If you are on Shikoku Island and want to fly to Tokyo, Seoul, Naha (Okinawa) or Kagoshima then you might find yourself using Takamatsu Airport. There is no train there so you’ll either have to get a taxi or the bus.
The Takamatsu Airport Limousine Bus costs ¥690 from Kawaramachi station and departs from stop 2. You can buy the ticket from the booth near the bus stop, or just buy it from the driver. Above is what the bus looks like from the outside and inside. And on the right is what the tickets look like.
Here is the outside of Takamatsu Airport when you arrive there by bus.
It was very busy when we got there (school holidays) so we used an ANA automated check in machine. We just had to scan the bar code of the receipt (we’d booked via the Japanese KNT travel agent), confirm our seats, and the tickets came out. As this was a Japanese domestic flight there was no need to show anyone our passports, or alien registration cards.
Note – The ANA check-in machines have an English option, but the JAL ones don’t!
We still had over an hour before our flight so we explored the airport. In the lounge we found this artwork which is part of the Setouchi International Art Festival.
On the way to the plane viewing platform you can see the airport shops from above.
If you want to go into the plane viewing area you need to pay ¥100, but it hardly seems worth it as there are so few planes at this airport!
Here is another shot of the viewing area, and you can see the large Takamatsu sign from the back. No planes though!
Security was very simple. There was no queue, they just put the bags through the X-ray, and we walked though the metal detector. At the time we flew (August 2010) there were no restrictions on bringing liquids onto domestic Japanese flights. This is much more civilised than the usual Western system of only allowing 100ml containers onto the flights, and making you give up your water before you go air-side.
On the left is what it looks air-side. Just rows of seats, and a few tiny shops. They also have phones on the windows so that you can say good bye to any relatives who are on the other side.
Right on time we were able to get onto the plane and fly off to Naha, Okinawa.
