Aso Kumamoto Airport (阿蘇くまもと空港) is in Mashiki Town (益城町), Kumamoto Prefecture. Two shared services run from the terminal: the Airport Limousine Bus (空港リムジンバス) to central Kumamoto City, and the Aso Kumamoto Airport Liner (阿蘇くまもと空港ライナー), a shuttle to JR Higo Ozu Station (肥後大津駅). This guide compares them, then covers the help desks, Wi-Fi, money services and other facilities inside the terminal. It is for visitors and for residents who are flying in or meeting someone.
In short
- For central Kumamoto City (Sakuramachi Bus Terminal, Kumamoto Station), take the Limousine Bus from stop 4. The Special Rapid bus to Sakuramachi leaves from stop 3.
- For JR Higo Ozu Station, take the Liner from stop 6. Anyone can ride, and it has charged a fare since July 1, 2026.
- Neither service needs a booking. Only Liner passengers who use a wheelchair must call ahead.
- Nationwide IC cards such as Suica do not work on Sanko buses. Pay with cash, a contactless card or the Kumamon IC card. For the Liner, buy a ticket at a machine before you line up.
- In the terminal you will find an information desk, free Wi-Fi, a currency exchange machine, a prayer room and an online doctor service.
Checked with official pages on October 5, 2026.
1. Which should I take?
Depends on the provider
| Item | Airport Limousine Bus | Airport Liner |
|---|---|---|
| Goes to | Central Kumamoto City: Sakuramachi Bus Terminal, Kumamoto Station | JR Higo Ozu Station |
| Airport stop | Stop 4 (Special Rapid: stop 3) | Stop 6 |
| In town | Sakuramachi: stop 6. Kumamoto Station: stop 7 | South exit of the station, in front of the ticket gate |
| Payment | On board, or a ticket machine | Ticket machine before boarding |
| Booking | Not needed | Not needed (wheelchair users book) |
| Time | About 50 min to Sakuramachi, about 60 min to Kumamoto Station | About 15 min |
| Adult fare | ¥1,400 to Sakuramachi or Kumamoto Station | ¥200 |
| Run by | Kyushu Sanko Bus (九州産交バス) | OASO Ozu Taxi Company (大阿蘇大津タクシー) |
The Limousine Bus goes straight into the city. The Liner stops at Higo Ozu Station, so you change to the JR Hohi Line (豊肥本線) for Kumamoto Station. The airport says the trip to JR Kumamoto Station takes about 60 minutes, and sometimes more depending on the connection. Ozu Town (大津町) says the Liner can also be used for trips toward Mashiki Town and Nishihara Village. The Key facts at the end of this page list bus fares for other stops and for children.
Note
After the earthquake of July 28, 2026. Sanko Bus showed normal operation of the Limousine Bus on October 5. The Liner’s notice of July 29 says it runs as usual but may stop at short notice if aftershocks occur. The airport said on August 3 that the terminal works normally and all its shops have reopened. Check the operator’s page on the day you travel.
2. How do I pay for the bus and the Liner?
Depends on the provider
- On the Limousine Bus, get on at the front door. If you pay by cash or with a bus ticket, take a numbered ticket (整理券, seiriken). If you pay by contactless card or the Kumamon IC card, touch the reader for about a second. At the airport you can also buy a ticket at the bus ticket machine next to the stop.
- Pay when you get off. Touch the reader at the front again, or put your numbered ticket and the fare in the fare box. The box gives no change, but the bus has a machine that changes ¥1,000 notes and ¥500, ¥100 and ¥50 coins.
- On the Liner, buy a ticket at a Liner ticket machine before you line up. You do not pay on board. The machines take cash, contactless credit cards, transport IC cards, e-money and QR-code apps such as Alipay and WeChat Pay. Tickets never expire, and there are no discount tickets.
Sanko Bus accepts contactless credit, debit and prepaid cards and smartphones: Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club, Discover and UnionPay. It does not say whether cards issued outside Japan work. To pay for children or for several people with one card, tell the driver before you touch the reader. Nationwide IC cards such as Suica, PASMO and nimoca have not been accepted on Sanko buses since November 16, 2024.
Note
The only transport IC card sold at the airport is the Kumamon IC card (くまモンのICカード), from a machine in the Welcome Plaza on the 1st floor (6:30–21:30). Kumamoto City says you can top it up and use it only until September 30, 2027, and the card’s website says Higo Bank will move it to new services from March 2027. You cannot top it up at the airport’s Seven Bank ATM. A contactless credit card works on the same buses, so you may not need the card.
