O Cycle Japan logo with orange background, red mountain with white cap and outline of a bicycle in the front with the name.
O Cycle Japan logo with orange background, red mountain with white cap and outline of a bicycle in the front with the name.

Author: Shelley Hayashi

  • Rinku Town, Osaka: The best Things to Do Near Kansai Airport

    Rinku Town, Osaka: The best Things to Do Near Kansai Airport

    Rinku Town, Osaka: A Perfect Stop Before or After Your Flight

    Couple stands in front of Rinku Park Love sign on a blue sky day with ocean in the background.
    Love Rinku Park

    Just one train stop from Kansai International Airport (KIX), Rinku Town is one of the most convenient — and most overlooked — destinations in Osaka. Whether you’re landing late at night, catching an early morning flight, or riding out a long layover, Rinku Town gives you an easy way to step outside the airport bubble and experience a real slice of Japan without losing hours of travel time.

    For cyclists finishing (or starting) a multi-day ride through Kansai, Rinku Town is also a natural gateway: flat seaside paths, ocean views, and easy access to Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka make it a favorite endpoint for our Kansai cycling tours.

    Group of seven cyclists pose on the promenade with Marble Beach, the ocean and the long bridge to the Kansai International Airport in background.
    Cyclists in Rinku Town, Osaka, Japan

    Where Is Rinku Town Located?

    Rinku Town sits directly across the bay from Kansai International Airport, connected by a short bridge and just a five-minute ride on the JR or Nankai lines. It’s the first stop when leaving the airport and the last stop before arriving, which makes it one of the easiest side trips in the entire Kansai region — no long transfers, no wasted time.

    Built on reclaimed land and opened in 1996 as an international hub to support the newly built airport, Rinku Town now spans roughly 320 hectares across three municipalities — Izumisano City, Tajiri Town, and Sennan City. That’s a lot of ground for such a small footprint on the map, and it’s part of why the area feels more like a real town than an airport annex.

    Map of Izumisano, town located across the bridge from Kansai International Airport, south of Osaka, Japan.

    How to Get to Rinku Town from Kansai Airport

    Getting to Rinku Town could not be simpler:

    • By train: Both the JR Kansai Airport Line and the Nankai Airport Line connect Kansai Airport Station directly to Rinku Town Station in about 6 minutes, with trains running roughly every 10–15 minutes throughout the day. A one-way ticket costs around ¥300 (about $2–4 USD).
    • By taxi: A taxi across the Airport Access Bridge takes about 7–9 minutes.

    Because the train ride is so short, Rinku Town works just as well for a two-hour layover as it does for an overnight stay before an early flight.

    More Reasons to Stop in Rinku Town

    Beyond the Ferris wheel, promenade, outlets, and sumo show, a couple of smaller stops round out a visit nicely:

    • Tennen Onsen Rinkunoyu: A natural hot spring bath a short walk from Rinku Town Station — a genuinely relaxing way to soak away travel fatigue before a long-haul flight. https://rinkunoyu.jp/
    • AEON Mall Rinku Sennan: If the outlets don’t have what you’re after, this mall nearby has 160+ additional stores covering food, fashion, and household goods.

    Top Things to Do in Rinku Town

    1. Ride the Rinku Town Ferris Wheel

    Japan has no shortage of Ferris wheels, and Rinku Town’s is one of the best. A slow, panoramic spin above the bay gives you sweeping views of the ocean, the surrounding mountains, and the city skyline — a relaxing way to unwind before a long flight or shake off jet lag after landing.

    Ferris wheel in Rinku Town, near the Kansai International Airport in Osaka, Japan. Bright blue sky with bright green Ferris Wheel. In the background you can see the tall Rinku Gate Tower.
    Ferris Wheel, Rinku Town, Japan

    2. Walk or Cycle the Seaside Promenade

    The wide, waterfront promenade along Rinku Town’s coastline is ideal for stretching your legs — or, if you’re touring with us, finishing a ride in style. Follow the path down to the white pebble beach, or rent a paddleboard and get out on the water for a completely different view of the airport skyline.

