Sleeping At The Kansai International Airport

     

             In my previous trips abroad, I’d experienced sleeping at airports since most of my arrivals were scheduled late at night and I didn’t want to pay for an accommodation during the first night since there’s only few hours left before I’d start my tours first thing in the morning. Although this practice saves me money it is not the most comfortable thing to do. In Beijing International airport I wondered if the heater wasn’t working because it was so cold I ended up people watching. The following morning I suffered the consequences not just in climbing the great wall but also in taking pictures of my sleep-deprived self. I promised not to do it again. Before I flew to Japan, I had booked a single private room in a hostel on my first night. However , I was having second thoughts. I knew I only had few hours to clear the immigration,change my money to yen, buy the Kansai Thru Pass, get lost until the train stations close. It was daunting to get out of the airport late at night and find my way in a city as huge as Osaka so I decided at the last minute not to show up at the hostel.(Warning: You have to cancel your booking within the timeframe given otherwise you’ll still get charge the full amount. Good thing the hostel was considerate enough and didn’t charge me the full amount.)
            We landed at Kansai International Airport and I’d read online that it’s possible to spend the night at the airport. They suggested the area on the second floor near the airport police and the Lawson store.After I toured the airport I looked for the said spot.             

    

             Be warned though that the police would wake you up anytime to check on your passport. The one who checked mine didn’t speak English and just wrote the word “travel” on a piece of paper. When I read it I just nodded and went back to sleep. The seats at the airport are so comfortable that I didn’t have a hard time sleeping.There were also Filipino families on their way to Nagoya  who spent the night at the airport with their kids.

            At 5:30 AM a toddler singing what sounded like” twinkle ,twinkle  little stars” in Japanese woke me up.I looked for the Airport Lounge where they have shower rooms. It was just few meters from where I was sleeping.For Y500/15mins  I got to shower.I was worried though because I knew 15mins wouldn’t be enough for me to shower and dry myself. I asked the reception how long I could stay in the room after I shower and to my relief they said” up to an hour”.They handed me a basket with the coin that I had to insert into the shower ,the key to the shower room,towel and blower.

The staff are so welcoming and very polite

Spacious shower room

             The shower actually has a timer which stops when you are not using the water and you could just press the start  button when you have to use it again. Very convenient! Kansai International airport is  really a homeless friendly airport.

There are also lockers for rent at the airport