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Kansai International Airport 関西国際空港 Kansai Kokusai Kūkō
IATA: KIX – ICAO: RJBB
Summary
Airport type		Public
Operator		Kansai International Airport Co., Ltd.
Serves		Osaka
Location		Osaka Prefecture, Japan
Hub for		All Nippon Airways Japan Airlines Nippon Cargo Airlines
Elevation AMSL		17 ft / 5 m
Coordinates		34°26′03″N 135°13′58″E / 34.43417°N 135.23278°E / 34.43417; 135.23278 (Kansai International Airport)Coordinates: 34°26′03″N 135°13′58″E / 34.43417°N 135.23278°E / 34.43417; 135.23278 (Kansai International Airport)
Website		www.kiac.co.jp
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	m	ft
06R/24L	3,500	11,483	Asphalt concrete
06L/24R	4,000	13,123	Asphalt concrete
Statistics (FY2006)
Aircraft Movements			116,475
Passenger Movements			16,689,658
Freight Volume			802,162 t
Sources: Japanese AIP at AIS Japan[1] Statistics from Kansai International Airport[2]

Kansai International Airport (関西国際空港, Kansai Kokusai Kūkō ^?) (IATA: KIX, ICAO: RJBB) is an international airport located on an artificial island in the middle of Osaka Bay, 38 km (24 mi) southwest of Ōsaka Station,^[1] off the shore of the cities of Sennan and Izumisano and the town of Tajiri in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It should not be confused with Osaka International Airport, which is closer to the city and now handles only domestic flights.

It was ranked 4th overall in the Airport of the Year 2006 awards named by Skytrax, after Singapore Changi Airport, Hong Kong International Airport and Munich Airport. The airport serves as an international hub for All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, and Nippon Cargo Airlines, and is one of the man-made structures that can be seen from outer space.

It is colloquially known as 関空 (Kankū ^?) in Japanese.

During the 2006 fiscal year (FY), KIX, which serves the city of Osaka, had 116,475 aircraft movements, of which 73,860 were international (31 countries, 71 cities), and 42,615 were domestic (19 cities). The total number of passengers was 16,689,658 of which 11,229,444 were international, and 5,460,214 were domestic, sixth in Japan and second in Osaka area. Freight volume was at 802,162 tonnes total, of which 757,414 t were international (18th in the world), and 44,748 t were domestic.^[2] The 4,000 m × 60 m (13,123 ft × 197 ft) second runway was opened on 2 August 2007. Kansai Airport has become an Asian hub, with 499 weekly flights to Asia, 66 weekly flights to Europe and the Middle East, and 35 weekly flights to North America.

Flights

• Weekly international passenger flights: 614
• Weekly international freighter flights: 200
• Weekly domestic (passenger and freighter) flights: 493

(Summer 2008 schedule)^[3]

History

3rd floor boarding lobby, part of the longest airport concourse in the world.

In the 1960s, when the Kansai region was rapidly losing trade to Tokyo, planners proposed a new airport near Kobe and Osaka. Osaka International Airport, located in the densely-populated suburbs of Itami and Toyonaka, was surrounded by buildings; it could not be expanded, and many of its neighbors had filed complaints because of noise pollution problems.

After the protests surrounding New Tokyo International Airport (now Narita International Airport), which was built with expropriated land in a rural part of Chiba Prefecture, planners decided to build the airport offshore. The new airport was part of a number of new developments to revitalize Osaka, which had been losing economic and cultural ground to Tokyo for most of the century.^[4]

Initially, the airport was planned to be built near Kobe, but the city of Kobe refused the plan, so the airport was moved to a more southerly location on Osaka Bay. There, it could be open 24 hours per day, unlike its predecessor in the city. Local fishermen were the only group to protest, but they were silenced by hefty compensation packages.

Construction

Satellite photo of Kansai Airport (lower-right island) in Osaka Bay. Kobe Airport is being built on the unfinished island near the middle of the photo. Central Osaka is in the upper-right corner, along with Osaka International.

