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KOJRJFK

Kagoshima Airport

Kagoshima, JP

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KOJRJFKEditorial guide

Kagoshima Airport

Kagoshima, Japan

Editorial guide

KOJ quick facts

Updated Sep 24, 2026 · Airportist Score not yet published

IATA KOJ, ICAO RJFK. The passenger terminal is in Mizobe, Kirishima, about 30 km northeast of Kagoshima city. It is a public national airport, not a military airbase.
Fiscal 2025 (April 2025–March 2026): 5,926,530 passengers, 9th in Japan. Domestic 5,660,924 (9th) and international 265,606 (15th), from the MLIT Reiwa 7 fiscal-year airport ranking.
Second-busiest airport in Kyushu after Fukuoka. Fiscal 2024 was 5,730,841 passengers, including 189,764 international, in the Kirishima city yearbook citing the same MLIT series.
Separate domestic and international terminal buildings. One paved runway, 16/34, 3,000 m by 45 m. The current airport opened on 1 April 1972.
September 2026 board: Korean Air flies Seoul/Incheon daily from 21 September, and China Airlines flies Taipei/Taoyuan on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. Jeju Air, Eastar Jet, and Hong Kong are marked suspended.

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All 3 lounges at KOJ
KOJ security wait times

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Most important tips

Know before you go

A compact traveler cheat sheet for timing, terminals, food, and disruption checks.

International

Seoul and Taipei are the live routes

On the airport's September 2026 boards, Korean Air to Seoul and China Airlines to Taipei are operating. Jeju Air, Eastar Jet, and Hong Kong are marked suspended.

Korean Air departure KE2180 is 18:55 on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, and 10 minutes later on the other days from 21 September. China Airlines CI119 leaves for Taipei at 12:20 on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. China Eastern's Shanghai flights were reported suspended from late December 2025.

Two buildings

Do not mix up the terminals

Domestic and international passengers use different buildings. The international building opens only around each flight.

Domestic check-in is on the 1st floor and security and gates are on the 2nd floor. For an international departure the building opens three hours before departure and closes one hour after. For an arrival it opens two hours before and closes one hour after.

Security

Weekends clog the checkpoint

The airport says security is especially busy on weekends and around public holidays, and whenever many flights leave together.

The domestic terminal opens at 6:00 and closes 30 minutes after the last arrival. Put phones, keys, coins, laptops, and power banks in the tray before you reach the belt.

Landside

Free foot bath, paid lounge with a view

Oyattosa, the natural hot-spring foot bath on domestic 1F, is free from 9:00 to 19:30. Sky Lounge Nanohana looks out toward Sakurajima.

The foot bath reopened on 10 July 2026 after a pump failure. Nanohana is 1,100 yen for adults if your card is not on the free-entry list, and it does not take cash.

Live conditions

Right now at KOJ

Security waits and operational status from official feeds, where the airport publishes them.

Guide sources

References behind the editorial guide for KOJ.

Updated Sep 24, 2026

14 official sources

https://www.koj-ab.co.jp/en/
https://www.mlit.go.jp/koku/15_bf_000185.html
https://www.city-kirishima.jp/jouhou/shise/toke/documents/r810tuushin.pdf
https://www.koj-ab.co.jp/en/flight/monthly/icn_d.html
https://www.koj-ab.co.jp/en/flight/monthly/tpe_d.html
https://www.koj-ab.co.jp/en/flight/monthly/hkg_d.html
https://www.kagoshima-kankou.com/for/highlights/air
https://www.koj-ab.co.jp/service/skylounge-nanohana.html
https://www.ana.co.jp/ja/jp/guide/lounge/domestic/koj/
https://www.jal.co.jp/jp/ja/dom/service/lounge/koj/
https://www.koj-ab.co.jp/ground-transportation/driving-directions.html
https://nangoku-kotsu.com/ashuttle/kagoshima/
https://www.koj-ab.co.jp/flight/flow.html
https://www.koj-ab.co.jp/relax-and-enjoy/oyattosa.html

Full guide

Explore the KOJ guide

Each section answers one trip question in depth.

Map
Kagoshima Airport and the Kagoshima city center
City center
View Map
Getting There
Kagoshima city limousine, bus stop 8, run by Nangoku Kotsu and Kagoshima Kotsu. No reservation. Adult 1,500 yen, child 750 yen. The operator lists the road distance to Kagoshima-Chuo Station as 39.7 km, about 40 minutes on the direct bus toward the airport and about 38 minutes back. The Yoshino routing is about 55 minutes. Rapica and contactless fare discounts have been withdrawn.
View Getting There
Lounges
3 lounges with access rules, hours, and verdicts. 1 rated worth it.
JAL Sakura Lounge
View Lounges
Traveler Tips
Sky Lounge Nanohana is landside on domestic 2F, so it works after you land as well as before you fly, as long as you can show a same-day ticket. If your card is on the airport's free list, or you have Dragon Pass, entry is free. Otherwise it is 1,100 yen and cash is refused.
7 tips & hacks
View Traveler Tips
Water
Where to refill for free, and where a bottle costs the least airside.
1 spots1 free or refill
View Water
Reviews
Editorial and traveler reviews — what people actually complain about.
View Reviews

Kagoshima Airport and the Kagoshima city center

This airport KOJ
City center Kagoshima

Terminal navigation guide

Terminal-change and gate-area notes pulled from the markdown guide.