    Enjoy the ocean breeze as you visit the beautiful promenade in Rinku Town, located is south Osaka, Japan.
    Walk in Rinku Town

    3. Shop at Rinku Premium Outlets

    Need last-minute souvenirs? The Rinku Premium Outlets offer a wide mix of local artisan shops and international brands, including a dedicated Kit Kat store — a favorite stop for Japan’s famously creative Kit Kat flavors. For something more practical, Trial, a discount grocery store nearby, is a great spot to pick up snacks, drinks, or a bottle of sake to bring home.

    Rinku Premium Outlet Mall bridge
    Rinku Premium Outlet Mall

    4. Catch a Sumo Dinner Show

    If your visit lands on a weekend, don’t miss the sumo show at Sumo Restaurant Ochi Izumi Stable. Friday and Saturday evenings feature a dinner-and-show combo, giving visitors a rare, up-close look at sumo culture without needing to plan around a tournament schedule in Tokyo or Osaka. https://www.ochiizumi.com/

    Two men Sumo Wrestling at tourist Sumo restaurant in Rinku Town, Osaka, Japan.
    Sumo Wrestling

    Why Rinku Town Is a Great Fit for Cyclists

    Rinku Town’s flat coastal roads, wide promenade, and direct link to Kansai Airport make it a natural start or finish line for a cycling trip through the region. Several of our self-guided and guided tours — including our Women’s Cycling Adventure and multi-day Kansai routes — end here, so riders can enjoy a Ferris wheel ride, a stroll along the water, and easy same-day access to their flight home.

    Four cyclists pose for picture while on their bikes in Rinku Town, Osaka, Japan.
    Cycling Rinku town

    Frequently Asked Questions About Rinku Town

    How far is Rinku Town from Kansai Airport? Rinku Town is about 4 miles (6–7 km) from Kansai International Airport, separated only by a bridge across the bay. It’s roughly a 6-minute train ride or a short taxi trip away.

    Is Rinku Town worth visiting on a layover? Yes. With a train ride of only about 6 minutes each way, even a 2–3 hour layover leaves enough time to see the Ferris wheel, walk the promenade, and grab a bite or do some shopping before heading back to the airport.

    What is there to do in Rinku Town at night? The Ferris wheel and waterfront are lit up in the evening, several restaurants and hotel bars stay open late, and if it’s a Friday or Saturday, the sumo dinner show at Ochi Izumi Stable runs into the evening. Try the rooftop beer bar located in OMO Kansai Airport hotel.

    Sign at entrance to rooftop bar.
    Pint of Yona Yona beer.
    Rinku town sunset from Yona Yona moon walk roof top beer bar. Three people smile with the bright sun setting behind them.

    Can you walk or cycle from Kansai Airport to Rinku Town? No— The Sky Gate Bridge R connects the artificial airport island to the mainland, but it is strictly restricted to cars, buses and trains.  There are no pedestrian walkways or bicycle lanes on the bridge.  If you take a bike on the train it will need to be in a Rinku(bike) bag. There are also taxi and private car options.  

    Planning Your Trip

    Whether you have a two-hour layover or a full day to spare, Rinku Town is one of the easiest and most rewarding places near Kansai Airport to explore. Pair it with a cycling tour through Kyoto, Nara, and Osaka for a full Kansai adventure, or simply use it as a relaxed landing pad on your way in or out of Japan.

    Ready to see more of Kansai by bike? Explore our cycling tours and make Rinku Town part of your Japan itinerary.

  • Kanazawa – cycling and sightseeing in little Kyoto

    Kanazawa – cycling and sightseeing in little Kyoto

    I found my new favourite place in Japan – Kanazawa.  It is often described as little Kyoto. Kanazawa has a special charm that captured my heart.  Here is how we spent our time on an overnight trip from Osaka to Kanazawa. 