Closeup of the artificial island

A man-made island, 4 km (2.5 mi) long and 2.5 km (1.6 mi) wide, was proposed. Engineers needed to overcome the extremely high risks of earthquakes and typhoons (with storm surges of up to 3 m (10 ft)).

Construction started in 1987. The sea wall was finished in 1989 (made of rocks and 48,000 tetrahedral concrete blocks). Three mountains were excavated for 21,000,000 m³ (27,000,000 cu yd) of landfill. 10,000 workers and 10 million work hours over 3 years, using 80 ships, were needed to complete the 30-metre (98 ft) layer of earth over the sea floor and inside the sea wall. In 1990, a 3-kilometre (1.9 mi) bridge was completed to connect the island to the mainland at Rinku Town, at a cost of $1 billion. Completion of the artificial island increased the area of Osaka Prefecture just enough to move it past Kagawa Prefecture in size (leaving Kagawa as the smallest by area in Japan).

The bidding and construction of the airport was a source of international trade friction during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone responded to American concerns, particularly from Senator Frank Murkowski, that bids would be rigged in Japanese companies' favor by providing special offices for prospective international contractors,^[5] which ultimately did little to facilitate the participation of foreign contractors in the bidding process.^[6] Later, foreign airlines complained that two-thirds of the departure hall counter space had been allocated to Japanese carriers, disproportionately to the actual carriage of passengers through the airport.^[7]

The island had been predicted to gradually sink as the weight of the material used to construct the island would cause it to compress downwards. However, by this time, the island had sunk 8 m (26 ft), much more than predicted. The project then became the most expensive civil works project in modern history after 20 years of planning, 3 years of construction and several billion dollars of investment. However, much of what was learned went into the successful artificial islands in silt deposits for New Kitakyushu Airport, Kobe Airport, and Chūbu Centrair International Airport. The lessons of Kansai Airport were also applied in the construction of Hong Kong International Airport.^[8]

In 1991, the terminal construction commenced. To compensate for the sinking of the island, adjustable columns were designed to support the terminal building. These could be extended by inserting thick metal plates at their base. Government officials proposed reducing the length of the terminal in order to cut costs, but architect Renzo Piano insisted on keeping the terminal at its full planned length.^[9] The airport opened in 1994.

On 17 January 1995, Japan was struck by the Kobe earthquake, whose epicenter was approximately 20 km (12 mi) away from KIX and killed 6,434 people on Japan's main island of Honshū. As a result of its adequate earthquake engineering, the airport, however, emerged unscathed, mostly due to the use of sliding joints in its construction. Even the glass in the windows stayed intact. Later, in 1998, the airport survived a typhoon with wind speeds of up to 200 km/h (120 mph).

On 19 April 2001, the airport was one of ten structures given the "Civil Engineering Monument of the Millennium" award by the American Society of Civil Engineers. ^[10]

The total cost of Kansai Airport so far is $20 billion. This includes the land reclamation, two runways, and terminal and facilities. The additional costs were mostly borne initially due to the island sinking, expected due to the soft soils of Osaka Bay, but after construction the rate of sinking was considered so severe that the airport was widely criticized as a notorious geotechnical engineering disaster. The rate of sinking has since fallen from 50 cm (20 in) during 1994 to 7 cm (2.8 in) in 2008.^[11]

Operation

Aircraft in front of the terminal building

4th floor ticketing hall, illustrating the terminal's airfoil roof.

Opened on 4 September 1994, the airport serves as a hub for several airlines such as All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, and Nippon Cargo Airlines. It is the international gateway for Japan's Kansai region, which contains the major cities of Kyoto, Kobe, and Osaka. Other Kansai domestic flights fly from the older but more conveniently located Osaka International Airport in Itami, or from the newer Kobe Airport.

