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Osaka City Air Terminal "OCAT" is a multi-purpose commercial complex in Minatomachi, Naniwa Ward of Osaka City.
OCAT is one of the largest bus terminals in western Japan. It is housing South Osaka's inter-city bus terminal, six floors of shops, restaurants, travel agencies and tourist offices, and is directly connected to the JR Namba Station. Despite the name of the complex, OCAT is not actually an air terminal itself but part of an extended, inter-connected underground transport hub to Kansai International Airport. |
Osaka City Air Terminal "OCAT"
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From the 2nd floor of the bus terminal, there are buses arriving from and departing to various locations; OCAT shuttle buses to Kansai International Airport, limousine buses to Osaka International Airport and Kobe Airport, and intercity express busses connecting Namba to cities nationwide, from Sendai in the north to Kagoshima in the south.
Highway buses are an inexpensive alternative to trains for long and medium distance travel in Japan. On longer distances many highway buses tend to travel overnight. Buses normally are slower than express trains, but usually considerably cheaper. |
Osaka City Air Terminal "OCAT"
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Because on a few popular routes, especially routes to/from major cities like Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Nagoya bus companies are competing against each other, discount fares have dropped to very low levels.
There is a full-scale rooftop garden with perennial herbs such as lavender and rosemary as well as 10,000 specimens of approximately 200 species of trees, providing an urban oasis for citizens to relax in. The Roof Garden is closed from December to March. |
Osaka City Air Terminal "OCAT"
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OCAT is also the venue for frequent musical performances and its outdoor Ponte Square area is the meeting place and practice area for Osaka's youthful street dance community. Urban dance competitions are held there every August.
AccessNamba Railway Station is within 2 to 5 minutes’ walking distance from OCAT via the Namba Walk - an underground passageway lined with shops, bars and restaurants.
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Namba Walk
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Osaka City Air Terminal "OCAT" - Naniwa-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Prefecture
