Saturday, November 5, 2016

Shikoku Autumn 2014 四国秋季之旅 - Kochi Ryoma Airport 高知龍馬空港


Kochi Ryoma Airport (KCZ), is located about 30 minutes away by bus from Kochi JR Station.

There are about 10 round trips per day, operated by ANA and JAL, commuting between Haneda Airport and Kochi Ryoma Airport. Duration of flight is approx 1 hr 20 mins - 1 hr 30 mins. At this point of time, Kochi Ryoma Airport only serves domestic flights from Tokyo, Osaka (Itami Airport 伊丹空港), Fuokuoka and Nagoya. For my trip, I took the evening flight from Kochi Ryoma Airport to Haneda Domestic Airport and transferred to the international route back to Singapore. 

Domestic terminals are typically much smaller in scale, equipped with a handful of restaurants and shops. Arrived at the airport earlier to make last minute purchase of locally made souvenirs (in fact, I bought a box full of goodies!) before checking in. Foreigners are entitled to duty free shopping for total purchase of more than 5,000 yen (before tax is included).

Do you know? Domestic airports are found all over Japan; and some of them have been given another name/re-named to include names of attractions or people that are unique to that particular area which the airport resides in. Just to list a few which I am aware of:

  • Kochi Ryoma Airport is named after the legendary figure, Sakamoto Ryoma (坂本龍馬). Born in Kochi in 1836, he made great contributions to the rapid modernisation of Japan which marked the end of 700 years of feudal government.
  • Tokushima Awa Odori Airport (徳島阿波おどり空港) is named after the well known traditional dance, Awa Odori, which is celebrated every year in the month of August.
  • Kumamoto Airport in Kyushu is also known as Aso Kumamoto Airport (阿蘇くまもと空港). Kumamoto is where Mt Aso, the largest active volcano in Japan, is found. 
  • Yonago Kitaro Airport (米子鬼太郎空港) in Chugoku is named after the famous character, Kitaro, from the manga series GeGeGe no Kitaro (ゲゲゲの鬼太郎). This airport is located near to Sakaiminato city, where Mizuki Shigeru, the creator of GeGeGe no Kitaro, grew up in. 
  • Tottori Airport in Chugoku is also known as Tottori Sakyu Conan Airport (鳥取砂丘コナン空港). Tottori has the largest sand dunes in Japan and is where Gosho Aoyama, the creator of the famous manga series Detective Conan, was born.

How to get there? 

(1) Airport Limousine Bus 空港連絡バス
Bus frequency is excellent with a bus service operated every half hourly interval.
- At Kochi Eki Bus Terminal 高知駅バスターミナル, board the bus at platform 6. Bus also picks up passengers at Hasuike machi dori 蓮池町通 and Harimayabashi はりまや橋. Stayed at 7 Days Hotel during my trip and the nearest bus stop to board the airport limousine bus was at Hasuike machi dori 蓮池町通.
- Takes about 30 minutes by bus from Kochi JR Station and cost 720 yen.

Website (in Japanese): http://www.tosaden.co.jp/bus/airport.php

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Kochi Ryoma Airport 高知龍馬空港
〒783-0096 高知県南国市久枝乙58番地
http://www.kochiap.co.jp/en/



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Commemorative stamps:

 



 



 



 


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