The airport had been deeply in debt, losing $560 million in interest every year. Airlines had been kept away by high landing fees (approximately $7,500 for a Boeing 747), the second most expensive in the world after Narita's. In the early years of the airport's operation, excessive terminal rent and utility bills for on-site concessions also drove up operating costs: some estimates before opening held that a cup of coffee would have to cost US$10.^[12] Osaka business owners pressed the government to take a greater burden of the construction cost in order to keep the airport attractive to passengers and airlines.^[13] Nowadays, after deep discounts, the number of flights is increasing.

On 17 February 2005, Chubu Centrair International Airport opened in Nagoya, just east of Osaka. The opening of the airport was expected to increase competition between Japan's international airports. Despite this, passenger totals were up 11% in 2005 over 2004, and international passengers increased to 3.06 million in 2006, up 10% over 2005. Adding to the competition was the opening of Kobe Airport, less than 25 km (16 mi) away, in 2006 and the lengthening of the runway at Tokushima Airport in Shikoku in 2007.

The main rationale behind the expansions is to compete with Incheon International Airport and Hong Kong International Airport as a gateway to Asia, as Tokyo area airports are severely congested. However, with the regional trend in open skies agreements being signed, it is possible that all airports can see increases in traffic.

Kansai has been marketed as an alternative to Narita Airport for international travellers from the Greater Tokyo Area. By flying to Kansai from Haneda Airport and connecting to international flights there, travellers can save the additional time required to get to Narita: up to one and a half hours for many residents of Kanagawa Prefecture and southern Tokyo.

Expansion

Second phase of Kansai International Airport under construction

The airport was at its limit during peak times, owing especially to freight flights, so a portion of Phase II expansion—the second runway—was made a priority.^[14] Thus, in 2003, believing that the sinking problem was almost over, the airport operators started the construction of a 4,000 m (13,000 ft) second runway and terminal.

The second runway opened on 2 August 2007, but without the originally planned terminal portion, now postponed to a later date. This lowered the project cost to JPY¥910 billion (approx. US$8 billion), saving ¥650 billion from the initial estimate.^[15] The additional runway development, which was opened in time for the IAAF world athletics championships in Osaka, has expanded the airport size to 10.5 km² (4.1 sq mi).

Further into the future, the airport is planning to construct a new terminal building, several aprons, a third runway (06C/24C) with a length of 3,500 m (11,483 ft), a new cargo terminal and expanding the airport size to 13 km² (5.0 sq mi). However these plans are being postponed by the Japanese Government due to economic reasons. The new runway is only used for landings unless there are incidents prohibiting take off use of runway A.

The airport now expects to handle 129,000 flights during the year 2007, an increase of 11% compared to 2006 figures of 116,475 flights. The new runway allowed the airport to start 24 hour operations in September 2007.^[16][17]

Terminal

The ground level of the terminal looking north from the center

The KIX passenger terminal is a single four-storey building designed by Renzo Piano Building Workshop (Renzo Piano and Noriaki Okabe) and has a gross floor space of 296,043 square metres (3,186,580 sq ft). It is the longest airport terminal in the world, at a total length of 1.7 km (1.1 mi) from end to end. It has a sophisticated people mover system called the Wing Shuttle, which moves passengers from one end of the pier to the other.

The terminal's roof is shaped like an airfoil. This shape is used to promote air circulation through the building: giant air conditioning ducts blow air upwards at one side of the terminal, circulate the air across the curvature of the ceiling, and collect the air through intakes at the other side. Mobiles are suspended in the ticketing hall to take advantage of the flowing air.

The ticketing hall overlooks the international departures concourse, and the two are separated by a glass partition. During Kansai's early days, visitors were known to throw objects over the partition to friends in the corridor below. The partition was eventually modified to halt this practice.

Airlines and destinations

The second floor of the Passenger Terminal Building is used for domestic departures and arrivals. All ticketing, boarding, and baggage claim are handled on the second floor.International arrivals go to immigration and baggage claim on the first floor. International departures are ticketed on the fourth floor and board from the third floor.

:A:^  Flights between Kansai and Tokyo-Narita by ANA and JAL respectively are ticketed as international flights in order to allow international connections using the two airports.
:B:^  An additional "international" flight between Kansai and Tokyo-Narita allows connections to other Delta destinations in Asia and the United States.
:C:^  Although some of Qatar Airways's flights to Doha stop in Seoul, it has no rights to transport passengers between Osaka-Kansai and Seoul.

