Getting Around Osaka: Metro, JR Loop Line, Passes and Airport Trains

Osaka Metro runs eight subway lines plus the New Tram, mostly inside the Loop Line. Each has a colour and a letter, and station numbers are printed on every sign, so M20 is Umeda on the Midosuji Line.

• Midosuji Line (red, M): the one you will ride most. Shin-Osaka (shinkansen) to Umeda takes about six minutes, Umeda to Namba about eight, Namba to Tennoji about five. It also stops at Yodoyabashi (Nakanoshima), Hommachi, Shinsaibashi and Dobutsuen-mae (for Shinsekai). Trains run through north onto the Kita-Osaka Kyuko line to Senri-Chuo and Minoh-kayano for Minoh.
• Chuo Line (green, C): east to west. Tanimachi 4-chome and Morinomiya for Osaka Castle, Hommachi for the Midosuji transfer, and Osakako for the Kaiyukan aquarium and Tempozan. It now runs on under the bay to Yumeshima, the former Expo 2025 site.
• Tanimachi Line (purple, T): a parallel north to south line on the castle side, from Higashi-Umeda through Tenjinbashisuji 6-chome and Tanimachi 4-chome to Shitennoji-mae for Shitenno-ji and Tennoji.
• Sakaisuji Line (brown, K): Kitahama, Nippombashi (for Kuromon Market) and Ebisucho (for Den Den Town and Tsutenkaku). It runs through onto Hankyu tracks at its north end, so some trains continue towards Kyoto.

Of the other four, only the blue Yotsubashi Line (Nishi-Umeda to Namba, a bypass when the Midosuji is packed) sees many visitors. Rush hour on the Midosuji between 7:30am and 9:30am is crushing, and Midosuji trains have a women-only car on weekdays, marked in pink on the platform.

The Osaka Loop Line (Osaka Kanjo-sen) is JR West’s answer to Tokyo’s Yamanote: 19 stations in a ring that takes about 40 minutes to complete. The stops that matter to visitors, clockwise from Osaka Station, are Tenma (izakaya alleys), Kyobashi (Keihan transfer), Osakajokoen (the castle park), Tsuruhashi (Koreatown and yakiniku, Kintetsu transfer), Tennoji (for Tennoji and Abeno and Abeno Harukas), Shin-Imamiya (Nankai transfer, a walk to Shinsekai), Bentencho and Nishikujo (change for Universal Studios). Not every train stays on the circle: Kansai Airport Rapid, Yamatoji Rapid and Yumesaki Line trains share the tracks and peel off, so check the destination board.

JR West also runs the lines out of town. JR Kyoto Line Special Rapid trains reach Kyoto in about 30 minutes, the JR Kobe Line reaches Sannomiya in about 20 and continues to Himeji, the Yamatoji Line runs from Tennoji to Nara, and the Hanwa Line carries the Haruka and Kansai Airport Rapid south to the airport. The Haruka uses the underground Umekita platforms on the northwest side of Osaka Station, about ten minutes’ walk from the main concourse.

The Japan Rail Pass and JR West passes cover all of these, but not the subway or private railways. For pass rules, shinkansen seat types and the national network, see Japan trains and the JR Pass.

Osaka’s two hubs confuse every first-timer because each is a cluster of separate stations with different names, joined by underground malls.

Umeda (Kita) is Umeda. JR’s station is called Osaka, not Umeda. Around it sit Hankyu Osaka-Umeda (for Kyoto, Kobe and Takarazuka), Hanshin Osaka-Umeda (for Kobe), Umeda on the Midosuji Line, Higashi-Umeda on the Tanimachi Line and Nishi-Umeda on the Yotsubashi Line, plus Kitashinchi on the JR Tozai Line. Underground arcades link them all; expect a 5 to 15 minute walk between any two, and follow the colour-coded overhead signs.

Namba (Minami) sits at the heart of Namba. Nankai Namba is the terminus for the airport and Koyasan, Osaka-Namba serves Kintetsu and Hanshin trains (to Nara, Kobe and beyond), JR Namba is the end of the JR Yamatoji Line and the city’s main highway bus terminal (OCAT), and the Midosuji, Yotsubashi and Sennichimae lines all have Namba stations. JR Namba is a 5 to 10 minute walk west of the rest. The third hub, Tennoji, is simpler: JR, two subway lines, Kintetsu’s Osaka-Abenobashi station and the Hankai tram all meet at the foot of Abeno Harukas.

