6.5 A Bit Disappointed with Kansai Airport#

A Leisurely Farewell#

Our return flight was scheduled for 3:15 PM. Staying true to our “laid-back” travel philosophy, we arranged no itinerary after breakfast and headed straight for the airport.

Getting to Kansai International Airport (KIX) from Kobe is quite convenient. Apart from the high-speed ferry, we opted for the airport bus. Although we encountered a bit of traffic, adding about ten minutes to the expected one-hour journey, we still arrived well before 12:00 PM. We were even there before the airline counters opened for check-in (which is 3 hours before departure, i.e., 12:15 PM).

The Pre-Security Letdown#

Standing in the departure hall, my first impression was that it felt “desolate.” Apart from a few convenience stores and shops selling essentials, there were almost no shops to browse or decent restaurants to be found. Compared to Hong Kong International Airport or other city airports in Japan we are familiar with, there was a significant gap in the richness of amenities.

So, we completed our check-in and immigration procedures as early as possible, pinning our hopes on the airside (the restricted area after security), assuming a wealth of duty-free shops and restaurants would be waiting for us there.

The Post-Security Frustration#

After smoothly passing through security and immigration, the scene before us was indeed livelier than outside—but the direction seemed a bit off.

The newly renovated international airside of Kansai Airport is full of modern flair, but it is lined with international luxury brands like Chanel, Dior, and Louis Vuitton. For us, who wanted to buy some authentic local souvenirs (omiyage) or small trinkets, these high-priced boutiques were clearly not what we were looking for.

The biggest headache was “food.” We had originally looked forward to enjoying a final, sumptuous lunch before leaving Japan, but to our surprise, the dining options in the restricted area were pitifully scarce. The vast majority were cafes serving fast food or expensive Western restaurants. For two vegetarians like us, it was even more difficult. In the end, we barely managed to find a noodle shop and ordered two bowls of the simplest udon, hastily finishing the final meal of this trip.

A “Gift” from the Delay#

After lunch, we already had plenty of time, and then the flight was delayed by several dozen minutes. Suddenly, the wait became even longer.

My wife decided to seize the last opportunity to browse the few souvenir shops available, hoping to scour for some mementos—although the selection was far less rich than expected, it was better than nothing.

As for me, faced with those brand-name stores that aroused no interest, I found nothing worth browsing. Bored out of my mind, I found a quiet seat, took out my MacBook, and began writing my travelogue.

On past trips, I usually waited until I returned to Hong Kong and let things settle for a day or two before starting to write. But this “blank time” at Kansai Airport unexpectedly prompted me to switch into writing mode while still on the journey.

Perhaps this was another kind of “gift” given to me by this “boring” airport before parting—it forced me to calm down and begin preserving these memories the very moment the journey ended.