By plane

Kansai International Airport (KIX IATA) is the main international gateway to Osaka (Metropolitan area airport codes: OSA IATA).

Also, Kobe Airport (UKB IATA) is nearby and easily reachable by boat from Kansai Airport.

Itami Airport

1 Osaka International Airport (also known as Itami Airport, ITM IATA). This was Osaka's main airport before the opening of Kansai, where most domestic flights arrive. Despite its name, it no longer serves international flights. The name is surely confusing; Itami is a city in adjacent Hyogo Prefecture. Only the airport's South Terminal is in Osaka.

Getting there and away:

By monorail – The Osaka Monorail serves the airport, but it doesn't connect to the city center at all, instead tracing an arc around the northern suburbs. To get to Umeda, the fastest option is to take the monorail a single stop to Hotarugaike, then transfer to the Hankyu Takarazuka Line (¥420 total). For destinations on the Midosuji subway line, including Shin-Osaka for Shinkansen services, transfer at Senri-Chuo.

By bus – A more convenient option for most are the Airport Limousine Buses, which run frequently from Itami to various locations within Osaka and elsewhere in the region (including Kansai Airport), with fares starting around ¥500-600.

By taxi – A taxi from Itami airport to Osaka castle area costs ¥4,000 plus ¥700 for toll road.

By train

Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen (新幹線) trains arrive at Shin-Osaka station, to the north of the city center. From Shin-Osaka, you can connect to the city center by using the Midosuji subway line, or connect to the local JR network for other destinations. If you are on a JR Pass, Osaka Station in the city centre is connected to Shin-Osaka via the JR Kyoto Line.

From Tokyo, Nozomi (のぞみ) trains cover the one way ride in about 2 hr 15 min (¥14,720); Hikari (ひかり) trains take 3 hours and all-stopping Kodama (こだま) trains take 4 hours (both ¥14,400). With the Japan Rail Pass, Hikari or Kodama services can be used without any extra charge, while Nozomi services require a supplement.

From points west of Osaka, Nozomi trains run from Okayama (¥6,660, 45 min), Hiroshima (¥11,150, 80 min) and Hakata station in Fukuoka (¥16,220, 2 2 hr 15 min). Japan Rail Pass holders can use the Sakura (さくら) or Hikari service, which runs at a comparable speed to the Nozomi and makes a few more stops, or pay a supplement for the Mizuho (みずほ) . Slower Kodama trains connect the rest of the stations on the route.

Sakura trains start in Kyushu, with service to Osaka available from Kumamoto (¥19,080, 3 hr 15 min) and Kagoshima (¥22,510, 4 hours). Mizuho trains are slightly faster and slightly more expensive.

Tickets can be purchased in advance through Japan Railways' official SmartEX App, available in English and other languages, with a ¥200 discount. Look for hayatoku fares, which can offer big savings on trips purchased at least three days in advance. For example, two passengers from Tokyo could travel for ¥12570 each in ordinary class on the Nozomi or for ¥11410 each in the Green Car (first class) if willing to take the all-stations Kodama service.

If travelling from the east without a rail pass, you can take advantage of the Puratto (Platt) Kodama Ticket (now in Japanese only), which offers a discount for Kodama services if you purchase at least one day in advance. You get a reserved seat and a coupon for a free drink (including beer) which can be redeemed at a "Kiosk" convenience counter inside the station. With this ticket a trip from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka costs ¥11,100. There is only one Kodama service per hour from Tokyo, and a few early-morning Kodama trains cannot be used with this ticket. Travel from Nagoya with this ticket costs ¥4300.

During travel periods when the Seishun 18 Ticket is valid, you can go from Tokyo to Osaka during the day in about nine hours using all-local trains.

Those travelling from the Hokuriku region can use Thunderbird (サンダーバード) limited express trains from Tsuruga, the present terminal of the Hokuriku Shinkansen. If you are coming from Kanazawa, you will need to take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Tsuruga and transfer to the Thunderbird.

