RoamMelb team, tested on our own trip · 7 November 2026

Arriving in Osaka (Kansai): Visit Japan Web scams, KIX to Umeda, Suica on your phone and the new tax refund rules

Last month I flew from Hong Kong into Osaka's Kansai International Airport (KIX) and stayed in Umeda. This guide follows the order you will experience it: the arrival form, getting into the city, a transport card, staying online and paying. It also covers how I nearly paid a fake website for a form that is free.

1. Before you fly: use the official Visit Japan Web only

Visit Japan Web is the Japanese government's free online service for your immigration and customs declarations. Fill it in before you fly and you get a QR code to show on arrival, which is faster than paper forms.

Official site: services.digital.go.jp/en/visit-japan-web/

The trap I fell into: the first result when I googled "Visit Japan Web" was a third-party site. I filled in every field, and at the final step it asked for payment. An official government form doesn't charge, so I backed out, searched again and realised I had been on the wrong site. These sites pay for ads, so they sit at the top of the results.

• Australian and Hong Kong SAR passport holders can visit Japan visa-free for short tourist stays; check the Immigration Services Agency of Japan for the permitted length of stay
• Japan passed its JESTA electronic travel authorisation law in 2026, but it is not expected to start until 2028 at the earliest. You don't need it now, and you should ignore any site offering paid "early registration"

2. KIX to Umeda: I took the airport bus

I took the Airport Limousine Bus, ¥1,800 straight to Umeda. Your suitcase goes underneath, the driver gives you a baggage ticket, and you match the number when you collect it. No changes on the way.

The ride is about 60 to 70 minutes, longer if the expressway is busy.

Other options:

• JR Haruka limited express: direct to Osaka Station in about 47 minutes, ¥2,710 standard fare (a discounted visitor ticket must be bought before you arrive in Japan)
• JR Kansai Airport Rapid: cheaper and works with an IC card, but slower with more stops
• Nankai Railway: goes to Namba, not Umeda, so you need to change to the subway

3. Why stay in Umeda

Umeda (JR Osaka Station) is the transport hub of the Kansai region, with shopping and food all around it. Direct trains run to:

• Kyoto: about 30 minutes on the JR Special Rapid
• Kobe (Sannomiya): about 20 minutes on the JR Special Rapid
• Nara: about 50 minutes on JR

Each trip costs only a few hundred yen.

Eating out is good value too. At a casual yakiniku (Japanese barbecue) place, Daimatsu in Shibata, Umeda, beef, pork, chicken, cold noodles and cucumber kimchi came to ¥2,838 including tax (about A$26). In Melbourne that would barely cover one person. A bottle of water at a convenience store is about ¥100, cheaper than at home.

4. Transport card: Suica on your phone

I added a Suica card to Apple Wallet on my iPhone, with no physical card needed, and topped it up with Apple Pay.

• Kansai's own card is ICOCA, but Suica works interchangeably on JR, the subway and buses
• Limited expresses such as Haruka and Nankai's Rapi:t need a separate ticket

5. Staying online: an Asia eSIM, just like home

I used the RoamMelb Asia plan. From landing at KIX to the city, Kyoto and Nara, it never dropped out and felt as fast as at home, which matters for maps, train times and QR payments.

Screenshot your Visit Japan Web QR code before you fly, so a crowded airport connection can't hold you up. New to eSIMs? Read our iPhone eSIM install guide, and our earlier post on one Asia eSIM across Osaka, Kyoto and Shenzhen.

6. Paying: Australian and Hong Kong cards both work

• Australian cards: Visa and Mastercard are accepted almost everywhere. My CommBank Ultimate credit card has no international transaction fee, which makes it a good card for Japan
• Hong Kong UnionPay cards: I paid by scanning PayPay QR codes with the UnionPay app, and most shops in the city accept this
• Some PayPay merchants refuse overseas cards: the Matsumoto Kiyoshi pharmacy at the airport did. Paying with Apple Pay on their card terminal instead worked fine

7. Shopping and tax refunds: new rules from November 2026

Retail prices in Japan are already a little lower than in Australia, and with tax off the same pair of shoes worked out roughly 20 to 30% cheaper.

When I went last month, the old system still applied: show your passport and the tax is taken off in store. From 1 November 2026 Japan switched to a refund system:

• You pay the full tax-inclusive price in store
• You complete a customs procedure when you leave Japan, and the tax is refunded to your card or another payment method
• Goods must be bought within 90 days before departure

It's one extra step, so leave time at the airport on your departure day.

I also visited Rinku Premium Outlets near the airport, but the discounts were only average and it isn't worth a special trip. If you have a few hours before your flight, it's an option.

8. Flying home

Japan's departure tax (the International Tourist Tax) rose from ¥1,000 to ¥3,000 on 1 July 2026. It's normally included in your airfare.

Pitfalls to avoid

1. Filling in a third-party "Visit Japan Web" site and only being asked to pay at the last step
2. Assuming you can change freely between JR, Nankai and the subway; switching companies usually means exiting and re-entering gates
3. Dragging a suitcase through train changes on day one; the airport bus is easier
4. Tapping Suica for Haruka or Rapi:t; they need a separate ticket
5. Some airport shops' PayPay won't take overseas cards; use Apple Pay on the card terminal
6. Forgetting the new tax refund rules; allow time at the airport

FAQ