Leaving on a Jet Plane

No.

I'm not.

As much as my parents wish it were true. It isn't.

This one is more about how to get to the airport.

You see there are several exceptionally cheap methods to get to the airport that people ought to be informed about. Or at least people in Kansai.

So the first and my current favorite option is the bus. The regular pay for taking the airport bus on over to Kansai International Airport, from hereon being referred to as KIX, is 2500 yen. This is a one way trip. However, the trip is a little less than an hour and a half and you don't have to worry about your baggage at all and the bus's seats will recline and there is a toilet. So when you are going home or traveling to some place with a long stay and extra baggage, probably the better option for you so you don't have to worry about transporting your baggage as much. The discount deal for this transportation method, is that if you are coming back to Kyoto (note, that price is specific to Kyoto - it is 1500 for Osaka I think and 2000 for Ibarakishi) is that the ticket will be 4000 yen. Yeah, a pretty steep price, but it is 1000 yen off. The deal is only valid for 14 days, so if your travels are more than 2 weeks, it is sort of not worth it, because you will just waste more money and have to buy a new one. Though on the other hand, the guy accepting tickets might not check the date if you are lucky...

The bus schedule and prices for anyone who is interested.

Another way to get to the airport, which I cannot actually boast to have taken though it is my vow for next time, is via train. Which will vary from 1150 to 1830 to 2390 depending on your preference. Pretty much an unreserved seat will cost you 1150 yen, which I am certain that you will be able to find, unless there is a massive hoard of people setting out on an adventure that day. The regular fare of 1830 will guarantee your seat on the train and probably even assign it to you, so when some aimless shmuck without a seat reservation sporting an unreserved seating ticket is sitting in your seat, you can have all that glory of thrusting your little numbered ticket in his unassuming face telling him to high tail it out of there and that the town aint big enough for the both of yous. Ok maybe not all that, but that can be how it might feel. And lastly, the expensive ticket is pretty much the nice car. I have no idea what makes it nicer. Perhaps cushier seats or maybe they have the capacity to lean back, or maybe they come with butlers to take your drink orders for little fruity umbrellaed drinks, nothing like a little pre-vacation wishing before your vacation eh? In any case, those tickets are said to be for green seats, which probably is meant for an entire car of green colored seats, as opposed to green and other variously colored seats intermixed throughout all cars of the train. Though personally, I am a bit lost with this payment system...I am one of those fine upstanding citizens that have the little train/metro money card where, as in most places that have excellent public transportation, I just scan it and walk on through the gates to the proper train. And then it charges me for my journey after I swipe it upon exiting the gates at my destination. However I am under the impression that this special airport train will have an attendant who will come by and make you pay for your ticket once you are seated. So my question would be do you pay twice if you are using my little transport card in addition to paying the money grubbing wench on the train? Well I suppose I shall see on my next venture. In either case, and probably the better of scenarios, you can always buy a ticket at the train station office, at least there, you can buy a unreserved seat if you so desired where I am sure the train wench would charge you for whatever seat you happened to be cushioned in.

This train takes you all of an hour and fifteen minutes to get to the airport, however I would like to point out that it will likely arrive sub-terrain with possibly a bit of walking to the departures and check-ins floors as opposed to the bus which dumps you off right in front of the check in counters. I will edit more of course after my next vacation. 

The only down side to the train is carting that luggage to the actual check in counters, oh and the fact that it only runs once an hour. The bus will run several times an hour and therefore there is always safety in numbers. But then of course, if you miss your train, you can always take the bus as a back up. After all they are located at the same place. 

Also worth a note, a double train fare is cheaper than the special deal for the round trip bus (which is probably why I am curious-and by that I mean confused- about the payment methods and transactions when using the train).
EDIT!
Ok an edit to this one. I found out last weekend it is 2990 to go to the airport from Kyoto via train if you do not change from the Haruka Express. It is only 1830 if you change trains in Osaka, which is also a lot slower I think...

And finally the only other method I have actually taken before now, is the low cost slow train route to the airport. It takes probably more than two hours and you have to transfer like three times, but it is cheap. It costs 1200 yen from Kyoto to the airport, but there are different routes and prices for different areas in the Kansai region, which don't really seem to be well advertised, except for on the bus to and from the second LCC terminal of KIX airport. At least in the Kyoto region, you first start out taking the Hankyu lines heading toward Osaka and alighting at the Awaji station and exiting and transferring to the Nankai lines, from which you will disembark and transfer a final time to board the airport railroad trains. 

Due to the amount of transferring  this process is not recommended for those who have lots of bags. Pretty much used only by those few backpackers who have no money left from their travels in Japan. And people like me of course. 

Also worth a note, it is not really cost efficient to take this method of transportation to the airport and then return home on the bus if your trip will be within two weeks. 1200+2500=just not worth it and go buy a round trip bus ticket 300 yen is just not worth saving if you have to go through that much trouble with your bags. 