There are many regional railway lines connecting Osaka to nearby cities:

From Kyoto, JR offers fast, but slightly more expensive, shin-kaisoku (special rapid) trains to Osaka Station. The cheaper but slower alternative is the Hankyu Railway's limited express service. Both lines terminate in the Umeda area of Osaka. Keihan Railway offers Kyoto-Osaka trains. The Yodoyabashi terminal in Osaka does not connect directly with JR, but it is possible to transfer to the JR Osaka Loop Line at Kyobashi. In Kyoto, Keihan and Hankyu trains do not connect with JR Kyoto Station but both travel to stations which are more convenient for reaching the centre of the city. 30–45 minutes.

From Kobe, JR again offers slightly faster and slightly more expensive service than Hankyu. The third choice is Hanshin Railway, which is identical to Hankyu in terms of cost and similar in time, useful for getting to Koshien Stadium to see Hanshin Tigers games. All three lines go to Osaka/Umeda. about 20 minutes.

From Nara, JR offers trains to Tennōji and Osaka Stations, and Kintetsu offers trains to Namba. Kintetsu station in Nara is closer to Tōdaiji and Nara Park. 35–50 minutes for ¥580 to ¥820.

From Nagoya, an alternative to the Shinkansen is Kintetsu's premium limited express service, the Urban Liner (アーバンライナー) which goes directly to Namba. Trip times are as little as two hours each way, with departures at 0 and 30 minutes past the hour at a cost of ¥4150. In comparison, the shinkansen takes just under an hour for ¥5670.

Stations with the same name but belonging to different railway companies are sometimes in different locations. For example, the Nakatsu stations on the Hankyu and subway networks are about a 10-minute walk from each other. Allow up to half an hour for walking between the various Umeda stations and about the same for the various Namba stations, especially if you are a first time visitor.

In Kobe the Sannomiya stations belonging to JR and Hankyu are connected but Hanshin Sannomiya is across a street.

Hokuriku Arch Pass

The Hokuriku Arch Pass allows unlimited travel between Tokyo and the Kansai area via the Hokuriku region, using the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kanazawa and the Thunderbird from Kanazawa to Kyoto and Osaka. At a cost of ¥30,000 for seven consecutive days of travel (¥35,000 starting on March 14, 2026), the Arch Pass is a little more than half the cost of the national Japan Rail Pass. On the other hand, a trip from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka is over twice as long via Kanazawa (5 hr 15 min) compared to the more popular Tokaido Shinkansen (2 hr 30 min).

Overnight travel

Overnight trains used to be one of the prides of the national railway network, but aging rail equipment combined with competition between buses and the shinkansen has resulted in the elimination of almost all services to/from Osaka.

Only one daily train remains: The Sunrise Izumo/Sunrise Seto, which passes through Osaka en route to the Chugoku and Shikoku regions. Unfortunately, it may only be useful as a means to travel to and from Tokyo. The daily eastbound service picks up passengers in Osaka at 00:34, arriving in Yokohama at 06:44 and Tokyo at 07:08. The daily westbound service from Tokyo (22:00) and Yokohama (22:23), on the other hand, don't stop in Osaka at all - the first morning stop is in Himeji at 05:25. From Himeji, you will have to backtrack to Osaka on a commuter service or the shinkansen on a separate ticket.

If you have a Japan Rail Pass, you can book a carpeted floor space on the above service at no charge. Otherwise you can travel in a compartment or room by paying the applicable room fee and surcharges. From Himeji you'll be able to backtrack to Osaka in a commuter train, or in a non-reserved seat on the first Kodama shinkansen service of the day, simply by showing your pass.

Failing this, overnight travel can be done with a stopover in another city along the way, which is easy to do with a Japan Rail Pass or a basic long-distance ticket that is valid over a period of several days.

By bus

As Osaka is a major city, there are many day and overnight buses which run between Osaka and other locations throughout Japan, which can be a cheaper alternative than shinkansen fares.