From Terminals & Navigation

Domestic and international passengers use different buildings. Domestic check-in counters are on the 1st floor. Passengers who are already checked in and have no bag to drop go straight to security on the 2nd floor.
ANA Lounge sits airside between domestic gates 5 and 6. The airport's facility list places JAL Sakura Lounge inside the domestic gates on the 2nd floor, and Sky Lounge Nanohana on domestic 2F without marking it inside the gates.
Domestic food, from the facility list: Royal Host, Yamakataya cafeteria, and Ozora Shokudo on 2F; ramen Tsukiyomi, Iwasaki no Kitchen Satsuma, fukuFuku noodles, and Manseien Chinese on 3F. SKY CAFE KAGOSHIMA is inside the gates, with published spots at the 5G and 8G cafes. FamilyMart is on domestic 2F. Shop hours differ by store.
International 2F has the SORA TERRACE restaurant, plus an airside SORA TERRACE Café and a duty-free shop. International 1F has the information desk, a currency-exchange machine, coin lockers, a baggage scale, and a hot-water dispenser. A prayer room is listed on international 3F.
The "international group lounge" and the Hibiscus special waiting room are bookable private rooms, not walk-in lounges. Hibiscus is on domestic 3F: 21 seats, 4,620 yen including tax for the first 30 minutes, then 15-minute increments, hours 6:00–21:30.
Free Wi-Fi covers both buildings. Wheelchairs and strollers are at the entrances. Assistance dogs may come in with you. Other pets are not allowed in the building except in a carrier taken straight to the airline counter. The facility list also notes Eames chairs on domestic 2F.
Lost property found in the terminal goes to the airport building security center, 0995-73-3332, 8:45–17:30. The airport does not ship lost items overseas. Items left on the aircraft go to the airline.

Ground transport guide

City-transfer, rideshare, train, and parking guidance from the markdown guide.

From Ground Transport & Parking

Kagoshima city limousine, bus stop 8, run by Nangoku Kotsu and Kagoshima Kotsu. No reservation. Adult 1,500 yen, child 750 yen. The operator lists the road distance to Kagoshima-Chuo Station as 39.7 km, about 40 minutes on the direct bus toward the airport and about 38 minutes back. The Yoshino routing is about 55 minutes. Rapica and contactless fare discounts have been withdrawn.
The same stop 8 also serves Tenmonkan, the city hall area, and the jetfoil terminal. Stop 6 is Kajiki, Aira, and the Fukuoka highway bus (Sakurajima-go). Stop 7 is Taniyama, Ibusuki, Hitoyoshi, Yatsushiro, and Kumamoto. Stop 9 covers Kirishima Onsen, Sendai, Akune, and other local lines. Stop 10 covers Kokubu, Kyocera-Kokubu, Kanoya, and Tarumizu. Stops 2–5 are for taxis and rental-car shuttles. Confirm times with the bus company; the airport does not run the buses.
By car, leave the Kyushu Expressway at Mizobe-Kagoshima Airport Interchange. The official car park is open 24 hours and staffed 6:20–22:30. First two hours free, then 100 yen per hour for a car (light cars count as standard cars). Outside peak periods the cap is 1,000 yen per 24 hours, then 250 yen per extra 6 hours. In peak (B) periods the cap is 1,200 yen per 24 hours, then 300 yen per 6 hours.
Published B periods: 25 April–6 May, 11 July–31 August, 1 September–30 November, 19 December–4 January, and 20–31 March. The lot does not take reservations. A stay of 20 days or more needs advance notice to the office. Accessible spaces are on both the domestic side and the international side. If the lot fills, a free overflow lot is sometimes opened; the airport posts that separately. Weekend and holiday eves are often full.
There is no airport train. Nearby Hisatsu Line stations are not a usable airport connection. Budget a bus, a taxi, or a car.

Ride to Kagoshima

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To city center

Kagoshima

~28 km

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Depends

Domestic terminalairside, between gates 5 and 6

ANA's own lounge, airside between domestic gates 5 and 6. From 29 March 2026 it opens at 6:10 and stays open until the last departure. Departures only. Entry is limited to customers traveling under an ANA flight number on an ANA-group flight or a listed codeshare (AIRDO, IBEX, ORC, Solaseed, StarFlyer, Japan Air Commuter, and Amakusa). Status and cabin rules are on ANA's lounge page. Alcohol is served. Children under 3 do not count as guests.

