How to get to Osaka Namba Washington Hotel Plaza

Index

1. About Osaka Namba Washington Hotel Plaza
2. From Kansai International Airport (KIX) to Osaka Namba Washington Hotel Plaza
3. From Osaka Itami Airport (OSA/ITA) to Osaka Namba Washington Hotel Plaza
4. From Shin-Osaka to Osaka Namba Washington Hotel Plaza
5. From Osaka Namba Washington Hotel Plaza to i-House

1. About Osaka Namba Washington Hotel Plaza

• Address: 1-1-15, Nipponbashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka 542-0073
• 
• Phone: +81-6-6212-2555 (06-6221-2555 if calling within Japan)
• Fax: +81-6-6214-3332 (06-6214-3332 if calling within Japan)
• WWW: N/A
• Notes by some LOC members

2. From Kansai International Airport (KIX) to Osaka Namba Washington Hotel Plaza

2.1 First, get some cash.

After passing through the customs, stop by a bank counter or an ATM machine on the first floor to get some Japanese Yen. This may be your last chance to exchange your cash unless you have a major currency.

2.2 KIX --(Nankai Rapi:t)--> Namba --(taxi)--> Osaka Namba Washington Hotel Plaza

• Time: 70min
• Fare: 1400 Yen (Nankai Rapi:t) + about 700 Yen (taxi)
• 2.2.1 At Kansai International Airport
  
  1. Follow the sign "Railways" to the second floor, exit the terminal building, then cross the pedestrian bridge outside to walk into Kansai Airport Station.
  2. Go to Nankai Railways counters #1-3 under the orange sign "Ltd. Exp. Rapi:t Reservation Tickets and General Tickets" on your left.
  3. Purchase a ticket for the earliest Rapi:t (pronounced 'rapeet') to Namba. The ticket agents speak English. The ticket costs 1400Yen for adults, 700 Yen for children of age 6-11, and free for children under 6.
  4. Go through a gate under the orange sign which says "Nankai" by inserting the ticket into the gate. Retrieve the ticket which will be returned to you at the other side of the gate. You will need it when leaving the Railway.
  5. Go down to a platform, and get on the navy blue train. All the seats are reserved. The departure time, car number and the seat number are written on the ticket.
  6. The train takes 30-35min to Namba. The train leaves at every 5min and 35min past the hour, until 22:35.
• 2.2.2 At Namba
  
  1. After getting off the train, pass through the gate by inserting your ticket. Since you have arrived at your destination, the ticket will not be returned.
  2. Follow the "taxi" signs down to the first floor.
  3. Get on a taxi, and say "Namba Washington Hotel, please".
  4. The taxi costs about 700 Yen as indicated by the meter. Tips are not given in Japan.

3. From Osaka Itami Airport (OSA/ITA) to Osaka Namba Washington Hotel Plaza

3.1 Cashing Service

A currency exchange service is NOT available at Osaka Itami Airport. Therefore, you should obtain cash in Japanese Yen at or before arriving at Narita Airport or Fukuoka Airport.

If you do not have Japanese Yen at this time, the last resort is to use an ATM card to get some cash. The ATM operated by VISA is located at the center of the 2nd floor of the North Terminal building, about 20m to the left from the Information Counter. The ATM accepts VISA, MasterCard, Cirrus, PLUS and Diners Club, but NOT American Express. The machine is available from 6AM until 9PM every day. You can only get cash in the multiples of 10,000 Yen.

3.2 OSA/ITA --(Airport Limousine Bus)--> Namba --(taxi)--> Osaka Namba Washington Hotel Plaza

• Time: 65min = <15min> for waiting + 40min (bus) + 10min (taxi).
• Fare: 620 Yen (bus) + about 700 Yen (taxi)
• 3.2.1 At Osaka Itami Airport
  1. If you arrived at the North Terminal by Japan Airlines (JAL) or Japan Air System (JAS),
     exit the terminal building, walk towards the right, and you will find vending machines for bus tickets.
  2. If you arrived at the South Terminal by All Nippon Airways (ANA),
     exit the terminal building. There are vending machines for bus tickets, and a bus information counter near Bus Stop #13.
  3. Deposit 620 Yen or more, and press the 4th button from the left displaying "620". The vending machines accept 1000 Yen, 5000 Yen, and 10000 Yen notes, and coins. Credit cards are not accepted. [For children of age 6-11, deposit 310 Yen or more first. Depending on the machine, either press the "Child" button first and then press "310", or press the button for children located under a plastic cover. Children under 6 are free.]
  4. Get on the Airport Limousine Bus leaving from bus stop #1 at the North Terminal, and #11 at the South Terminal.
  5. The bus leaves every 10-30min until 21:10.
• 3.2.2 At Namba (not OCAT)
  1. Get off the bus at Namba (instead of OCAT).
  2. The "taxi" stop is right next to the bus stop. Get on a taxi and say "Namba Washington Hotel, please".
  3. The taxi costs about 700 Yen as indicated by the meter. Tips are not given in Japan.

4. From Shin-Osaka JR Station to Osaka Namba Washington Hotel Plaza

4.1 Cashing Service

A currency exchange service is NOT available at Shin-Osaka Station. The ATM machines located on the 3rd and 2nd floor do NOT accept VISA and MasterCard credit cards issued by foreign banks.