Buses in Osaka drop off and pick up at one or more different locations spread throughout the city, so be sure to check the details before booking a trip. Some of the main stops where buses congregate include the JR Highway Bus Terminal in Osaka Station for JR buses, the Willer Bus Terminal at the Umeda Sky Building, and the Osaka City Air Terminal (OCAT) at Namba Station. Some also serve Shin-Osaka Station for the bullet trains, and Universal Studios Japan.

From Tokyo

The run between Tokyo and the Kansai region is the busiest in Japan. Buses use the Tomei or Chuo Expressway from Tokyo to Nagoya, then the Meishin Expressway to Osaka. Trips take between 8 and 9 hours depending on the route and stops.

Fierce competition between operators has led to buses offering better amenities and lower prices. Part of this strategy is the adoption of dynamic pricing on many bus routes. This generally means that daytime trips, weekday trips, tickets bought in advance and buses carrying more passengers are cheaper, while night trips, weekend/holiday trips, walk-up fares and buses with fewer (and more comfortable) seats will be more expensive.

As a rule of thumb, fares for a weekday trip between Tokyo and Osaka go for around ¥4000-6000 per person during the daytime, and around ¥5000-8000 per person for overnight trips. Children usually pay half the adult fare.

Two of the major bus operators between Tokyo and Osaka are Willer Express and JR Bus. Tickets for all carriers can generally be purchased at major departure points, and can also be purchased (with some Japanese language help) at kiosks inside convenience stores.

Willer Express runs daytime and overnight trips with a variety of seating options ranging from standard seats to luxurious shell seats. Bus journeys can be booked online in English, and Willer's Japan Bus Pass is valid on all of their routes with some exceptions. Willer's buses in Tokyo leave from the Shinjuku Highway Bus Terminal (Busta Shinjuku), above the JR tracks at Shinjuku Station, which is served by many of Japan's highway bus operators. Willer also sells tickets for other bus operators on their website, but these trips are not valid with Willer's Japan Bus Pass.

JR Bus reservations can be made in English through their Kousoku Bus Net web site. You can also make reservations in train stations at the same "Midori-no-Madoguchi" ticket windows used to reserve seats on trains. Buses depart from Tokyo Station - Yaesu Exit (八重洲口) and from Busta Shinjuku.

At a much higher price point, Kanto Bus and Ryobi Bus operate the Dream Sleeper. The bus carries only 11 passengers, each assigned to a reclining seat in individual cabins with sliding privacy doors. Fares start at ¥18000 each way and tickets can be booked online in English. Advance purchase fares of ¥15000 are offered, but those can only be purchased online in Japanese. In Osaka, the bus stops at both OCAT in Namba and Osaka Station (in front of ALBi Osaka). In Tokyo, it stops at Ikebukuro Station West Exit and Shinjuku Station West Exit (not at Busta Shinjuku).

From Yamaguchi Prefecture

Bocho bus offers a nighttime bus from the cities of Hagi, Yamaguchi, Hofu, Tokuyama, and Iwakuni to Kobe and Osaka.

It costs between ¥6300 and ¥9480 for a one-way ticket, depending on where you get on and where you get off. The bus departs Hagi Bus Center at 19:55 nightly, and arrives at Osaka station at 07:15 daily. The bus makes a return trip from Osaka station at 22:05 nightly, and arrives at Hagi bus center at 09:25 daily. Full details including round trip fares are on their website. It is a good deal if you have time to spare.

From elsewhere

There are a variety of nightbus options from Yamagata, Sendai, Koriyama, Fukushima, Maebashi, Mito, Iwaki, Ashikaga, Saitama (Omiya), Tokyo, Kawasaki, Yokohama, Kofu, Karuizawa, Yamanouchi (Yamanaka), Niigata, Shizuoka, Mishima, Kurashiki, Hiroshima, Kurayoshi, Yonago, Izumo, Tsuwano, Imabari, Matsuyama, Kochi, Sukumo, Susaki, Fukuoka, Kurume, Oita, Kumamoto, Miyazaki (Miyako City), and Kagoshima.