Access: ANA flight number on an ANA-group flight

Hours: 6:10 until the last departure

Amenities: Alcohol served · All seats non-smoking

Best for: ANA-marketed domestic departures

Full access guide

Worth it

JAL Sakura Lounge

Domestic terminalairside, 2nd floor

Japan Airlines' domestic Sakura Lounge, inside the domestic gates on the 2nd floor. Open to same-day JAL domestic first class (one guest), JMB Diamond, JGC Premier, JMB Sapphire, and JAL Global Club (one guest; further guests need a lounge coupon), and oneworld Emerald or Sapphire (one guest). International JAL first or business passengers connecting by 06:00 the next morning can enter; international first class may bring one guest. Some codeshares are excluded. Soft drinks, alcohol, and snacks.

Access: First class ticket · Business class ticket · Airline status · oneworld Emerald · oneworld Sapphire

Hours: 6:30 until the last departure

Amenities: Soft drinks · Alcohol · Snacks · Wi-Fi

Best for: JAL domestic first class · JGC and oneworld Sapphire or Emerald

Full access guide

Depends

Sky Lounge Nanohana

Domestic terminallandside, 2nd floor

Landside card lounge on domestic 2F. Adults pay 1,100 yen including tax, children aged 3 to under 12 pay 550 yen, and cash is not accepted. A long list of domestic gold and platinum cards, Diners Club, domestically issued American Express cards (with stated exceptions), and Dragon Pass enter free with a same-day ticket or proof of boarding. Usable on departure or arrival the same day. Beer and snacks are extra. Shochu tasting is free; minors cannot drink.

Access: Day pass · DragonPass · Listed Japanese gold and platinum cards

Hours: 7:00–20:00 daily, no time limit

Amenities: 74 non-smoking seats · Sakurajima view · Free soft drinks · Free shochu tasting · Wi-Fi · Newspapers and magazines

Best for: Domestic arrivals · Cardholders on the airport's free-entry list

Full access guide

Lounge & amenity notes

Lounge, food, and quiet-spot picks pulled from the markdown guide.

From Lounges, Food & Amenities

Sky Lounge Nanohana, domestic 2F, landside: 7:00–20:00 every day, no stay limit, 74 non-smoking seats, a view toward Sakurajima. Free soft drinks, newspapers, Wi-Fi, and shochu tasting. Beer and snacks cost extra. Adult entry is 1,100 yen including tax; a child aged 3 to under 12 is 550 yen. No cash. Under-12s need a guardian. Phone 0995-73-3638.
Cards that the lounge lists for free entry, with a same-day ticket, include many domestic gold and platinum cards, Diners Club, domestically issued American Express cards (some corporate and partner cards excluded), and Dragon Pass. Companion rules depend on the card. Confirm at the desk if the card was issued outside Japan.
JAL Sakura Lounge, airside domestic 2F: 6:30 until the last departure. Drinks, alcohol, snacks, and Wi-Fi. Domestic first class, JGC and JMB Sapphire or Diamond, and oneworld Sapphire or Emerald are the main ways in, generally with one guest. It is not a pay-at-the-door lounge.
ANA Lounge, airside between gates 5 and 6: 6:10 until the last departure since 29 March 2026. Departures only, and only on an ANA flight number aboard an ANA-group or listed codeshare flight. All seats non-smoking. Alcohol is served.
Oyattosa foot bath, domestic 1F: free, 9:00–19:30, reopened 10 July 2026. It is the airport's own natural hot-spring foot bath, outside security, so you can use it on arrival.
Body care LUCK is listed on domestic 3F. The 3F hall and Hibiscus are rental rooms billed by the half hour, not quiet rooms you can walk into.

Editorial guide tricks

The markdown guide's highest-signal tactics before the data-backed tips below.

From Best Airport Tricks & Hacks

Sky Lounge Nanohana is landside on domestic 2F, so it works after you land as well as before you fly, as long as you can show a same-day ticket. If your card is on the airport's free list, or you have Dragon Pass, entry is free. Otherwise it is 1,100 yen and cash is refused.
The Oyattosa foot bath on domestic 1F is free, 9:00–19:30. It reopened on 10 July 2026 after a pump replacement. Ask the 1F information desk for the lift-up wheelchair. The towel machine beside the bath sells an airport towel for 350 yen, cashless only.
The road directly in front of the terminal is drop-off only. Use the car park. The first two hours are free. From 1 September through 30 November the airport's published peak cap is 1,200 yen per 24 hours for a car.
There is no railway station at the airport. The Kagoshima city limousine uses bus stop 8. No reservation. Adult fare is 1,500 yen.
On a domestic itinerary you can carry a bottle of water through security if you put it in the tray. Buy or fill it before you go upstairs.
Ash from Sakurajima and Shinmoedake has cancelled flights, including international services during 2025. Check the airline on the day you fly, not just the seasonal board.
If you are early for an international flight, the international building may still be shut. Time your arrival to that flight's opening window rather than to the domestic terminal's 6:00 opening.

Hot-water dispenser

International terminal 1st floor, among the published service facilities

Free waterInternational terminal

The international terminal facility list includes a hot-water dispenser (給湯器) on the 1st floor. The airport does not publish a cold drinking fountain there, so this is hot water, not a bottle-fill tap.

Entry requirements

Japan (JP)

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