Five private companies run Osaka’s suburban lines and are often faster or cheaper than JR on the same route.

• Hankyu (maroon trains) from Osaka-Umeda: the Kyoto Line to Kyoto-kawaramachi (about 45 minutes, central for Gion and Nishiki), the Kobe Line to Kobe-Sannomiya and the Takarazuka Line.
• Keihan from Yodoyabashi, Kitahama and Nakanoshima: along the river to Kyoto’s Gion-Shijo and Demachiyanagi (about 50 minutes), with a branch to Uji and the station for Fushimi Inari. Its Premium Car offers a reserved seat for a small supplement.
• Hanshin from Osaka-Umeda and Osaka-Namba: to Kobe-Sannomiya and Koshien Stadium.
• Kintetsu from Osaka-Namba, Osaka-Uehommachi and Osaka-Abenobashi: Kintetsu-Nara (about 40 minutes by rapid express, steps from Nara Park), Yoshino, Ise and Nagoya, with reserved-seat limited expresses including the Hinotori.
• Nankai from Nankai Namba: Kansai Airport, Wakayama and Koyasan.

All accept IC cards. Reserved-seat limited expresses (Rapi:t, Kintetsu, Nankai Koya) need a separate seat ticket from a machine, a counter or the operator’s website.

Osaka Metro fares run from 190 yen for the shortest hops to 390 yen across the network, with half price for children aged 6 to 11. JR and private railway fares are separate, so a ride that changes from the Metro to Hankyu pays two fares. Most single journeys inside the Loop Line cost 190 to 290 yen.

ICOCA is JR West’s IC card. Buy it from a ticket machine at any JR West station or the airport for 2,000 yen (1,500 yen of credit plus a 500-yen refundable deposit), top it up with cash at any machine and tap in and out. It gives no discount, but it saves queuing for tickets, works on buses, lockers, vending machines and convenience stores, and is accepted in Tokyo, Nagoya, Fukuoka and other big cities. A Suica, Pasmo or Toica you already own works the same way in Osaka. iPhone users can add ICOCA or Suica in Apple Wallet; either works on every Osaka gate. Many Osaka Metro and Nankai gates also take tap-to-pay credit cards.

PiTaPa, the cards Osaka residents use, is postpaid and not available to visitors. With paper tickets, buy the fare shown on the map above the machines; if you underpay, settle up at the yellow fare-adjustment machine before the gate.

The maths: three subway rides across the centre at 240 yen each cost 720 yen, so the weekday Enjoy Eco Card at 820 yen only pays from the fourth ride; at weekends it pays from the third. The Amazing Pass’s transport value rarely exceeds 1,000 yen a day, so the other 2,500 yen has to come from the free entries (such as the Umeda Sky Building, the Osaka Castle keep and the Tombori river cruise; check the current list); plan a dense sightseeing day or skip it. For day trips, Osaka to Kyoto and back on JR is about 1,160 yen and Osaka to Kobe and back under 1,000 yen, so the Kansai Mini Pass edges ahead over three days of trips. JR’s Kansai Area Pass was withdrawn from sale at the end of September 2026; the Mini and Wide passes replace it. Prices change, so check JR West’s pass pages before you buy.

Kansai International Airport (KIX) sits on an island about 50 km south of the centre. From Terminal 1, cross the walkway to the airport station; Terminal 2, used by some low-cost airlines, is a free shuttle bus away.

Choose by where you are staying: Nankai for Namba and Shinsaibashi, Haruka for Umeda, Shin-Osaka or straight to Kyoto, the bus if you have heavy bags and your hotel is on a bus route. The last trains to central Osaka leave around 11pm to midnight. Foreign visitors buy the discounted Haruka ticket online or from JR ticket machines at the airport with a passport.

