Icoca & Haruka

Icoca & Haruka is a discount ticket offer for foreign visitors who use Osaka's Kansai Airport. It provides transportation between the airport and Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe or Nara by the JR Haruka limited express train and other JR trains. The offer can be enjoyed only in combination with an Icoca prepaid card which travelers either already own or newly purchase.

Icoca & Haruka
Service Area	Section traveled by Haruka	One way	Round trip
Osaka	Airport - Tennoji	1200 yen	2400 yen
	Airport - Osaka	1600 yen	3200 yen
	Airport - Shin-Osaka	1600 yen	3200 yen
Kyoto	Airport - Kyoto	1800 yen	3600 yen
Kobe	Airport - Osaka	1700 yen	3400 yen
Nara	Airport - Tennoji	1600 yen	3200 yen
Purchase of an Icoca prepaid card costs an additional 2000 yen per person.

Validity

Ticket for airport transportation

1. The ticket allows you to travel between Kansai Airport and any station in the selected service area (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe or Nara), using the JR Haruka limited express train along the selected section and other JR trains (except limited express and shinkansen trains). The four service areas are displayed on the map below:

2. One-way tickets can be purchased for travel in either direction (from or to the airport) and are valid only on the day of purchase.
3. Round trip tickets are valid for up to 14 calendar days and are sold only at Kansai Airport.
4. Seat reservations for the Haruka limited express train can be made for free.

Icoca prepaid card

1. Travelers have to either already own an Icoca prepaid card or purchase one in order to profit from the discount offer.
2. When newly purchased, the Icoca card initially has a value of 2000 yen, which is made up of a refundable deposit of 500 yen and an initial balance of 1500 yen that can be used on most JR and non-JR urban trains and buses in Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe (and many other cities in Japan). The card can be recharged at ticket machines.
3. The card's 500 yen deposit (and the remaining balance minus a 220 yen handling fee) can be refunded at any JR ticket counter in the Greater Osaka region (including Kansai Airport). Alternatively, the balance remains valid for ten years without the card being used.

Eligibility

Icoca & Haruka can be used only by foreign temporary visitors to Japan. A passport has to be presented at the time of purchase. It cannot be used by residents of Japan.

Point of sale

Icoca & Haruka can be purchased only at the JR ticket offices of Kansai Airport, Osaka Station, Shin-Osaka Station, Tennoji Station, JR Namba Station, Kyoto Station, Nara Station and Kobe's Sannomiya Station. Round trip tickets are sold only at Kansai Airport.

Assessment

Icoca & Haruka is a very good deal for foreign travelers who wish to use the comfortable Haruka limited express train to/from Kansai Airport. Compared to regular tickets for the Haruka train, it provides almost a 50 percent discount. Budget travelers note, however, that there are cheaper ways to travel to and from Kansai Airport.

Alternative tickets

When booking Haruka train tickets through the online service Klook, you can profit from the same discount fares even without using an Icoca card.