Cargo

Ground transportation

Rail

Haruka, JR West's Kansai Airport Limited Express to Tennōji, Shin-Ōsaka and Kyoto Station.

rapi:t, Nankai Railway's limited express train to Namba Station. One way (for adult) ¥1,390.

Kansai International Airport is connected only by the Sky Gate Bridge R, a road / railroad bridge to Rinku Town and the mainland. The lower railroad level of the bridge is used by two railroad operators: West Japan Railway (JR West) and Nankai Electric Railway.

JR West operates Haruka, the limited express train services for Kansai Airport Station from Tennōji, Shin-Ōsaka and Kyoto Station. JR West also offers "Kansai Airport Rapid" services for Kansai Airport Station from Ōsaka and Kyōbashi Station, as well as several stations on the way. Various connections, such as buses, subways, trams, and other railroads, are available at each station.

Nankai operates rapi:t, a limited express train service to Namba Station on the southern edge of downtown Osaka. Subway connections are available at Namba and Tengachaya Station.

Railroad plans were drawn up in the late 1980s for an underwater railway connecting Kansai Airport to downtown Kobe and Kobe Airport, although the extremely high cost of the project led to its indefinite postponement.

Bus

Kansai Airport Transportation Enterprise^[20] and other bus operators offer scheduled express bus services, called "Airport Limousines", for Kansai International Airport.

Parking

Sky Gate Bridge to the mainland

Two six-story parking structures, called P1 and P2, are above a railroad terminal station, while the other two level parking facilities, called P3 and P4, are adjacent to "Aeroplaza", a hotel complex.

The airport is only accessible from the Sky Gate Bridge R, a part of Kansai Airport Expressway. The expressway immediately connects to Hanshin Expressways Route 5, "Wangan Route", and Hanwa Expressway.

Ferry service

In July 2007 a high-speed ferry service (run by Kaijo Access Co.) began operating between Kobe Airport and KIX. The journey takes approximately 30 minutes.

Previous services to Sumoto on Awaji Island and to Tokushima have been discontinued.

Other facilities

Air traffic control tower

• Central power station (KEPCO energy center, 40,000 kW
• Central heating and cooling plant
• Sewage disposal plant (disposing 20,000 m³ (5,300,000 US gal) per day)
• Incineration plant
• Japan Coast Guard Kansai airport Coast Guard air base
• Japan Coast Guard Special Security Team Base
• Osaka international post office (treating international postal matters about 19,000 tonnes per year)
• Oil tanker berths (3 berths) and Fuel Supply center
• Airport access bridge ("The Sky Gate Bridge R")

The longest truss bridge in the world at 3,750 m (12,303 ft). The double decker bridge consists of a lower deck devoted to rail, with the upper for road.

References

Osaka portal

External links

• KIX operations website in English
• KIX corporate website
• KIX development website
• History of KIX
• Kansai International Airport travel guide from Wikitravel
• About the project of Kansai International Airport
• Kansai airport faces competition - Japan Times editorial, August 10, 2007

From Wikitravel

Kansai Airport, International Departures Hall

Kansai International Airport (KIX; 関西国際空港 Kansai-kokusai-kūkō) [1] is the main international airport of Japan's Kansai region, including the cities of Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe.

Understand

Kansai International Airport was built at exorbitant cost on an artificial island in Osaka Bay, some 40 kilometers to the south of the city of Osaka. Unlike Tokyo's Narita, Kansai has fairly good domestic connections throughout Japan, making it a good choice for transiting onward. However, if you're flying domestically and your final destination is in Kansai, it probably makes more sense to fly to the more centrally-located Osaka (Itami) or Kobe airports instead.

