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Part 1: GETTING TO KYOTO

Arriving in Kyoto by Air and by Train and Getting to Kyoto from the Airports

Kyoto is not a large city and most travelers enter it via the same portal, Kyoto Station, in the south-central area of the city, south of the Imperial Palace. From here, a variety of buses, trains and taxis can take you to your final destination. If you’re just arriving in Japan, you must first get to Kyoto from the airport, which is a fair distance away. This section of the book covers arrival at the airport, transport from the airport to Kyoto Station, and how to reach your accommodations from the station.

If arriving in Kyoto from elsewhere in Japan, you will also most likely arrive at Kyoto Station, but even from other major train or bus stations the same basic rules apply: municipal buses and taxis are the main modes of transport. Buses are much cheaper but more confusing and time-consuming, whereas taxis are pricier but much more convenient, especially for those with lots of luggage. Subways or commuter trains might also be a good option, depending on where you’re going.

Arriving at Kansai International Airport

Kansai International Airport (Kansai Airport for short) is the main international airport serving the Kansai region, which includes Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe and Nara. Located about 80 km (about 50 miles) south of Kyoto, it’s a newer, sparkling clean and orderly airport that makes a pleasant introduction to Japan.

However, for a major international flight hub, Kansai Airport is served by relatively few airlines and some travelers’ itineraries will have them flying to another city such as Tokyo and transferring to a brief domestic flight to Osaka Itami Airport instead. Officially known as Osaka International Airport, it’s nonetheless domestic and smaller than Kansai. At about 40 km (about 25 miles) away, Itami is the closest airport to Kyoto. Recently constructed Kobe Airport, the third airport serving the Kansai region, is a smaller domestic airport that’s also within reasonable distance of Kyoto although it primarily serves the city of Kobe.

After Kansai, the nearest major international airport is Central Japan International Airport (Centrair) in Nagoya, about 110 km (about 70 miles) to the east. Though not much farther distance-wise from Kyoto than Kansai International Airport, Centrair primarily serves the Chubu region of Japan centered on Nagoya and doesn’t offer very convenient access to Kyoto.

At just about any Japanese airport, visitors arriving for the first time will be impressed by the cleanliness, courtesy and efficiency. Japanese airports regularly earn high marks in world airport rankings, and in the 2009 Skytrax World Airport Awards, Kansai Airport earned the top prize in the category “Cleanest Airport Washrooms”!

Getting to Kyoto from Kansai Airport

From Kansai Airport, there are a number of ways to reach Kyoto.

Limousine buses leave from in front of the passenger terminal building, take 90–120 minutes and cost ¥2,500 per adult (¥4,000 for a round-trip ticket), children half price. Buses run every 45 minutes or so and arrive at the Hachijo East entrance on the southeast corner of Kyoto Station. The advantage of the limousine bus is that it’s easy to use. Simply buy a ticket from a machine outside the passenger terminal just steps away from customs, wait in line for the bus, turn over your luggage to an attendant and receive a claim stub, and give your ticket to the driver when you get on. The disadvantages are that it can take a while if there’s traffic, and leaves you at Kyoto Station where you will then have to reach your accommodations by other means.

Trains take less time than buses and are more predictable as they nearly always run strictly on time and are not affected by traffic. The JR (Japan Rail) Haruka rapid express takes about 75 minutes to reach Kyoto Station, costs about ¥3,000 and departs every half hour or so from Kansai Airport Station, directly connected to the airport. (Follow the signs or ask at an information counter.) It might be a more pleasant ride than the bus but it’s a bit more expensive and you will have to handle your own luggage.

There are also other JR Kansai Airport Rapid Service trains to Osaka or Kyobashi stations in Osaka from which you can transfer to other trains that might put you closer to your accommodations than Haruka does (see train map, pages 12–13). These are advised only for travelers who have some experience of the Japanese rail system and who don’t have a lot of luggage or young children with them.

Yasaka Taxi runs a door-to-door Kansai Airport Shuttle service from around 7.30 am to 9 pm. This is a shared mini-bus taxi with a maximum capacity of nine people, which at ¥3,500 per adult (children under 6 on laps free, children under 12 half price, students and seniors ¥3,000) is only a bit more expensive than the bus or train and will take you directly to your accommodations. They will also take you back to the airport when you depart. One large piece of luggage per person, plus carry-on bag, is free, with a ¥1,000 surcharge for additional large bags. Reservations must be made at least two days in advance: call +81-75-803-4800 or visit the Yasaka Taxi website: www.yasaka.jp/english/shuttle/.

Another company, MK Taxi, runs a service similar in both prices and particulars. Unlike Yasaka, their MK Skygate Shuttle service serves Osaka Itami Airport as well for ¥2,300 per person. Make reservations at least two days in advance at +81-75-778-5489 (9 am–6 pm) or online at www.mk-group.co.jp/english/shuttle/.

Both of these companies have counters right near the south exit of the International Arrivals lobby at Kansai Airport, which you will enter after clearing customs. It should be noted that they will not go to certain more out-of-the-way areas, and if your flight is considerably delayed they will leave without you as there will be other passengers sharing the ride. These points aside, this is an attractive option, especially for those with large families or lots of luggage. Just be sure to make reservations in advance.