    Getting to Kanazawa

    We boarded the morning shinkansen (bullet train) from Osaka to Kanazawa. This took under three hours with one train change.  We arrived late in the morning to the iconic train station in Kanazawa. 

    Pick up your E-bike

    A lime green E-bike with large front basket on pathway in Kanazawa with light pink sky as dusk approaches.
    Machi-nori E-bike in Kanazawa

    From here we made our way to the e-bike rental shop, machi-nori, a 5 minute walk from the station.  https://www.machi-nori.jp/en/  Once we got set up with our E-bikes, dropped our luggage at our hotel.

    Where to stay in Kanazawa

    The Super Hotel Premium.  https://www.superhotel.co.jp/s_hotels/kanazawa/  There are many good hotels near the station.  For us it was time for lunch. The nearby street was full of restaurants, so we popped into a small restaurant for a sushi lunch set.  It was a perfect way to get us fueled up for a day of exploring. 

    Things to see in Kanazawa

    Sightseeing – Day 1

    We visited Nagamachi district, Nish Chaya district and found a sword shop, a teahouse that was open to the public, Nomura Samurai family residence.

     We made reservations for the late afternoon to visit the Myoryuji temple, also referred to as the Ninja temple.  This was an amazing tour of a Buddhist temple that was also a special place with many secret staircases and hidden escape routes. 

    There are many Buddhist temples to visit or if you would rather enjoy a coffee, ride along the river path or visit the nearby art museum there is something for everyone. 

    In the evening we went for sushi. There are so many great places to choose from.  After that it was time to enjoy the lights of Kanazawa.  We walked from Oyama Jinja Shrine, to Kanazawa castle through Kenrokuen garden.  There were many local Izakaya bars near our hotel. We stopped to have a nightcap and a little oden before returning to the hotel for an onsen (Japanese bath).

    White paper lantern hangs from storefront on narrow street with stairs in background in a Chaya neighborhood in Kanazawa.
    Stairway in Chaya district of Kanazawa

    Sightseeing – Day 2

    Day two our return train to Osaka was leaving at 5pm so we had time to explore and put our E-bikes to good use.  After breakfast at the hotel, we made our way to Higashi Chaya district here we walked around and tried to capture the beautiful streets before the rush.  Once the shops opened around 10am we could explore the gift shops including famous gold or sake shops including Sake shop Fukumitsuya Kanazawa.

    Next we cycled towards the ocean and the Yamato soy sauce and miso park.  The area is an old soy sauce and miso producing area that has a beautiful walkway by the water, you can watch the production, get lunch and local soy sauce to take home.  After a brief stop to see the crab shop, where we were amazed at the size and price range of fresh crab that you could purchase to enjoy there.  

    After all the biking we needed lunch and enjoyed the local Ramen chain from this area 8ban Ramen Kanazawa that is a ramen chain that began in this area. 

    We made our way back towards the train station to pick up our luggage and drop off our bikes before spending some time exploring Kanazawa station area.  This station offers so much excitement and entertainment.  As we arrived there was a local show which we enjoyed briefly before making our ways indoors.  There are craft locations here if you didn’t get a chance to make your own souvenir and a sake tasting bar in the next-door shopping center. Be sure to pick up a Bento Box from one of the many shops for the train ride back to Osaka or wherever your next desination is.

    Fall colors in Japan in Kanazawa. Red and green leaves in the foreground with an old Japanese wooden structure in the back ground with a bright blue sky.
    Fall colors in Kanazawa, Japan

    So much to see in Kanazawa

    As much fun as we had there is so much more to discover, and I can’t wait to visit again! Next time I’d definitely sign up for a show or demonstration from a Geisha, known as a Geiko in Kanazawa, and I’d visit more art museums and galleries.  The history of the area can be noticed as the attention to art throughout the city is obvious.  It makes me wonder how the historical presence of the Geiko and preservation of this practice of learning art, music and the art of entertainment has influenced the city to the charm it offers in present day.