I visited Naha in the main island of Okinawa for the first time in my life in the end of January 2017 using Japanese LCC (low-cost carrier) Peach. I decided to visit Naha as I got a cheap airline ticket for a Peach New Year’s sale. The airline ticket from Osaka (Kansai International Airport) to Okinawa (Naha Airport) was only 2,990 yen for one way (usually it’s around 5,000 to 10,000 yen).
Peach arrives at and departs from Terminal 2 of Kansai International Airport, so if you arrive at Terminal 1 of the airport using train, you need to take a free shuttle bus to Terminal 2 from there. You can follow the signs from Terminal 1, but the shuttle bus station is bit far from Terminal 1, besides the route is bit complicated. Limousine buses to Kansai International Airport directly go up to Terminal 2.
Free Shuttle Bus Station
Kansai International Airport Terminal 2
I felt hungry as it was past 1 p.m. when I arrived at Terminal 2, so after checking in using an automatic check-in machine of Peach and leaving a suitcase at the counter, I decided to have a lunch at a restaurant “SORATERIA” which is located in the departure lobby of Terminal 2.
SORATERIA
I ordered Yongenton Katsu-curry (Curry Rice with Yongenton Silky Pork Cutlet). The taste was not bad for the airport food though the price is bit expensive (1,150 yen) compared to general Japanese restaurants in the city.
Yongenton Katsu-curry (Curry Rice with Yongenton Silky Pork Cutlet)
After having a lunch, I sat in the lobby, looked airplanes roaming around the airport through the lobby window and waited for the departure time.
Terminal 2 Departure Lobby
Peach Airplane
It takes only about 2 hours from Osaka to Naha. Peach’s airplane arrives at the LCC Terminal of Naha Airport, but this terminal is quite small and inconvenient.
Naha Airport LCC Terminal
After arriving at the LCC Terminal of Naha Airport, you need to pick up your baggage at an old warehouse-like baggage claim. The baggage claim is manual and quite small so you may miss it.
Once you have missed and passed through the baggage claim and entered the lobby, you can’t go back to the baggage claim and have to wait until every passenger picks up their baggage.
After picking up the baggage, you need to take a free shuttle bus to the Domestic Terminal of Naha Airport. There was a long line waiting for the shuttle bus when I entered the lobby of the LCC Terminal, and I waited about 20 minutes until I finally got the bus. It may take some time to get to the Domestic Terminal, so you need to be careful if you plan to change a plane at Naha Airport.
I didn’t know my way around Naha City as this was my first time visiting there, so after arriving at the Domestic Terminal of Naha Airport, I decided to take a taxi to my hotel located in the city center of Naha. The taxi fare was around 1,500 yen. You can also get to the city center of Naha from the airport using Yui Rail (Okinawa Urban Monorail).
Although it was the middle of winter in Japan, the sky was still bright just before 6 p.m. I headed to my hotel while enjoying a conversation with a friendly local taxi driver.
