From Kansai International Airport (KIX) to OCU area:
At the Kansai international airport (KIX), you will come out of
the
International Arrivals level once you clear immigration, get your
baggage, and clear customs.
DO NOT take a taxi.
Kansai International Airport is very far
from OCU
and you will pay an arm and a leg if you take a taxi.
If you haven't already obtained
some Japanese yen (JPY), now is the
time to
do so. There should be ATMs in the area right as you come out of
customs.
Most ATMs in Japan don't accept foreign cards, but certainly the
ones at the Kansai airport do accept them, so get your cash now! Another
option are the currency exchange booths, which open at 06:00.
You won't need small change to get on the train; the ticket vending
machines will give you change for even large bills (such as a 10,000
JPY bill). The vending machines
do NOT accept credit cards!!! (See "Culture" section
regarding the Japanese preference for cash and the lack of credit cards
and ATMs.)
Note that you will be
receiving your travel reimbursements (if any) in CASH (see "Financial
Matters" section below).
You will walk across a pedestrian walkway connecting the airport
to the
JR station. (There will signs for the train station; follow these.)
Once you get to the train station, you will see that there are two
train companies operating; one is private, and the other is the Japan
Rail ("JR") system. You want to take
the JR system.
There are automated vending machines selling tickets, on your
left as
you walk into the vending area from the airport. Again, there are
ticket machines for the private company and for the JR system; use the
JR ticket machines. You want to purchase a ticket that will take you
from Kansai International Airport ("Kansai Kuko") to Sugimoto-cho
station, which is a small station en route to Tennoji (a slightly
bigger station). (Note that what
you'll actually be doing is to take
the Rapid/Express ``Kanku Kaisoku'' train from KIX to Sakai-shi Station, and then
transferring to a Local train that will take you to Sugimoto-cho
Station, but this isn't relevant for purchasing the ticket.)
Train
tickets in Japan are sold according to the distance you travel, so be
careful to pay the right amount. It should be 860 JPY.
Whatever you do,
DO NOT take the
``Haruka'' express train.
If you are finding the
automated vending machines difficult to navigate, another option is to purchase your
ticket directly from a JR station agent. You will find agents if
you go
into the JR station office through the glass doors (which are to your
right if you are facing the automated ticket machines). The agents
should be able to speak enough English to help you. Tell them
you need
to take the Rapid/Express Kanku Kaisoku to Sakai-shi Station ("Sakai-shi Eki"),
and then transfer
to the Local train to Sugimoto-cho Station ("Sugimoto-cho Eki") to
the Osaka City University ("Osaka Shidai") area.
Once you purchase your ticket, walk across to the JR Railway
entrance,
and put your ticket through the feeder. Make sure to take and keep your
ticket as it emerges from the feeder. Go down the stairs to the
train
platforms and get on the next Kanku Kaisoku (there are other trains that stop
there, so be careful to get on the right one) going towards Sakai-shi,
Tennoji. In particular, do NOT take
the ``Haruka" train if you see one, and do NOT take any ``Local'' train
that leaves from the airport.
Haruka will take you to downtown Shin-Osaka (which is not what you want),
and some ``Local'' trains do NOT go all the way to Sugimoto-cho Station
. Since KIX is on an island,
trains leaving from KIX only go in one direction, you do not need to
worry about orienting yourself in that way.
On the Kaisoku (Rapid/local express), you will get to Sakai-shi station
from KIX in about 40 minutes. Get off
at
Sakai-shi and stay on the same platform. You are not transferring from
one train line to another! The Kanku Kaisoku ("Rapid/Local
Express" Train) only stops
at certain major stations; now you need to transfer to a Futsu
("Local") train that stops at all stations, but you are going along the
same route. Watch the
signs above the platform to determine
whether the next train that is stopping at this platform is a Rapid or
a Local.
Often, a ``Rapid'' train, which is different from the Kanku Kaisoku,
will pass through
the same platform before a ``Local'' (``Futsu'') train, so
please pay attenion!
(On the electronic signboard, the next train that is stopping
is always listed first; the train listed second is the train after
that. See also the "Traveling basics" section of this website.)
Get on the next Local train and
get off after two stops at
Sugimoto-cho station.
When coming out of Sugimoto-cho station, there are two staircases.
Use the one to your right (when you face the staircases). As you come
down the stairs you will see and pass a bicycle parking lot, and in a
moment you will find yourself at a small street.
You should immediately see, to your right,
the train tracks.
Take a right and walk along this street,
crossing the
train tracks. The Guest House and KKC (Kansai Kenshu Centre)
will be
about a 10- to 15-minute walk from
Sugimoto-cho station, and all you
need to do is walk along this street, going straight. You will pass the
campus of Osaka City University, e.g. the main entrance of Osaka City
University, on your right as you walk. After passing one traffic light
(keep going straight), you will pass 2 big OCU lecture halls on your
right. When you pass the lecture halls and are walking past a somewhat
large empty lot, then you are close to the Guest House. If you are
staying at the Guest House, take a right on the next small street, and
the Guest House is the first building on your right. There will be a
small sign on the left side as you face the building that indicates
that it is the Guest House. If you are staying at the KKC, keep walking
straight until you get to the second traffic
light. There is a small sign on your right at that street
intersection for the KKC. Take a right on this street; the KKC is the
first (big) official-looking building on your right. Here
is a webpage where you can see what the KKC looks like from the outside.
NOTE: We will let you know
before your arrival whether you are staying at KKC or the OCU Guest House.
Here is a Osaka City University campus
map. The Guest House
is building number 25 and the JR (Japan Rail) Sugimoto-cho
station
is clearly indicated on the right-hand side of the map. Unfortunately
the KKC is not indicated here, but it is on the next street after the
Guest House.
NOTE: There is no front desk at the Guest House. If you are
staying there, prior arrangements will be made for your arrival.
There is a front desk for check-in at KKC, so you should have no problems.
From Shin-Osaka JR Station to OCU area:
From the
Shin-Osaka JR station, if you are coming out of the Shinkansen
area, you will be
looking for signs that say "Subway." Follow these
signs. You will eventually come down a flight of steps and find
yourself in the ticket-vending area of the subway. Even if you
have a JR Pass, you will have to buy a ticket to get on the
subway, since the Osaka
subway is a separate system (run by the city of Osaka), NOT
covered by the JR pass. (See also the ``Traveling basics'' section of this website.)
You need to get on the ("red")
Midosuji subway line, going in
the
direction of Tennoji, Nanba, and/or Abiko. You will be
getting on at the Shin-Osaka
subway station, which is station number
M13,
and getting off
at Abiko station (M27). The subway announcements will announce
both the
station name and the station number.
Once at Abiko station, come out of
Exit Number 4. As you
come out, you should be
standing next to a "99 Shop" supermarket.
The Kansai Kenshu Centre is
actually one of FOUR such ``AOTS Centres'' distributed around Japan.
You may therefore see signs for ``AOTS'' instead of ``Kansai Kenshu Centre.''
It takes about 10-15 minutes to walk from Exit Number 4 of Abiko subway station
to the AOTS Kansai Kenshu Centre.
Here is a rough
map of the OCU area, which indicates Exit Number 4 of Abiko Station and shows
you how to walk to AOTS Kansai Kenshu Centre. WARNING: the side streets that are indicated are very small
-- almost alleyways --
by north American standards. There are very few sidewalks to speak of, but
cars, bicycles, and mopeds do come by (and one is
meant to be mindful of them) so please be careful. The
symbol that looks like a swastika is a Buddhist symbol and indicates a
Buddhist temple.