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Here’s a detailed, step-by-step guide to traveling from KANSAI AIRPORT or OSAKA TO CONAN TOWN in Hokuei, Tottori Prefecture, Japan. Hope this helps you plan your trip well or build your DETECTIVE CONAN TOWN ITINERARY!

All thanks to Detective Conan!

Detective Conan (aka Case Closed in many Western countries) was one of the many anime shows that I grew up watching, and even after two decades, it remains one of my absolute favorites. The young detective embodies two of the virtues that I value the most in life: truth and justice.

But truth be told, when the tourism office of Tottori invited us to come visit, we didn’t know anything about the prefecture other than being the hometown of Detective Conan. And we’re not alone in this. Tottori Prefecture isn’t a popular destination for tourists, even domestically. In a world obsessed with giant metropolitan hubs, it’s easy to overlook something as obscure and out-of-the-way as Tottori.

It turned out that Tottori is hiding a world of surprises that appeal to those who enjoy culture, nature, and adventure. (Read: Tottori Travel Guide.) But as a big fan of this animated little boy in a suit and bowtie, our time in CONAN TOWN was surely the highlight of our trip.

CONAN TOWN is actually Hokuei, a small coastal town in Tottori Prefecture. Hokuei is the birth place of the author of Detective Conan, Gosho Aoyama. The town is littered with monuments paying tribute to the manga/anime. If you’re arriving by train, you’ll be using CONAN STATION, a train station completely illustrated with characters from the beloved manga. Don’t forget to visit Conan’s House, Beika Shopping Street, and the Gosho Aoyama Manga Factory.

To get to this cool, cool town, follow the steps below. But before that, here’s a quick summary:

If you’re already in Tottori City, you only need to take the train to Conan Town.
If you’re coming from Osaka City Center, you need to take the bus to Tottori City first then transfer to the train to Conan Town.
If you’re coming from Kansai Airport, your journey has three legs: bus to Osaka City Air Terminal, where you’ll take another bus to Tottori, where you’ll board the train to Conan Town.

You’ll find a more detailed step-by-step guide below.

WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS GUIDE?

KANSAI AIRPORT TO CONAN TOWN BY BUS

Upon landing at Kansai Airport, you must first make your way to Osaka City Air Terminal (OCAT), where you will catch the bus to Tottori City. OCAT is located in Osaka’s Namba area.

The best way to get to OCAT is to take the bus. You can also take the train, but you’ll end up in Namba Train Station, which is a 10-minute walk from OCAT. If you take the bus, you will be getting off at the same terminal where you’ll board the Tottori bus.

Note that the first bus leaves Terminal 1 at 6:10am, last at 10:40pm.

Approach the counter for AIRPORT BUS to OCAT at the Arrival Hall.
Purchase a ticket to OCAT. Fare: ¥1050. They will need your passport so make sure you have it ready. You will be given both the ticket (white) and a receipt (green).
Proceed to Departure Platform 11 (or whatever platform number you’re told).
Wait for the bus at the platform. If you have big bags, the staff will take them and tag them. You will be given a slip that you’ll need to claim your bags upon arrival at OCAT so don’t lose them.
Board the bus when it arrives. The driver will check your ticket. Find your seat number and get comfy. The travel time is around 1 hour, depending on traffic.
Alight at OCAT. The arrival area is the same area where you’ll be boarding the bus to Tottori.

That’s about it! You’re at OCAT. From here you will need to board another bus to Tottori City. Just follow the steps below.

OSAKA TO CONAN TOWN BY BUS

To get to Conan Town, you must first make your way to Tottori City. You can take the bus or the train. The bus is the cheaper and less complicated option, but it takes longer.

Find the Tottori bus ticket counter. See photo below for how it looks.
Purchase a ticket for Tottori. Regular fare: ¥3700. There are months when they offer a special discounted price to foreigners, which is only ¥1000. Discounted price isn’t available year-round.
Proceed to Departure Platform 7. This might change sometimes, but it’s generally at Platform 7. To be sure, always ask the staff.
Board the bus. Show the driver your ticket. Travel time is roughly 3.5 hours, depending on traffic conditions. Based on our own experience though, we left Osaka at 5pm and arrived in Tottori at around 8pm, 30 minutes earlier than schedule.

TOTTORI CITY TO CONAN TOWN

You’re almost there! You’re now in Tottori City. It’s time to get to CONAN TOWN!

Before we share the final leg of the journey, we need to explain some very important stuff. Conan Town has its own Conan-themed trains and Conan-themed station. The official name of the train station is YURA STATION, so if you’re using Hyperdia, that’s the name that you should enter.

The trains are completely illustrated with characters from the beloved manga, so try to catch one to get to Conan Station (Yura Station).

Travel time: about 1 hour.

Fare: ¥840.

You know you’re at the right stop when you see a lot of Conan illustrations of the characters. Upon exiting Conan/Yura Station, you’ll be greeted by a giant statue of Conan!

From here, most of the key points of interest are accessible on foot.

WELCOME TO CONAN TOWN!

KANSAI AIRPORT TO CONAN TOWN BY TRAIN

Normally, the bus is the cheapest option. But if you’re visiting multiple cities in Japan and you’re traveling to Tottori from Osaka with a JR Pass, then go ahead and use it.

You can take any of the several routes from Kansai Airport or Osaka City Center to Tottori, but this one is the most convenient (i.e. with least transfers involved).

At Kansai Airport, take either the LIMITED EXPRESS HARUKA train to Shin-Osaka Station or the JR KANSAI AIRPORT RAPID SERVICE to Osaka Station.
Take the LIMITED EXPRESS SUPER HAKUTO Train to Tottori Station.
Transfer to another train to YURA STATION.

Travel time: over 3 hours usually, excluding wait times.

Without the JR Pass, taking the train is very expensive. The fare from the airport to Tottori alone is ¥5190 plus seat fee of ¥970 (Haruka) and around ¥3000 (Hakuto).

But if you’re planning on purchasing a JR Pass anyway, this is definitely the best choice because you won’t need to shell out any more money. The whole journey will be covered by the pass.

✅ CHECK UPDATED RATES or BOOK JR PASS HERE

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