JR West have announced plans for a new Travel Service Center in Osaka Station to open in March of 2017. Responding to a continued increase in both domestic and overseas visitors, the new center will consolidate and strengthen facilities already available at Osaka Station and provide more multilingual support for foreign visitors.
According to the new plans, the current Tourist Information Office in Osaka Station will be moved to a location facing the station’s central ticket gates. At the same time the facilities will be expanded and more staff will be employed to offer information and consultation services in English, Korean, and Chinese. There will also be counters for foreign currency exchange, for hotel bookings, and facilities at the current station Baggage Room will be expanded.
Travel Service Center Osaka will be open every day from 7.00 – 23.00 and will provide the following services in one convenient location:
- Tourist and travel information will be available in Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean.
- Multilingual staff will be on hand to provide advice on any travel related issues.
- Railway passes will be available to pick up or buy.
- Baggage storage and delivery services will be available.
- Free Wi-Fi and computers for free public use will be available.
- Travel related goods will be on sale.
- Foreign currency exchange.
- Same day hotel bookings.
- Tour bookings.
- Same day car rental.
- Travel insurance.
In addition JR West have also announced plans to improve facilities and reduce congestion at Kansai Airport Station by increasing the number of ticket offices and automatic ticket machines by next March. And in further developments at Osaka Station a new pedestrian footbridge will open in October this year that will directly connect the 2nd floor of Osaka Station City’s South Gate Building with Hankyu Umeda Department Store.
Article by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved.
