Travel Information

Contents

This page provides are mainly aimed to participants in conferences (co)organized by Ryo Kanda, but some of them would be useful to other visitors to Osaka Metropolitan University Sugimoto Campus. Note that this page provides general information for those visiting Osaka Metropolitan University, so please follow the instruction given by the organizers of the conference you attend. This information is as of December 2025.

General Information

• 1

  Osaka Metropolitan University, or not?

  • Osaka City University and Osaka Prefecture University merged in April 2022 to form a new university: Osaka Metropolitan University (OMU).

  • Osaka Metropolitan University has several campuses. A half of the Faculty of Science and OCAMI are located at Sugimoto Campus, which is (one of) the main campus of the university.

  • People often confuse Osaka Metropolitan University with Osaka University. From OMU Sugimoto Campus, it takes at least 40 minutes to get to OMU Nakamozu Campus and at least 80 minutes to get to Osaka University Toyonaka Campus. This page is for visitors to Osaka Metropolitan University Sugimoto Campus.

• 2

  Accommodations

  • Most visitors stay in either Kansai Kenshu Center (KKC), OMU Guest House, or a hotel near Tennoji Station. KKC and OMU Guest House are both within a 10-minute walk from the campus. From Tennnoji Station, it takes about 15-20 minutes by train to get to the campus. You can find the details of these facilities and a list of recommended hotels below.

• 3

  Airports

  • There are two airports in Osaka: Kansai International Airport (KIX; known as "Kansai Airport") and Osaka International Airport (ITM; known as "Itami Airport"). They are VERY confusing. KIX is an international airport and is often abbreviated as "Osaka". On the other hand, ITM is mainly for domestic flights despite its name. Fortunately, you can come to OMU from either airport in a reasonable time.

  • If you arrive at Tokyo International Airport (HND; known as "Tokyo Haneda") or Narita International Airport (NRT; known as "Tokyo Narita"), you have to take a bullet train (called "Shinkansen") to come to Osaka, which would be troublesome. It would take around 4 hours or more.

• 4

  KIX vs ITM

  • The following are the estimated travel times from each airport to Tennoji (hotels) and OMU campus (KKC or Guest House). If you are not sure which airport you should use, I generally recommend Kansai Airport (KIX) because it provides relatively good support for visitors from abroad (e.g. English signs).

  • From KIX to Tennnoji: about 40 minutes or 60 minutes by train, depending on the train you use (faster train needs a designated ticket; the last train departs around 11 pm)

  • From KIX to OMU Campus: about 60 minutes by train (you have to transfer once; the last train departs around 11 pm)

  • From ITM to Tennnoji (Abenobashi Station): about 30 minutes by Airport Limousine Bus (the last bus departs around 9 pm)

  • From ITM to OMU Campus: about 80 minutes by bus + train (the last bus departs around 9 pm)

  • The travel time in the opposite direction is about the same.

• 5

  Cash Is (Still) King

  • Although cashless payment is spreading across Japan, there are still many places that only accept cash. For example, taxis, ticket vending machines at stations, and small supermarkets/restaurants do not usually accept credit cards. So we recommend you get enough Japanese yen before or soon after getting to Japan.

  • Even in a place they accept credit cards, debit cards (including those issued in US) would not be available. However, it is known that ATMs in 7-Eleven (convenience store) accept debit cards as well as credit cards.

Direction from Kansai International Airport (KIX)

From the airport to the campus: Kansai Airport - Sakaishi - Sugimotocho.

• 1

  From Kansai Airport Station to Sakaishi Station

  • There are two railway companies at Kansai Airport: JR (Japan Railways) and Nankai. Use JR.

  • Buy a 880-yen ticket at a vending machine of JR. Green vending machines are mainly for limited express, so use regular (non-green) ones. The machines should have English option. Probably cash only.

  • Go through the ticket gate for JR by inserting your ticket to the machine. Get on a train shown as "Kansai Airport Rapid (Service)" (pronounced as "Kanku Kaisoku" in Japanese). It is NOT "Kansai Airport Express" known as "Haruka". Rapid trains depart every 15-20 minutes. If you depart earlier than 8 am, there may be other options; ask a station officer in the platform which train you should take to go to Sakaishi.

  • Get off at Sakaishi Station. It takes about 45 minutes.

• 2

  From Sakaishi Station to Sugimotocho Station

  • After getting off at Sakaishi Station, wait for a Local train at the same platform. No other trains stop at Sugimotocho. Local trains depart every 15-20 minutes.

  • Get on a local train and get off at Sugimotocho. It takes about 5 minutes.

• 3

  From Sugimotocho Station to the campus

  • At Sugimotocho Station, exit from East Exit. From there, you can see the campus surrounded by trees. Hurrah!

  • Download the campus map of Sugimoto Campus here. The Faculty of Science is shown as 12 (in the center of the upper part) and the Guest House is 23 (top-right corner). Kansai Kenshu Center is east of the Guest House but there is a church in between.

• 4

  Tips

  • If you want to see the whole picture of JR lines in Osaka area, have a look at JR Line Route Map (PDF) of JR West (by the way there are other JR's in Japan). The lines explained above are Hanwa Line (orange one with "R") and Kansai-airport Line (short blue one with "S"). There are many trains that run multiple lines, and that's why you can go from Kansai Airport to Sakaishi Station without changing trains.

  • If you are going to use trains and buses in Japan many times, you might want to buy Transit IC card. See this page for more information. If you stick to Osaka and Kyoto, ICOCA would be your companion, which can be bought easily at most vending machines of JR in those regions. You don't have to provide any personal information to buy it.