The airport's single terminal, designed by star Italian architect Renzo Piano, is reputedly the longest building in the world at 1.7 kilometers, over one mile, from end to end. Arrivals are on the 1st floor, while departures are from the 4th floor. On arrival, note that not all ATMs accept foreign cards, but the Citibank and post office ATMs do. There are several currency exchanges in the arrivals and departures areas. They will only handle transactions from or to Japanese yen. Reliable baggage delivery services are available at the north and south ends of the international arrivals area.

By train

The most practical means of getting to Osaka and Kyoto is by train. All trains leave from the Kansai Airport station across the road from the arrivals hall; there is a clearly marked walkway on the 2nd floor. ICOCA/PiTaPa smart cards are valid for travel to/from the airport, and can be purchased from and returned to its ticket offices; see Kansai for more details. You have a choice of two companies operating a total of four services:

West Japan Railway's Haruka.

JR Haruka

The JR West Haruka limited expresses run from the airport to Tennoji (29 min, ¥1,760), Shin-Osaka (45 min, ¥2,470) and Kyoto (73 min, ¥2,980). The fares listed are for non-reserved ordinary seats. Trains run every 30 minutes, some services make additional stops and/or continue onward to Maibara.

The Haruka is the easiest and fastest way to reach Kyoto, and you can connect to the Shinkansen (bullet train) at Shin-Osaka.

The Japan Rail Pass can be used for the Haruka. You can exchange your rail pass voucher for the pass itself at the JR ticket counter.

JR Rapid Service

The JR Rapid Service runs along the same tracks to Tennoji (43 min, ¥1,030), but then diverge along the Osaka Loop Line to Osaka station (63 min) and terminus Kyobashi (72 min, ¥1,160). All seats are non-reserved and trains depart every 20 minutes; the trains can get crowded at rush hour.

The Rapid Service is convenient for connections onward towards Kobe or Kyoto; change trains at Osaka station. Note that the Rapid Service does not go to any Shinkansen stations; to get to Shin-Osaka, you must transfer at Osaka to a local or rapid train bound for Kyoto.

Some trains from Osaka split with only some carriages proceeding to Kansai, and the others proceeding on the main line.

Nankai Railway's rapi:t.

Nankai rapi:t

The Nankai rapi:t trains run to Namba station in Osaka. rapi:t α, taking 29 minutes from Kansai to Namba, stops at Shin-Imamiya, Tengachaya, Izumisano, and Rinku Town, while rapi:t β takes 34 minutes with stops at Sakai and Kishiwada. Both trains cost ¥1,390 to Namba, including a ¥500 reservation surcharge, and one or the other runs every 30 minutes.

The rapi:t and Rapid Service are the recommended means of going to central Osaka.

Nankai Rapid Service

Nankai Rapid Service trains run along the same tracks to the same destination, but like their JR counterparts stop more often and may get crowded. The trip to Namba takes 42 min and costs ¥890, making this the cheapest of the four options, unless your final destination is a JR station in Osaka (e.g. Universal City). If you are considering a multi-day Kansai rail pass, consider this before buying your ticket, as it includes transport on the Nankai Rapid Service (not rapi:t). You can buy multi-day Kansai rail passes at the information desk at the airport.

By bus

Airport Limousine buses [2] leave for various destinations throughout Kansai from the 1st floor directly outside the arrivals hall. The cost is comparable to or slightly higher than the train, but the buses go directly to some major hotels (service to Umeda-area hotels is approximately 60 minutes; ¥1,300) and can be faster than the train for some destinations such as Kobe (60 minutes, ¥1,800) in good traffic.

The bus is also the only practical option for connecting to domestic flights from Osaka's Itami Airport (70 minutes, ¥1,700).

By ferry

After a prolonged hiatus, Kaijo Access [3] restarted their high-speed ferry service in 2006 and now run directly to Kobe's airport. Ferries run roughly every 45 minutes and take 29 minutes one way (¥1500). Via the ferry, shuttle bus and the Port Liner AGT line, Sannomiya (central Kobe) can be reached in one hour.

By taxi

Taxis are very expensive except shuttle vans. Going to Osaka will cost you a minimum of ¥16,000, while reaching Kyoto will rack up closer to ¥32,000.

