How much does it cost to travel from Osaka to Fukuoka? photo

Despite their locations on separate islands of Japan, there are plenty of travel options connecting the two major urban centers of Osaka and Fukuoka. As there should be. These are two of the most vibrant cities in Japan - both important centers of trade, business, culture and entertainment. In Fukuoka, Japan has an important entry point for travellers from Asia (Fukuoka being the closest major urban center in Japan to the mainland). It is, accordingly then, one of the most international and cosmopolitan parts of the country. Let’s try to answer the question then, "How much does it cost to travel from Osaka to Fukuoka?" (All costs and fares listed below are in Japanese Yen).

*NB - This post was updated as of Sep 2017

Flights from Osaka

(Prices here are based on booking one month in advance, directly from the airline.)

Most flight departures from Osaka to Fukuoka use Itami Airport / 伊丹空港 (ITM) (also known as Osaka International Airport), although there are some services that operate out of Kansai International Airport / 関西国際空港 (KIX). Fukuoka is accessed via Fukuoka Airport (FUK). The flight time from Osaka to Fukuoka is around 1 hrs 15 mins.

Low Cost Carriers

Out of the LCC options we could only find Peach and Jetstar running services. The table below lists the costs of flights from Itami Airport to Fukuoka Airport.

	one-way	return
Peach	4,300 - 9,330	8,950 - 18,110
Jetstar	from 4,690	from 9,380

Flag Carriers

Most flights operated by ANA and JAL depart from Itami Airport.

ANA

	One way	Return
Flex Fare	24,600	49,200
Flex Round trip Fare	N/A	44,600
Basic Fare	14,200	27,900
Value Fare	11,200	23,000
Premium Flex Fare	31,900	63,800
Premium Basic Fare	19,200	38,400
Premiu Value Fare	18,200	37,100

JAL

One way	One way J Class	Return	Return J Class
11,200 - 14,700	17,200	23,000 - 27,500	34,300

Fukuoka City Subway Kuko Line trains from Fukuoka Airport run to Hakata Station (for the Shinkansen) and Tenjin Station. The fare is 260 yen and journey times are ~ 6 min and ~ 11 min respectively. The airport is only around 1 km east of Hakata Station so walking might be an option.

Shinkansen from Osaka to Fukuoka

The Sanyō Shinkansen connects the Osaka area (from Shin-Osaka Station) with Fukuoka (arriving at Hakata Station). Some of the Tokaido Shinkansen services continue on from Shin-Osaka to Hakata.

Train	Unreserved seat	Reserved seat	Green car	Time
Mizuho	14,480	15,110	21,270	~ 145
Nozomi	14,480	15,110	21,270	~ 150
Hikari	14,480	14,800	20,960	~ 155
Sakura	14,480	14,800	20,960	~ 160

How much does it cost to return on the Shinkansen? Just double the prices above.

The Japan Rail Pass can be used on Sakura and Hikari Shinkansen, not Nozomi or Mizuho.

Using local trains to get from Osaka to Fukuoka

A combination of local / rapid / express trains for travel from Osaka to Fukuoka (Hakata) will cost around 10,000 yen. The journey could take up to 12 hours. While there are savings to be made by travelling this way, the time is takes will likely render it senseless for most. Consider using the Seishun 18 Kippu / 青春１８切符 during holiday periods to break up the trip maybe making stops at some of the following - Kobe, Himeji, Okayama, Onomichi, Hiroshima - along the way. The ticket works out at 2,370 yen for a day of unlimited travel on local trains. A "5-day" pack costs 11,850 yen. Find out for about this ticket in an earlier post on City-Cost: Make A Cheap Getaway On The Seishun 18 Ticket.

Bus services from Osaka to Fukuoka

English-language friendly WILLER operate night bus services from Osaka (WBT Umeda) and Fukuoka (Hakata Station). Journey times range from around 8 - 10 hours.

Example fares ...

Seat	One-way fare
Comodo	~ 6,500
RELAX	~ 4,300
RELAX[NEW]	~ 4,200

If you can handle the Japanese, BUSReserve.JP might have other deals. At the time of research this booking platform was listing services to Fukuoka from 6,000 yen.

Driving from Osaka to Fukuoka

Expect to pay around 13,000 - 15,000 yen in highway / expressway tolls for the drive from Osaka to Fukuoka. Those who know the way, might be able to complete this trip in ~ 7 hrs. The drive might start from the Osaka / Umeda Station areas. Around here you can get on the Hanshin Expressway No.11 at Umeda (梅田) junction. On the outskirts of Osaka this will join the Chugoku Expressway which one could follow all the way to the waters between Honshu and Kyushu. A shorter route might be to get off that and join the Sanyo Expressway (which runs closer to the Inland Sea) before rejoining the Chugoku as you approach Shimonoseki. After making the crossing from Honshu to Kyushu join the Kyushu Expressway to the outskirts of Fukuoka / Hakata. Get off at Fukuoka Junction (福岡) around 6 km northeast of Hakata Station. We checked the journey times and expressway tolls with the Nippon Expressway Company (NEXCO). Available in Japanese only.

How much does it cost to rent a car in Japan? Quite a lot if making a pick up / drop off in separate locations. Budget around 45,000 yen for a k-car rental with a pick up in the Umeda area and drop off at Hakata Station, over a period of one day. Compare this with around 25,000 yen for the same vehicle with a pick up / drop off at the Umeda area over a period of four days.

*NB - This post was updated as of Sep 2017

Can you answer the question, "How much does it cost to travel From Osaka to Fukuoka?" Share your ideas and Japan travel tips below.

Further reading ...

The 10 best things to do in Osaka and how much they cost to enter

Check out our ‘How Much | Travel’ series for destinations from Tokyo and beyond

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How much does it cost from Osaka to Kobe and Himeji?

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