On December 5, 2023, the international departure lobby of Terminal 1, the western gateway to Kansai International Airport, was renovated. It will evolve into an even more convenient and enjoyable airport than ever before. Check out the newly renovated areas, stores, and restaurants before your visit to Japan!

Kansai International Airport under renovation starting in 2021. This is the largest scale construction since the opening of the airport: the domestic flight area of Terminal 1 building will open in October 2022. In December 2023, the international departure area of the Terminal 1 building will be reopened, attracting much attention as a place where passengers can fully enjoy their trip to Japan until just before boarding.

The new international departure area consists of the security checkpoint on the 4th floor, the immigration area on the 3rd floor, and the commercial area and boarding gates on the 2nd floor. The immigration area, which was originally divided into north and south sections, has been consolidated into one smooth area, and the space has been redesigned with a Japanese feel.
In the extensively renovated commercial area, the largest walk-through duty-free store area in a Japanese international airport has been opened, as well as 27 stores of various kinds, including luxury brand stores and restaurants serving Japanese cuisine.

KIX DUTY FREE, a walk-through duty free store, offers a wide variety of products including the first Japanese airport duty free store, cosmetics of the world’s top brands, liquors and cigarettes from all over the world, and popular Japanese confectioneries. With so much to see and do, it is inevitable that one’s eyes will wander while walking around! It is also a great place to buy at a discount, so whether you are looking for a treat for yourself or buying additional souvenirs for family and friends, you are sure to find something you like. You will have no regrets about your shopping experience.

KIX DUTY FREE products can be ordered in advance via the web and picked up at the dedicated pick-up counter on the day of departure, for those who want a smooth shopping experience.
You can order up to 3 hours before departure (only for products marked “same day order OK: up to 3 hours before departure”).

For more information, please click here.

Beyond the walk-through duty-free shopping area, the four “Mood Area” are also lined with stores and eateries that match the atmosphere of each area. The Mood Area offers a wide variety of fashion, sundry goods, and souvenirs, so you may want to get there early to enjoy this area! It is also a great place to use up any extra Japanese yen you may have left over.

In the center is the PLAZA, the symbolic space of the new international departure area. The dynamic design is inspired by Japanese architecture, with symbolic roofs and pillars. Benches are placed here so that visitors can take a rest until boarding after fully enjoying shopping and dining.

In the Mood Area, there are many restaurants where you can enjoy Japanese gourmet food. Here are some of our favorites, ranging from the classic to the unusual and innovative!

First up is OnigiriBurger. As the name suggests, OnigiriBurger serves freshly made Japanese-style hamburgers with ingredients sandwiched between rice and nori (seaweed) instead of a bun. The entire menu was developed by a sushi restaurant in Osaka, where reservations are hard to come by. The menu is full of seasonal ingredients such as premium quality Kobe beef, thick fried tofu, fried shrimp, teriyaki chicken, and more! Enjoy the “ultimate Japanese food” only available at Kansai International Airport, where every ingredient has been carefully selected, including rice, seaweed, ingredients, and seasonings.

“Ramen” is one of the most popular Japanese food in Japan! “MENSHO”, which has many overseas branches and has many fans in Japan and abroad, now appears at Kansai International Airport. The unique combination of Japanese and Western ingredients and the bold toppings, such as A5 Japanese beef, on top of ramen noodles will shock you.

We also recommend the diner-style restaurants that serve orthodox Japanese cuisine. “Japanese Shokudo” offers a wide variety of dishes centered on side dishes based on the concept that “good food is good for you”. All of the dishes have a homemade feel and a relaxing, gentle flavor.

If you missed out on sushi during your trip or want to try it again, don’t worry! Don’t worry! There is also a sushi restaurant after the immigration check-in, so you can rush in there before boarding your flight.
The chef at Tsukiji Magoemon is a two-star Michelin-starred chef, and his nigiri and fish dishes are superb, featuring seasonal seafood shipped directly from Toyosu and Maizuru, two of the most famous fishing ports in Japan.

If you want to spend a quiet and relaxing time, go to “Cafe & Bar Wa SAKURA”.
For breakfast, we offer croque-monsieur and French toast with aromatic coffee, and for lunch and café hours, we have a lineup of light meals including beef curry and Neapolitan pizza. In the evening, the restaurant offers a menu of beers, wines, highballs, and other alcoholic beverages, as well as snacks to go with them, so how about a pre-flight drink? The café and bar can be used for various occasions throughout the day, so please feel free to drop by.

In addition to “Cafe & Bar Wa SAKURA”, there is also “KIX BEER”, a craft beer specialty store in Izumisano City where Kansai International Airport is located.

We are glad to see that the renewal has made it possible for passengers to enjoy shopping and dining at their leisure in the airport even after completing departure procedures! If you want to take a good look around the new, powered-up international departure area, we recommend that you leave plenty of time to go through security checkpoints early.

Kansai International Airport will be further renovated in preparation for its grand opening in the spring of 2025; the international security checkpoint area on the 4th floor will now be consolidated and expanded to provide comfortable and smooth security checks. In addition, the international lounge will be renovated and the immigration area will be relocated to complete its main functions! We are looking forward to the continued evolution of Kansai International Airport.

There are two ways to get to Kansai International Airport from Umeda, Osaka, the center of the Kansai region, by train or bus. If you are going by bus, which is an easy way to get around, please refer to the following article.

Buses are an easy way to get from Umeda, Osaka to Kansai International Airport! 5 points to keep in mind when boarding the bus

Kansai International Airport is the perfect place to enjoy Japan to the very end. A new airport experience awaits you, so be sure to add “time to enjoy the airport” to your Japan travel schedule. You are sure to have another fun memory right before you leave Japan.