Osaka International Airport, called Itami, handles domestic flights. Limousine buses reach Osaka Station and Namba in roughly 25 to 40 minutes, or take the Osaka Monorail to Hotarugaike and change to the Hankyu Takarazuka Line for Osaka-Umeda, about 30 to 40 minutes in total.

Shin-Osaka, three subway stops north of Umeda, is the shinkansen station. Nozomi trains reach Tokyo in about 2 hours 30 minutes and Kyoto in about 14 minutes, and run west to Hiroshima (about 1 hour 20 minutes) and Hakata. For Kyoto alone the JR Special Rapid from Osaka Station is nearly as quick door to door and far cheaper. Bags over 160 cm in combined dimensions need an oversized-baggage seat reservation; the rules are in Japan trains and the JR Pass.

Taxis are plentiful at every station rank. The flagfall is around 500 to 600 yen depending on the company, with about 20 percent extra from 10pm to 5am. Doors open automatically and tips are not expected. The GO, Uber and DiDi apps summon licensed cabs. Umeda to Namba costs roughly 2,000 to 2,500 yen.

Walking is the best way to see Minami. From Namba Station it is five minutes to the Ebisu Bridge on Dotonbori and the Shinsaibashi-suji covered arcade, which runs about 600 m north to Shinsaibashi. South of Namba, follow Sakaisuji through Den Den Town’s electronics shops to Shinsekai and Tsutenkaku: about 2 km and 30 minutes. In Kita, Osaka Station to Nakanoshima’s riverside is a 15-minute walk. Osaka Castle park is big, so get off at Morinomiya or Tanimachi 4-chome for the keep rather than Osakajokoen.

Luggage: coin lockers at every major station cost roughly 300 to 800 yen a day by size, and fill by mid-morning at Namba and Osaka stations. Ecbo Cloak and similar apps book space in shops and hotels, and Yamato’s hand-carry delivery (takkyubin) sends bags from your hotel to the next one or the airport overnight, useful before a Kyoto or Koyasan stay.

Universal Studios Japan is on the JR Yumesaki Line. From Osaka Station, direct trains run to Universal City in about 15 minutes; otherwise take any Loop Line train to Nishikujo and change, about 190 yen. Buy park tickets and any Express Pass online in advance. The rest of the Osaka Bay Area, including the Kaiyukan, is a short ferry or a subway ride away.

Osaka is the most convenient base in Kansai for day trips:

• Kyoto: JR Special Rapid from Osaka Station (about 30 minutes, about 580 yen) for Kyoto Station, or Hankyu from Umeda and Keihan from Yodoyabashi for Gion.
• Nara: Kintetsu from Osaka-Namba (about 40 minutes) arrives closest to the deer and Todai-ji; JR Yamatoji Rapid from Tennoji or Osaka suits JR pass holders.
• Kobe: JR to Sannomiya in about 20 minutes, or Hanshin and Hankyu for slightly less. Combine with Mount Rokko or the Arima onsen.
• Himeji: JR Special Rapid takes about an hour; the shinkansen from Shin-Osaka takes about 30 minutes. Himeji Castle is a 15-minute walk up the main street.
• Koyasan: Nankai Koya Line from Namba to Gokurakubashi (about 1 hour 30 minutes by limited express, longer by express), then cable car and bus to the temple town and Kongobu-ji. The Nankai Koyasan World Heritage Ticket bundles the train, cable car and local buses; check Nankai’s site for the current cable car service before you go. Better as an overnight temple stay than a day trip.

Sakai, for kofun tombs and knives, is 15 minutes south on Nankai or the Hankai tram. For the wider Kansai network see getting around Japan.

Google Maps handles Osaka transit well: it gives the platform, the transfer, the exit and the IC fare, and knows the private railways as well as JR. Navitime Japan Travel lets you filter routes to the lines your pass covers. The Osaka Metro app has English station maps with exits and elevators, and JR West’s WESTER app shows live JR delays and lets you book the Haruka. GO is the main taxi app.

Almost every Metro and JR station has an elevator route from street to platform, and staff will lay a boarding ramp if you ask at the gate, phoning ahead so someone meets you at your destination. Allow an extra 15 minutes for Umeda’s underground maze.

Osaka travel guide · Food