In anticipation of the Chuseok holiday, my family and I decided to travel to the Kansai region in Japan, specifically Osaka and Kyoto. However, considering the likelihood of many people traveling overseas during the Chuseok holiday, we opted to embark on our journey a week earlier. We planned to spend three nights and four days exploring Osaka and Kyoto as a family. Afterward, I would continue the journey alone, spending an additional three days in Japan, exploring Nara and Kobe, before returning. The decision was primarily driven by the significantly lower airfare for the return flight on September 27th compared to the one on September 24th.
Despite factoring in the additional accommodation costs for the extra three nights, the overall expense turned out to be more economical, making the decision to extend the stay and explore more of the Kansai region after the family trip worthwhile.
“Incheon Airport – Kansai International Airport”
The gateway for our travel to Osaka and Kyoto was Kansai International Airport. Kansai, when read in Chinese characters, becomes “関西,” where “関” means barrier or checkpoint, indicating that it is an international airport in the Kansai region. The Kansai region refers to the area west of the barrier, encompassing regions like Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, and Nara.
This trip to the Kansai region was the first since the pre-COVID-19 era, around September 2018. Everything felt new and exciting.
“Departure from Incheon Airport”
We departed for Kansai from South Korea’s Incheon Airport. The departure process at Incheon Airport remained consistent with previous experiences. Initially, we checked in our luggage and obtained our boarding passes at the airline check-in counter. Afterward, we proceeded through departure security, and that concluded the process.
For this journey, we didn’t make any duty-free purchases in advance, and we had already obtained Japanese yen from a local bank. Additionally, we had pre-purchased Wi-Fi, which would be picked up at Kansai International Airport rather than Incheon Airport, simplifying the process.
As it was morning, there were few people at the airport, and we didn’t need to stand in long lines. We arrived at the airport approximately two hours before the departure time, leaving us with ample time. The flight ended up being delayed by about an hour, resulting in a one-hour reduction in our stay in Japan.
Given that we had already outlined the departure process at Incheon Airport in a previous documentation, you can refer to the information there. However, summarizing the steps for this trip:
- Airline Check-in: Eastar Jet
- Baggage Inspection & Departure Security Screening
- Boarding the Aircraft
Although it was my first international trip since the onset of COVID-19, any apprehensions quickly dissipated as the familiar routine brought back memories of previous travels. The departure process concluded faster than expected, leaving us with some free time. Despite the slight inconvenience due to the flight delay, we utilized the extra time to submit the entry application through the “Visit Japan” website before arriving in Japan.
“Incheon Airport Terminal 1”
- Address: 272 Gonghang-ro, Jung-gu, Incheon
- Phone: 1577-2600
- Website: Incheon Airport
- Departure Date: September 21, 2023