Naha early morning departure (domestic)

Good morning.
I am booked on an early morning domestic flight from Naha airpot due to depart 7.15.

As there seem to be no hotels near the airport I stay near the monorail. The first train seem to arrive the airport at 6.16, leaving barely an hour to departure.

Is this enough or are there any other options like limo bus? Or should I go by taxi?

I travel alone with a suitcase and a smaller backpack.

One hour is early enough!

In case of the major airlines, check-in is available until 20 minutes before departure and you should be passing security 15 minutes before departure and be at the gate 10 minutes before departure. Some of the cheap airlines have slightly stricter rules. Check their website.

Agree, 1 h is enough. Japanese airports are well organized.

Enjoy your trip to Japan!

Thank you for your information.

I have never been to any domestic airport in Japan before only the bigger international airports of Narita and Kansai. I remember the walking from check in to the gate was very far and queues through security and to the people mover at Kansai was so long I nearly missed my flight...

What's Naha airport like? Is there any breakfast option or maybe bento box to buy near the gate area? As breakfast starts at the hotel way beyond my check out I must fill my empty stomach somehow :)

What's Naha airport like?
Small :
http://www.okinawa-information.com/naha-airport-oka-okinawa

Is there any breakfast option or maybe bento box to buy near the gate area?
Lawson on 1st floor, opens 07:00 :
http://www.naha-airport.co.jp/en/terminal/international/

Airports in Japan have only convenience stores after security. If you wish to have a meal in one of the restaurants, they are located in the main area before security.

I suppose there is not very much time to eat something as much for such a short time.

Unless going from the restaurant to the gate takes a few minutes only. Being at the gate by 7.00..

Is it expected to be busy early at the morning?

Airports in Japan have only convenience stores after security. If you wish to have a meal in one of the restaurants, they are located in the main area before security.

Well, after security there is no "restaurants" but you can eat something other than convenience store food. This is an example in Naha airport.

https://www.anafesta.com/restaurant/naha_gate1food/

Opens from 6:30.

Okinawa soba 700 yen
Beef bowl 700 yen
Pork curry 930 yen.

Hiroshima Airport also sells soba and udon in their ANA Festa. You are correct, frog1954.

Just don�ft forget that you will probably have to have your check in bags x-rayed and tagged before you get to the check in desk.
Look around and you�fll see the other passengers doing it.
If, like me, you don�ft expect that to happen because you�fve not come across it before, it can eat up a bit of time when you have to leave the check in queue and then join another queue and then rejoin the check in queue

@frog,
Too bad I am not using ANA for transport :(

Just because you're not using ANA doesn't mean you aren't allowed to use their convenience stores! You can use any store in the airport!

Yes, as Winter Visitor stated, small airports in Japan scan your checked luggage before you check in at the desk. Has happened to me in Hiroshima, Okayama, Tottori, Misawa, Sapporo/Chitose....

Hmm, when does check in open ? I managed to find the Japanese page (which have more info than the English one). Seems most shops and restaurants opens not until 6.30 anyway.

One thing I noted, why is the check in on 3rd floor while the security is on 2nd floor?? Seems a bit... off...

AFter security there seem to be a few shops, depending on where you are going (JAL, ANA, Skymarks...)

ANA Fiesta, Starbucks, Snack Corner Shugetsu (Bento and soba, etc), Coralway (Local food, snack, etc), Blue Sky (Bento, soba, snack, etc).

@Winter visitor

Oh my, maybe I should get a taxi to the airport instead to spare some time??

Should I go directly to the x-ray machine instead? Or do I still have to go to the check in queue at first? Sounds like I will have to queue twice otherwise...

Are there no earlier buses to the airport from central Naha?

in theory one hour is enough, but most people forget to have a risk factor. I mean going to the airport still a delay of transport can happen. Is this a risk you can take, than no problem.
You can also take a taxi to the airport.

RTFP - X-ray then check in

Too bad I am not using ANA for transport :(

The airside (after security) in Naha airport is, like many other airports in Japan, has no barrier within it, so you can access to this shop even you will use the other side (gate A, south side. ANA side is north side, Gate B) of the airport.

I can not find comprehensive page for the shops after security, but this page explains how they are. These are the same as Swish wrote I think.

https://okinawa-labo.com/nahaairport-securitycheckpoint-19877

North side (ANA side, gate B)

Starbucks
ANA festa

South side (JAL side, gate A).

Coralway (Sandwiches, bento, etc)
BLUE SKY gate 21 (JAL version of ANA festa)

There are some convenience stores/fast foods before security. As Swish stated, they open at 6:30 in general.

I would rather be there earler if possible. Seems the closest hotel lies outside Akamine station, one stop from the airport but still means monorail, or perhaps taxi is cheap enough from that area... haha...

I suppose it is not possible to walk from Akamine to the airport (it is roughly 2 km though...).

Again, there are no early morning buses to the airport?

@frog,

Oh, that makes sense. I thought you were stuck with the airline side. Thanks for the enlightenment :)

Also, the airport is generally not busy yet at that time of the day (that is also why many stores aren't even open yet). Security is likely to be very quick.