Osaka Itami Airport Japan (ITM): what you need to know about getting to and from Osaka's second airport
- japansophy
- Nov 24
- 7 min read
I've you've already read our post on KIX and our guide to Kansai's three hubs (if you haven't, you can find them here and here), you'll already know that Osaka has not one but two airports. This is our guide to Itami Airport (airport code ITM), Osaka's smaller gateway for domestic flights. Find out why Itami might be a good option for you and why it's essential that you check your tickets in good time before you fly!
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Where is Itami Airport and why might I use it?
Itami Airport is the older of the Kansai region's airports and is located in the northern suburbs of Osaka. Since it generally only handles domestic flights, you're only likely to pass through Itami if you are flying to or from another part of Japan. This is why it's really important to check your tickets: there is no one "Osaka Airport", so are you flying from Itami or from Kansai International, which is 70 kms and over an hour away?
Itami is a very useful hub for accessing the rest of Japan and is closer to Kyoto and northern/central Osaka than KIX. Flights between ITM and Haneda in Tokyo are generally around the same price as the Shinkansen on the same route, sometimes cheaper, so you could consider flying between the two cities instead of taking the train, especially if you are connecting to another flight. See our post on taking the Shinkansen between Tokyo and Kyoto for a comparison.
So how do you get from Itami Airport to Osaka or Kyoto?
Option 1: Rail
While there is no direct rail link to Osaka Itami Airport, it is connected by monorail to the Hankyu Takarazuka Line from Umeda and the Midosuji subway line.
From the Umeda area, take the Hankyu Takarazuka line (every 10 mins) to Hotarugaike Station. All trains - local, semi-express and express- stop here. Change at Hotarugaike to the Monorail in the direction of the airport. The journey from Umeda takes around 30 minutes and costs 440 yen (2025; subject to change).
From the Namba area, take the Midosuji subway line to Senri-Chuo. Change there to the Monorail (short walk between stations). The journey from Namba to Itami will take around an hour (around 770 yen; as at 2025 and subject to change) .
The easiest and quickest way to get to Itami Airport from Kyoto by train is to take the Hankyu Kyoto line from Kawaramachi Station to Minami-Ibaraki Station. Change there to the Monorail (short walk between stations). The journey from Kyoto to Itami Airport will also take around an hour and also costs 770 yen (as at 2025; subject to change).
Option 2: Airport Limousine Bus
If you're juggling a lot of luggage and don't want the hassle of having to change trains, the airport limousine bus is a good option for Itami Airport. And it costs just a few hundred yen more than the rail option.
The limousine bus connects Osaka Itami Airport with Umeda, Namba and even Universal Studios Japan in Osaka, and is also an excellent direct option to/from Kyoto (various stops/pick-up points including Demachiyanagi Station, Kyoto City Hall, Shijo-Kawaramachi, Shijo-Omiya and Kyoto Station).
The buses run 2-3 times an hour in each direction and cost 1500 yen to Kyoto, 600 yen to Shin-Osaka and 730 yen to other destinations in Osaka (as at 2025; subject to change). Journey times: Umeda 30 mins, Namba 25 mins, Kyoto around an hour, but all are subject to traffic conditions, so be sure to leave yourself enough time.
The limousine bus also offers direct services to Nara and Kobe, as well as a transfer service between Itami and Kansai International Airport.
You can buy tickets at the bus stop from the staff or a vending machine, or pay with Suica, if you have one.
Option 3: Private transfer
As we outlined above, Itami has a number of public transport options connecting the airport to central Osaka and the neighbouring cities of Kyoto, Nara and Kobe. As long-term Kansai residents, the Japansophy crew has used all of the above more times than we remember and both the rail and bus options are cheap, comfortable and very reliable.
Another reason for plumping for the public transport solution when it comes to planning your journey to and from Itami is that, unlike Kansai International Airport, or Haneda or Narita in Tokyo, Itami is not a 24-hour airport and doesn't generally have flights arriving or departing before 6am or after 9pm. This means that, unless you're on the first flight out of Itami in the morning and staying in Kyoto, public transport will get you to where you want to go in good time.