Direction to Kansai International Airport (KIX)

From the campus to the airport: Sugimotocho - Sakaishi - Kansai Airport.

• 1

  From Sugimotocho Station to Sakaishi Station

  • JR is the only railway company at Sugimotocho Station. Buy a 880-yen ticket at a vending machine and go through the ticket gate by inserting it.

  • There are four platforms. Go to platform 4, following the sign of "Kansai Airport". Get on any train at the platform.

  • Get off at Sakaishi Station.

• 2

  From Sakaishi Station to the Kansai Airport Station

  • After getting off at Sakaishi Station, wait for a Kansai Airport Rapid (Service) or Kansai Airport & Kishuji Rapid (Service) train at the same platform. Get on one of those.

  • CAUTION: If you get on "Kansai Airport & Kishuji Rapid", make sure that you board one of the first four cars because the last four cars (Kishuji Rapid) will be disconnected at Hineno Station and they go in different direction.

  • Get off at Kansai Airport Station. Have a safe trip.

Kansai Kenshu Center & Guest House

The following two accommodations are NOT luxurious but very convenient to attend conferences in the campus. However, you can't book them by yourself unless you are a member of the faculty of Osaka Metropolitan University. If there are available rooms, the organizer would offer you to book them.

• 1

  Kansai Kenshu Center

  • The front door is locked during 0:00-6:00 at night every day. From the second night, you have to inform the front desk in advance if you come back during that period.

  • Located next to the campus. 8-minute walk to the workshop venue.

  • 8,500 yen/night for a single room (1 bed); 14,300 yen/night for a twin room (2 beds); the price often changes. Pay at the front desk.

  • 7-minute walk to the closest Family Mart (convenience store).

  • Check-In: 15:00. Check-Out: 10:00.

  • The room has the following items: table, chair, phone, TV, Wi-Fi, electric kettle, cup, trash can, slippers, hand towel, bath towel, bath mat.

  • You can borrow plug adapters and a LAN cable at the front desk (if available).

  • The following "amenity set" of items costs 100 yen: shampoo, conditioner, body soap, tooth brush, tooth paste.

  • The room lacks some equipments that you usually see in a standard Japanese hotel room. The following items are NOT available: tissues, pajamas, hair dryer, hair brush, refrigerator, safety box, humidifier, air purifier.

  • A reservation should be made by organizers.

• 2

  Osaka Metropolitan University Guest House

  • Visitors from the following prefectures are not eligible to use the guest house: Osaka, Kyoto, Hyogo, Shiga, Nara, Wakayama, and Mie.

  • Researchers and graduate students are eligible to use the guest house, but undergraduate students are not eligible.

  • You have to check out before noon.

  • We have to complete booking procedure by 30 days before your arrival.

  • Located inside the campus. 5-minute walk to the workshop venue.

  • If you stay up to 3 nights, it costs 7,500 yen for a single room (1 bed) and 15,000 yen for a family room (2 beds) in total (even if you stay only 1 or 2 nights). If you stay more, it costs 2,000 yen/night for a single room (1 bed); 4,000 yen/night for a family room (2 beds) for additional nights.

  • If your accommodation is paid from Osaka Metropolitan University, it will be paid to Guest House directly. Otherwise, you have to pay with bank transfer or a credit card. They may take a handling charge for credit card payment. The organizer of the conference may ask you to pay with bank transfer.

  • A bill may arrive around the middle of the month after the month you stay.

  • No breakfast.

  • You have to separate the garbage and put it to a designated place.

  • Only one face towel and one bath towel will be provided when you check-in. You have to wash them by yourself.

  • You have to clean your room and put everything to its original position before you check-out.

  • You have to remove your shoes in a room.

  • 8-minute walk to the closest Family Mart (convenience store).

  • The room has a kitchen. Microwaves are in common rooms in each floor.

  • A reservation should be made by organizers.

Hotels

Aside from the above two accommodations, staying in a hotel near Tennoji Station would be convenient. It takes about 13 minutes from Tennoji Station to Sugimotocho Station by train, and the Faculty of Science (or OCAMI) is 5-minute walk from Sugimotocho Station. The following is the list of recommended hotels near Tennoji Station (this page is NOT sponsored by any of these hotels nor TripAdvisor):

• 3

  Osaka Marriott Miyako Hotel (TripAdvisor)

  • Another website and detailed directions are available.

  • Located inside department store Abeno Harukas.

• 4

  Miyako City Osaka Tennoji (TripAdvisor)

  • 2-minute walk from Tennoji Station (East Exit).

• 5

  VIA INN Abeno Tennoji (TripAdvisor)

  • 3-minute walk from Tennoji Station (South Exit). Located next to APA Hotel Tennoji-Ekimae.

• 6

  APA Hotel Tennoji-Ekimae (TripAdvisor)

  • 2-minute walk from Tennoji Station (South Exit). Located next to VIA INN Abeno Tennoji.

The last train from Kansai International Airport (KIX) to Sugimotocho usually departs around 11 pm. If your flight arrives late at night (e.g. 9 pm) and you are not familiar with trains in Japan, I would recommend you stay in a hotel at the airport on the arrival day (again, this page is not sponsored):

• 7

  Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport (TripAdvisor)

  • Connected to Kansai International Airport (KIX) Terminal 1.

  • There is a convinience store (Lawson, 24-7) inside the hotel.

Contact

• Ryo Kanda (Osaka Metropolitan University)