Arriving at Osaka International (Itami) Airport

If you are flying from elsewhere in Japan and arriving at Osaka Itami Airport, the options are similar. Osaka Airport Limousine buses to Kyoto Station depart from bus stop no. 5 outside the north terminal and bus stop no. 15 outside the south terminal. Buses take about 50 minutes and cost ¥1,280 (purchase tickets from a vending machine). They run from about 8 am to 9 pm.

If you arrive early in the morning or late at night, trains (running from around 6 am to midnight) are an option, but there are none directly to Kyoto. You must take the Osaka Monorail to Hotarugaike Station and change to the Hankyu Kyoto Line. MK Taxi also operates shuttles from Osaka Itami Airport. (For contact details, see page 7.)

From any airport or major train station, normal taxis are available 24 hours a day. These will be more expensive though most offer flat fares from the airports to Kyoto Station, which are a good deal cheaper than a normal metered fare would be. A reasonable fare would be about ¥13,000–¥15,000 from Kansai Airport and around ¥9,000 from Osaka Itami Airport. Taxis can be found near the limousine bus stands outside the passenger terminal at Kansai or Osaka Itami airports.

Arriving at Kobe and Nagoya Airports

Another smaller domestic airport in the region is Kobe Airport. It’s a little farther away from Kyoto and doesn’t have the limousine bus or mini-bus taxi services that Kansai and Osaka airports have. However, it is feasible to reach Kyoto by train. Take the Port Liner train (directly connected to the airport terminal) to Sannomiya in Kobe and change to the JR Kyoto Line to Kyoto Station. It takes about 100 minutes and costs around ¥1,400.

Getting to Kyoto from Central Japan International Airport (Centrair) in Nagoya is time-consuming as one must first get from the airport to Nagoya Station and then on to Kyoto. If entering Japan at this airport, people traveling to Kyoto may want to take a connecting flight to an airport in the Kansai region. Otherwise, the best way to reach Kyoto is by taking the Meitetsu (Nagoya Railroad) and JR trains to Nagoya Station, then boarding a Shinkansen (high-speed train) for Kyoto.

Getting to Kyoto from Elsewhere in Japan

If you’re traveling to Kyoto from elsewhere in Japan, it’s a good idea to take the high-speed Shinkansen “bullet train,” if possible. From Tokyo and Nagoya in the east or Hiroshima and Kyushu in the west, reaching Kyoto by Shinkansen is comparable in speed and cost to flying but delivers you directly to Kyoto Station rather than at an airport some distance from the city. It’s also a quintessential Japanese experience that you will enjoy unless it’s during an extended national holiday when they become very crowded. These come three times a year: at the end of April through the first week of May, in mid-August and at New Year.

To buy a ticket for the Shinkansen, go to the station’s JR ticket office (which has a green color scheme) or use a machine in some stations. There are reserved and non-reserved seats. Non-reserved seats cost slightly less and also have the advantage of not requiring you to take a train at a particular time (they leave every five or ten minutes as a rule, so don’t worry if you miss one). Reserved seats will guarantee you more space around you unless it’s one of the aforementioned extended national holidays.

Only major cities have Shinkansen service. If you’re coming from somewhere off the beaten path, you will be on a regular, non-“bullet” train, but most likely you will arrive at the same place, namely Kyoto Station. This is really Kyoto’s only major transportation hub and intercity buses arrive there as well. These are the cheapest mode of transport but are not worth the trouble unless you’re really on a shoestring. From Tokyo to Kyoto, for example, to save ¥5,000 or so you will spend at least five hours longer than on the Shinkansen and in considerably less comfort.

Getting from Kyoto Station to Your Hotel

Taxis, including the mini-bus taxis from the airport, can take you directly to your accommodations or at least nearby but most trains and buses will drop you off at Kyoto Station. This is a massive, modernist cube that may surprise first-time visitors expecting Kyoto to have a more traditional-looking central train station. The station is large and bustling but not too difficult to navigate by following English signs. There are two information desks (marked with a “?” symbol) where you can ask for directions if lost.

Limousine buses from the airport arrive near the Hachijo East entrance at the southeast corner of the station and those arriving by the Shinkansen will find themselves on the south side of the station as well. There is a taxi stand outside this exit. You can take the East Underground Walkway directly to the northeast corner of the station, where you will find a municipal subway and bus information counter as well as ticket gates for the subway and another exit out of the station (the JR Underground East exit). You can also walk through the center of the station to the JR Central exit near which (on your left) you’ll find the Kyoto Tourist Information Center. Most buses and taxis assemble outside the Central exit on the north side of the station.

Some hotels or inns will pick you up in a free shuttle bus at Kyoto Station or may have regularly scheduled hotel buses. When you book your accommodations, check for this service. You may need to reserve it beforehand. Check the details as the bus may depart from a station other than Kyoto Station, which you will have to reach by public transport.

Otherwise, taking a taxi is probably your best bet unless your accommodations are far from the station and you’re concerned about costs. Even if drivers don’t speak English, showing them the address, a map or the name of the hotel if it’s a major one, will do the trick.

If you’re staying quite far from Kyoto Station and don’t want to run up a large taxi fare, you may want to take a municipal bus or the subway. Refer to the maps on pages 22–33 for bus routes around the city. There are a great many bus stops outside Kyoto Station, so if you’re not sure which one to wait at ask at the information desk on the basement floor next to the subway entrances. The subway system is quite easy to navigate as it only has two lines. Refer to the plan of Kyoto Station on pages 10–11 of this book.