But sometimes, organising a private transfer - though more expensive - is simply the easiest option and worth splashing out on, especially if you are travelling as a family or a group, have a lot of luggage, or aren't especially confident about navigating Japan's public transport system. Or maybe you're staying in a ryokan or hotel that's a little further from the main transportation hubs and will require a taxi ride to or from the nearest station anyway. In these cases, having a driver meet you straight after clearing customs, escorting you out to your vehicle, packing your bags Tetris-like into the back and driving you to the door of your accommodation is a very welcome prospect. Prices start at around 22,000 yen for six passengers to Kyoto, or around 12,000 yen to Namba. Click on this link to check prices and book in advance with Klook (affiliate link).
ITM vs KIX: Osaka airports compared
As we've already mentioned, Osaka Itami Airport only handles domestic flights, so you're very unlikely to fly into it from abroad or leave from it after your Japan trip. But, especially with the rise of low-cost airlines in Japan or if you are taking advantage of the free domestic flights that JAL or ANA sometimes offer as promotions on their long-haul tickets, not to mention the price hikes introduced in the last years on the Japan Rail Pass, more and more visitors to Japan are opting to fly between destinations rather than take the Shinkansen. On the Tokyo-Kyoto/Osaka route, for example, flights cost around the same as the one-way Shinkansen ticket, if not less. So, here's a quick comparison of the two Osaka airports to help you decide which one would best suit your itinerary.
Access
KIX has a wider choice of direct and indirect transfer options (see our post on getting to and from KIX here) but Itami is closer to northern/central Osaka and also to Kyoto, saving you some time. If you are based in the southern Osaka hub of Namba/Dotonburi, KIX is your best bet.
Cost
Because Itami is closer to central Osaka and Kyoto, your transfer to and from the airport will be cheaper. In terms of flights, you might find that KIX has the cheapest flights, since it has more low-cost carrier slots (such as Peach and Jetstar). A flight from Narita to KIX costs as little as 5000 yen with Jetstar; a one-way ticket from Haneda to Itami starts at around 12,000 yen, which is still cheaper than the same route by Shinkansen.
Schedules
Since KIX handles virtually all of Kansai's international air traffic, its domestic flight schedule is less extensive than Itami's. KIX has around 70 domestic flights every day, whereas Itami handles 3-4 times as many, with as many as 5 flights to Tokyo an hour!
Passenger experience
As you would expect of an international airport in Japan's second most-populous region, KIX is huge, serving well over 20-30 million passengers per year. 15 million passengers went through Itami is 2024. While the difference, may not seem huge, we have to remember that, because Itami only handles domestic flights, procedures such as check-in, passport control and customs (and even baggage claim, since domestic passengers tend not to have tonnes of luggage) are much faster and more streamlined. It's a smaller, older airport and doesn't share KIX's international jet-set glamour, but is easier to navigate and has shorter distances and fewer queues.
Osaka Itami Airport Japan FAQ
Which airport is Osaka's main airport?
Kansai International Airport (KIX) is probably considered Osaka's main airport since it handles all international traffic in and out of the Kansai region. Itami, on the other hand, is smaller but is a very significant domestic hub, handling 3-4 times more domestic flights than KIX.
Is it better to fly into ITM or KIX?
If you are flying into Japan from abroad, you will almost certainly be using Kansai International Airport. If flying from another airport within Japan, Itami is closer to downtown Osaka and Kyoto.
Does Itami Airport have international flights?
Not usually, no. Itami Airport has only scheduled domestic flights, although under certain circumstances (due to weather, problems at KIX), an international flight may be rerouted to Itami.
How do I get from Itami Airport to the city?
The best direct route is to take the limousine bus to either Umeda or Namba. You can also take the train: Itami is connected by Monorail to both the Hankyu Takarazuka Line and the Midosuji subway. See above for our breakdown of your options for getting to/from Itami Airport.
How do I pay for the Itami Airport limousine bus and does it take Suica?
You can buy a ticket at the airport from a member of staff at the bus stop or from a vending machine. You can also use a transport card like Suica to pay for your ticket.
Click through here to our full guide to the airports in the Kansai region, here to our article comparing Tokyo's Haneda vs Narita airports and here for comprehensive info on Kansai International Airport (KIX).
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