4.2 Shin-Osaka --(subway Midosuji Line)--> Namba --(subway Sennichimae Line)--> Nipponbashi --(walk)--> Osaka Namba Washington Hotel Plaza

• Time: 30min = <8min> for connection + 14min (subway) + 5min for connection + 2min (subway) + 2min on foot.
• Fare: 270 Yen
• 4.2.1 At Shin-Osaka
  1. Go through the gate at the Central Exit by inserting all of your JR tickets all together into the gate. The tickets will not be returned. If you have a JR Pass for foreigners, go through a gate by a station employee instead of going through the automatic gate.
  2. After leaving the Central Exit, turn right, and follow the "subway" sign to the Shin-Osaka subway station for the Midosuji Line on the floor one below.
  3. Deposit 270 Yen or more into a ticket vending machine, and press the button displaying "270" to buy a ticket for "Nipponbashi".
  4. Go through the entrance gate for the subway Midosuji Line by inserting the ticket into the gate. Take your ticket which will be returned at the other end of the gate. You will need it when you leave the subway.
  5. Take a train from platform #1 (for Umeda, Namba, Nakamozu). Although the subway is running above ground, it will soon go underground; do not panic.
• 4.2.2 At Namba
  1. Get off at Namba, which is the 7th stop.
  2. Follow the pink subway signs which say "Sennichimae Line", leave the platform by taking stairs "D", and go to the platforms for the Sennichimae Line.
  3. Get on a train from platform #1 (for Minami-Tatsumi).
• 4.2.3 At Nipponbashi
  1. Get off at Nipponbashi, which is the next stop.
  2. Follow the yellow signs for "Exit 6".
  3. Go through the gate by inserting the ticket into it. Since you have arrived at the destination, the ticket will not be returned.
  4. After passing the gate, follow the yellow signs for "Exit 6" to go up to the ground level.
  5. Turn 180 degrees and walk away from the highway. After walking 100m, you will find the hotel on your right hand side. There is no English sign for the hotel, but there is a sign for a Chinese restaurant.

5. From Osaka Namba Washington Hotel Plaza to the International House, Osaka (i-House)

5.1 Purchase a Rainbow Card

We strongly recommend you purchase a prepaid card called a "Rainbow Card". With this, you do not have to purchase a ticket every time you get on the subway. Also, you do not need to find out how much it will cost to the destination. (Note that not all the maps at the stations have English.) Just insert the card every time you go through a gate, and the fare will be subtracted from your card automatically. You can use this card also for other train systems, except for JR and Kintetsu.

Rainbow cards are available at subway stations. At a light blue ticket vending machine, enter the amount you want (or more), press "Rainbow Card" button with an orange sign, and press the button showing the amount you want to purchase. The cards are available for 1000 Yen, 2000 Yen, 3000 Yen and 5000 Yen.

Commuting between the hotel and i-House for 7 days alone will cost 2800 Yen, and more if you go to Namba for dinner etc..

5.2 Osaka Namba Washington Hotel Plaza --(walk)--> Nipponbashi --(subway Sennichimae Line)--> Tanimachi 9-chome --(walk)--> i-House

• Time: ~15min = 2min on foot + <3min> for waiting + 1min (subway) + 7min on foot
• Fare: 200 Yen
• 5.2.1 From Hotel
  1. After walking out of the hotel, turn left and walk south. At the large intersection, you will find an entrance (#6) to the Nipponbashi subway station.
• 5.2.2 At Nipponbashi
  1. Follow the pink subway signs which say "subway Sennichimae Line".
  2. Purchase a Rainbow Card at a ticket vending machine. Otherwise, deposit 200 Yen or more and press a button showing "200" to buy a ticket to Tanimachi 9-chome.
  3. Go through the gate by inserting a Rainbow Card or a ticket. Do not forget to retrieve the card or ticket which will be returned to you at the other end of the gate.
  4. Follow the pink subway signs down to the platforms for Sennichimae Line.
  5. Get on the subway at platform #1 (for Minami-Tatsumi).
• 5.2.3 At Tanimachi 9-chome ('queue-choh-may')
  1. Get off at Tanimachi 9-chome, which is the next stop.
  2. Follow the signs for "Exit 5 / Tanimachi Line" and take stairs "B" to leave the platform.
  3. Go through the gate by inserting the Rainbow Card or ticket. If you have a Rainbow card, make sure you retrieve the card which will be returned at the other end of the gate. A ticket will not be returned.
  4. After passing the gate, turn right and follow the yellow signs for "Exit 5", (or the signs for Tanimachi Line if you do not see them) and go up to the ground level at Exit 5.
  5. You are standing at the Tanimachi-9 intersection. Turn 45 degrees to your left (south) and start walking the "Tanimachi-suji" street.
  6. After walking for 250m, you will come to the "Ikutama Minami" intersection. Cross the intersection, walk another 250m in the same direction, and you will come to the next intersection with traffic lights.
  7. Turn left (east), walk 300m, and before hitting a major road, you will find the International House, Osaka on your left.