Same-day arrivals depart from Tokyo, Kawasaki, Kofu, Nagano, Matsumoto, Minowa, Toyama, Kanazawa, Fukui, Obama, Hamamatsu, Nagoya, Takayama, Yokkaichi, Maizuru, Fukuchiyama, Kyoto, Shirahama (Adventure World), Shinonsen, Kinosaki Onsen, Arima Onsen, Okayama, Kurashiki, Tsuyama, Maniwa, Niimi, Shobara, Miyoshi, Hiroshima, Tottori, Kurayoshi, Yonago, Izumo, Tokushima, Naruto, Takamatsu, Marugame, Imabari, Matsuyama, Kochi, Muroto, and Susaki.

By boat

Osaka International Ferry Terminal is in Nankō (南港) in the Osaka Bay Area. There are no banks, post office, shops, or restaurants in the terminal. The nearest subway station is Cosmosquare Station (C11), which is about a 15-minute walk from the terminal. A free shuttle bus is available at the station. Taxis are also available at the station.

Getting to the Ferry Terminal

From Suminoe-koen Station (Take the New Tram to Nankōguchi (南港口)).

From JR Shin-Osaka Station (Shinkansen Line) (JR Shin-Osaka Station →transfer to Subway Midosuji Line (Red Line) at Shin-Osaka Station (M13) → Hommachi Station (M18) → transfer to Subway Chuo Line (Green Line) → Cosmosquare station (C10)). Travel time: at least 40 minutes to Cosmosquare Station. ¥310.

From Namba (Subway Midosuji Line (Red Line) at Namba Station (M20) → Hommachi Station (M18) → transfer to Subway Chuo Line (Green Line) → Cosmosquare Station (C10)). Travel time: at least 30 minutes to Cosmosquare Station. ¥270.

From Tennoji (Subway Midosuji Line (Red Line) at Tennoji Station (M23) → Hommachi Station (M18) → transfer to Subway Chuo Line (Green Line) → Cosmosquare Station (C10)). Travel time: at least 40 minutes to Cosmosquare Station. ¥310.

By taxi (Instruct the taxi driver to take you to the Osaka Port International Ferry Terminal (Nanko) — otherwise, you may be taken to the domestic ferry terminal.).

By car (from Hanshin Expressway Tenpozan exit to Port of Osaka and after passing through Osakako-Sakishima Tunnel, turn left at the first crossing, and follow the road.). ¥200 per car for the toll road.

Osaka-Busan

The PanStar Line operates a ferry between Osaka and Busan. The ferry leaves Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, at 15:10 from both Osaka and Busan and arrives the following day at 10:00. In Busan, the luggage check-in time is prior to the passenger check-in time: for the Busan-Osaka run, luggage check in is 12:40-14:00 and the passenger check in time is 14:15–14:45; for the Osaka-Busan run, luggage check in is 13:00-14:00 and the passenger check in time is 13:00-14:30.

Many different room options are available, including family rooms. Fares start at ¥17,000 and range through seven different room/suite classes culminating in a Presidential Suite, which is ¥250,000 per night. Tickets can be purchased online, but much of the website content is only available in Japanese and Korean, and may be difficult to navigate for English speakers. Tickets are easily obtainable through agents specializing in Korean or Japanese travel. The ferry holds live musical performances, magic shows, and other entertainment on the run. Schedule varies.

You can take your car on the ferry, but there are documentation requirements. The cost for a single basic room and a car is ₩690,000. Room upgrades are available. Temporary insurance must be purchased at the port upon arrival in Osaka.

Osaka-Shanghai

Japan-China International Ferry Co, ☏ +81-06-6262-6541, +81-06-6613-5755. A weekly ferry from Shanghai, China that takes 45 hours. Passenger service is indefinitely suspended due to the current diplomatic rift between China and Japan. The ferry alternates each week between Osaka and nearby Kobe, providing service every other week to each port. Call +86-21-6326-4357 in China. Per-person one-way fares range from ¥25,000 (1,250 Chinese yuan) in open tatami cabins to ¥100,000 (5,000 yuan) in a 2-person cabin, or ¥150,000 (7,500 yuan) for a Royal Cabin. 10% discount for students and people with disabilities; return fares are 70% higher. (updated Jan 2026)