By shuttle van

Shared shuttle van services are provided by taxi companies at much more reasonable rates than private taxis. (MK Taxi) , ( KIX HP - Shared shuttle van services) charges only ¥2,300 per person to Kobe or ¥3,000 to Kyoto, including one suitcase and carry-on luggage (there's a 1,000 yen additional charge if you have more than one large item). Convenient as it's a door-to-door service, but since the driver has 9 people to deliver, it may not be a fast arrival. Reservation at least two days beforehand is necessary, either online or by phone (tel. +81-75-702-5489, open 8 AM to 9 PM).

• The Sky View (tel. 072-455-2082) is open year round. Shuttle buses run from the passenger terminal building, and take about 6 minutes (¥100 adults, ¥50 children). There is an observation deck (8am - 10pm), an amusement floor (weekdays 10am - 6pm, weekends 10am - 8pm), a restaurant floor (11am - 10pm, last call 8pm), and a shopping floor (10am - 8pm).

• Kanku Lounge (tel. 072-455-2092, open 24 hours), [4] On the second floor. Basic lounge open to all visitors, offering massage, PC desks, shower booths (¥500), women's room, kids' play room and business center. ¥300 for the first 30 min, then ¥600/hour.

• Refresh Room (tel. 072-455-2792, open 9am - 9pm, reception to 8pm), in the international departure area (4F), offers coin-op "electronic" massage chairs (¥200 for 10 minutes), regular massage chairs for ¥500 per hour, shower rooms (¥600 for 30 minutes, towels and soap included) and personal lounges with beds for ¥1,000 per hour (¥500 per hour thereafter).

• The Kids Room (tel. 072-455-2791 open 9:30am - 6:30pm), also in the international departure area (4F), has facilities for children from infants to seven years old, accompanied by a parent or guardian. The playroom, infant room and nursing room are free, and complimentary baby food and diapers are offered (one per child).

• There are nursing rooms on the second, third and fourth floors, inside the womens' restrooms, and near the domestic and international gates.

• Business Center (tel. 072-456-7151, open 8am - 8pm) 4th floor.
• Coin-Operated Photo Booths ,4th and 2nd floor.24th opened.700 yen.
• Prayer room, in the international departure area (4F), near "Refresh Room".
• Post Office , 2nd floor, [5]. The ATM here accepts international credit cards. Open 8am - 9pm (weekday) 9am - 5pm (Saturday,Sunday and Public Holidays).

• The Aeroplaza (3F) features several stores, including Uniqlo for cheap, foreigner-sized clothing.

• Rinku Premium Outlets / Aeon Rinku Shopping Center, 3-28 Rinku-ourai-minami, Izumisano 072-458-4600, 10am to 8pm, [6]. There are over 150 shops and restaurants. A shuttle bus runs from the north end of the international arrivals area outside the first floor of the airport. It takes about 10 minutes and costs ¥100. By taxi,it is about ¥3,000 from airport.

• Sky Shop Town, on the same shuttle bus route, is in the Sky View (see above) area.

• Hotel Nikko Kansai (see below) also features an upscale gift shop.

• Numerous duty-free shops populate the international departures gate area.

Eat

There are two convenience stores at the north end of the Passenger Terminal building (2F) and the Aeroplaza (1F).

The Aeroplaza (3F) is filled with eateries and shops for passengers who wish to do some last minute shopping. Although not as atrocious as some other international airports, prices may be slightly higher than on the mainland. At the arrival hall and on the departure floor, there are a few Starbucks coffee shops (open until 10pm).

• There are 47 restaurants in the Passenger Terminal [7], primarily on the 2nd and 3rd floors. Generally, these are less expensive than the airside options.
  • Matsuya (松屋) (3F) is a cheap Japanese fast food staple, open 24 hours, offering beef bowls.
  • 551 HORAI (2F). A Chinese restaurant featuring "Butaman" - a pork meat pie something like piroshki, famous in Osaka.