Ticket package and tickets for Hankyu and Nankai lines

awesome multilingual paper tail that no one reads

other deals for areas in Kansai

Help! I need a Medic!

This is a handy thing to know that I previously did not know.

Every train station has a first aid box. I would hate to know what kind of accident that you got in on or near a train to require this, but it comforting to know that help is there. By first aid, I do not mean your typical band aids and such, supposedly they have things like crutches, water, and blankets inside. I did try to open it and get a look inside but these guys are locked with only the station manager who has a key.

In Korea in the Seoul subway system they have packs available for many as well as blankets and interestingly enough, gas masks. On the subway TV's there they would frequently display the proper usages and techniques for using the safety equipment. I believe the gas masks might have been an addition after the Tokyo cult gas attack, or possibly just in case of North Korea.
                      
In addition to these awesome gas mask boxes, South Korea has set up emergency phones in all their stations. Usually these phones has two buttons, one for information and one for emergency; however, in the more populated areas and station they have input these large black boxes that offer you information in different languages. A complete touch screen display that tells you attractions and restaurants and rest areas in the local area, the complete Seoul subway map, and most importantly it functioned as a free phone where you could call anyone.
                         

Seoul metro turns out to be very prepared for any situation, where on the other hand the Kansai railways only seem to have provisions for immediate personal injuries. Though the two cannot be compared as Seoul has put a lot more money into their train systems in their metropolis. It is said that the Tokyo metropolitan railways have water and blankets on hand for up to one hundred thousand people (100,000) between its 170 stations.

Also note the green cross. Typically in Japan and Korea, medical services are denoted with a green cross. Not a red one. You will often see hospital buildings with a very large green cross upon it.

The strangest stranger I have never met

There is a story I have been meaning to tell you.

This is the history of what is, to date, the strangest, most singular, occurrence since my arrival in Japan. 

It was afternoon on a Sunday, and I spent the morning shopping in Umeda celebrating my first paycheck. After departing home again for Kyoto and further adventuring, I made my way to the train station. I was occupied with my phone as I made my approach toward the train station escalator, when a man called out "Hello!" in a very big voice. As the most plausible English speaker in the vicinity, I slowed and searched around for the owner of the voice. I saw him then descending the stairs adjacent to the escalator at my feet. 

I waited a moment as he rushed toward me, a man in his middle thirties in casual dress. As he approached he thrust out his hand, again repeating "Hello!" It appeared as though he recognized me, though I could not return the favor. He seemed as much a stranger to me as would nutella to marmite. 

In his hands were a sad slightly deflated green balloon, fastened to a yellow plastic stick, and a bag which he shuffled about for a minute or so in order to shake my hand. 

It became evident that there was something he really wanted to say to me but had become uncertain--either he did not know how to express himself to a foreigner or he was as confused as I was. Nevertheless, he proceeded in Japanese to say a few lines to me, to which I automatically replied, assuming he was asking my country of origin. Thus, without listening for any key Japanese words that I may know to help me decipher his inquiries, I just blurted out "America-jin desu." Now we were both sincerely confused and all efforts of communication were proving useless. 

Balloon in hand, he gestured to me. I was under the impression he really wanted to give me the balloon. However, he was also hesitant. But since we were currently in front of the escalator and blocking  the traffic of anyone who wished to hop aboard, he made another small gesture to me to follow him and move away from whatever inconvenience we might soon cause. You see, today was special; an event was taking place which coincided with the train station. This being the case, there was also an inordinate amount of families and children milling about. Presumably, this festival was where the balloon originated. 

The man peered at me with an ever greater amount of hesitation. Perhaps he was trying to decide if he mistook me for someone else? But his internal conflict was resolved and he decided that he was not mistaken and I am just the person he believed me to be. He continued walking into the bike parking lot, immediately perpendicular to the station, at a slow pace. 

He lead me to a small opening between two buildings. Before I continue, I would like to remind you that it was still daylight and there were many families about. Additionally, I was still on the phone, and though I had halted my end of that conversation, the recipient end can still hear everything going on. It is evident that he had been to this location before as he called to someone who was just beyond the gated gap between the buildings. Following his exclamation, about four or five train station personnel in their official blue suits and white gloves appeared.  

The man conversed with these new faces for a brief instant and the balloon was passed between them. Comprehension dawned on their faces and gratitude followed suit. They immediately began to bow and apologize to me, as well as thank me. Now I must admit I was at the height of my confusion; clearly, I could not be whomever they believed me to be, so I immedaitely attempted to reject their sincerest efforts, but it was of no use. They were adamant. 

Well I made for a quick exit and back pedal from the situation before it went any further. I slowly recovered the twenty or so paces to the escalator and, as I did, I see my mystery balloon man, to whom I was never properly introduced, walk a few paces and halt to bend and pick up a lose piece of plastic. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him return to that same gateway to the train station personnel. Whatever the case, I was positive it certainly did not concern me and I proceeded making my way to Kyoto, my conversation resumed.