitty Haruka Limited Express train. It's incredibly cute.
There's a large storage compartment for luggage
To finish off, here's a look at the atmosphere aboard a regular JR limited express train that also takes you into Osaka. The journey into the city takes about 70 minutes, or about 75 minutes to Shin-Osaka.