• In the international departures area, your options are limited to Cafe KANSAI (レストラン　カフェ　カンサイ) (7AM-1AM) and Blue Sky (8AM-9:30PM), located in the central area near the south wing shuttle. Both have a variety of small meals, beverages, and take-away snacks. The selection is limited relative to the landside portion of the terminal - if you have extra time, consider eating before going through the security checkpoint.

• For slightly cheaper eats, try the shops on the main floor of the hotel building. This area is also a good place for gift shopping, and has several other amenities such as a video arcade. Food and retail outlets usually close by 10 PM.

• In the Aeroplaza (3F), there is a basic "Japanese-style pub".
• Hotel Nikko Kansai is the only other place for a pre-flight drink, with bars on the 11th floor.
• Budget travellers: on the terminal 4th floor, there is a variety shop called AIR ROUT, which sells beer and shochu-based drinks (chu-hai) at regular Japanese prices (about $2 per can, much cheaper than most options), if you are satisfied to sit in general areas and drink beer.

Sleep

Budget

The airport terminal is open 24/7, so you can sleep in there. Blankets are also available from the information centers for free.

If you're willing to pay a bit extra, the Kanku Lounge offers a 9-hour package for ¥3800.

Mid-range

There are several hotels across the bridge near Rinku-Town Station, 6 minutes away by JR or Nankai. For most tourists it hardly seems worth using them, since once you have boarded the train, you might as well go to your final destination, but they can come in handy for early morning departures or overnight connections.

• Kansai Airport Washington Hotel, 1-7 Rinku-Orai-Kita, Izumisano, tel. 072-461-2222, [8]. Over 500 rooms, rack rate for a single ¥9500, discounts available for advance bookings. 3 min on foot from Rinku-Town station, or take a shuttle bus from the airport.

• Ramada Kansai Airport, 3-3-34 Ichibanishi, Izumisano, tel:072-461-2222, [9]. Over 500 rooms, rack rate ¥8000, advance booking discounts available. 10 min on foot from Rinku-Town station, or take a shuttle bus from the airport.

• Sun Plus Hotel, 3-3-4 Minato, Izumisano, tel. 0120-48-2911, 072-461-2911. Single rooms ¥6,300 yen. Free pick up service from Rinku-Town Station, and free delivery to the airport.

Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport

There is only one hotel on the artificial island itself:

• Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport, tel. 072-455-1111 [10]. Single rooms from ¥22,000yen, advance booking discounts available. Directly connected to the airport by a walkway, and featuring restaurants, a wine bar, a business center, etc. Airline crews use this hotel. It is possible to get a room "free" as part of a JAL international flight if there is no connecting flight on the day you arrive.

Across the bridge in Rinku Town:

• ANA Gate Tower Hotel Osaka, tel. 072-598-8511 [11]. 56-story hotel run in cooperation with InterContinental Hotels. Single rooms from ¥12,600yen, advance booking discounts available.

Contact

Small internet kiosks are available throughout the airport. In the arrivals building, they cost ¥100 for 15 minutes, but once you're through the gates in the international departures area, access is free - look for the e symbol "information" computers [12].

There is also free wireless internet [13] access in many parts of the terminal building.

• If you're feeling unwell, there is a health clinic (tel. 072-456-7185; 9am - 5pm regular hours, emergency treatment available 24 hours) on the second floor provided by Kinki University Hospital.
• There is a hospital at Rinku-Town (about 10 minutes by car), Rinku General Medical Center, with English, Portuguese, Chinese and Spanish-speaking staff. (tel. 072-469-3111) [14]
• But if the ill feelings are confined to your teeth, then see the dental clinic (tel. 072-456-8601; open weekdays only, 9:30am - 1pm, 2pm - 7:30pm) on the third floor. Walk-ins are welcome.
• On the other hand, if you've had it with your good health, there are plenty of smoking rooms once you're through the international departures gate (4F) and on the domestic level (2F).
• There is a Police office in Kansai airport, 2nd floor North Area. English, French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Japanese Sign Language are understood. [15]