3. Airport Limousine Bus (空港リムジンバス)
Kyushu Sanko Bus
Kyushu Sanko Bus runs the Limousine Bus, with Sanko Bus (産交バス) as joint operator. Stops in the city include Sakuramachi Bus Terminal (熊本桜町バスターミナル), Torichosuji (通町筋), Kumamoto Station (熊本駅前) and Seibushako (西部車庫). Seats are first come, first served (座席定員制). Stop names here follow the operator’s English fare table.
3.1 Where do I catch it, and when does it run?
At the airport, the stops are in front of the passenger terminal. Buses to the city leave from stop 4. Some run as the Special Rapid (空港特別快速便) to Sakuramachi Bus Terminal, from stop 3. In the city, the bus to the airport leaves from stop 6 at Sakuramachi Bus Terminal and stop 7 at Kumamoto Station.
Sanko Bus gives about 50 minutes to Sakuramachi Bus Terminal, about 60 to Kumamoto Station and about 45 by Special Rapid. The airport’s access page lists 55 and 65 minutes, so allow extra time. In the operator’s timetable of April 1, 2026, the first and last buses are the same every day. From the airport, they leave at 8:20 and 21:30. To the airport, the first bus leaves Kumamoto Station at 5:30 and Sakuramachi at 5:43, and the last leaves at 18:25 and 18:38. The operator may change the schedule for traffic or weather.
3.2 What should I know about the fare and busy days?
The fare depends on the stop, and the operator’s English fare table lists every stop. On August 1, 2026, the fare between the airport and the city center rose from ¥1,200 to ¥1,400. Tickets and passes bought before then can be used until they expire.
Sanko Bus warns that the Limousine Bus gets crowded when events are held in Kumamoto, and you may not get a seat at the time you want. The same can happen in Golden Week, Obon and New Year. Its notice of October 1, 2026 lists event dates through November. On Sunday, October 11, 2026, the Tour de Kyushu cycle race restricts traffic over a wide area of Aso, and the airport asks people travelling toward Aso to leave extra time.
4. Aso Kumamoto Airport Liner (阿蘇くまもと空港ライナー)
Kumamoto Prefecture and OASO Ozu Taxi
The Liner links the airport and JR Higo Ozu Station in about 15 minutes, using 9-seat jumbo taxis and smaller taxis. Kumamoto Prefecture plans it, a management council runs it, and OASO Ozu Taxi Company operates the vehicles. It ran free from October 2011 until June 2026. Since July 1, 2026 the fare is a flat ¥200 per person, and anyone can ride, not only air passengers. Some older pages, including the airport’s FAQ, still call it free.
4.1 How do I ride it?
- Buy a ticket first. At the airport, the Liner ticket machine is inside the terminal on the 1st floor, next to Entrance C. At JR Higo Ozu Station, it is in the vending machine corner by the boarding point at the south exit. The bus ticket machines at the airport bus stops do not sell Liner tickets.
- Line up at the boarding point. At the airport it is stop 6. At the station it is in front of the south exit ticket gate, near the Visitors’ Center.
- Ride to the other end. Each trip carries up to 27 people, in several vehicles. If a trip is full, you are asked to take the next one, and an extra vehicle can mean a wait of 10 to 15 minutes.
4.2 When does it run, and what else should I know?
It runs every day, 65 trips in all, about every 20 to 30 minutes. From Higo Ozu Station, the first trip leaves at 6:20 and the last at 20:00. From the airport, the first leaves at 6:40 and the last at 22:00 (timetable from July 1, 2026). A few trips from the station wait for JR trains and can leave late. For help on the day, call OASO Ozu Taxi Company at 096-293-3355.
- Wheelchair users must book by the day before, by calling OASO Ozu Taxi. A trip carries the wheelchair user and one helper, and stretcher-type wheelchairs cannot be carried.
- Eating, drinking, alcohol and smoking are not allowed on board.
- The Liner’s own park-and-ride lot at AEON Ozu closed on June 30, 2026. The Liner’s FAQ asks drivers to use private car parks near JR Higo Ozu Station.
5. Taxi, rental cars and other buses
Depends on the provider
The airport’s access page gives estimated taxi fares as of September 1, 2026: about ¥5,600 to Torichosuji (about 40 minutes) and about ¥6,100 to Kumamoto Station (about 45 minutes). Expressway tolls are not included. Rental car counters are in the Sorayoka Visitor Center (そらよかビジターセンター); for 12 other companies, the airport asks you to phone first.
Other buses use the same stops. The airport lists buses toward Aso, Kurokawa Onsen, Yufuin, Beppu, Takamori and Takachiho at stop 3, and a bus toward Yatsushiro at stop 5. You buy the Yatsushiro ticket on board. Its operator, Kanzono Kotsu (神園交通), says that since September 18, 2026 the bus runs on a temporary timetable after the earthquake and stops only at Shin-Yatsushiro Station, so check its notice (Japanese).
6. Inside the terminal: help desks, Wi-Fi, money, prayer room, medical support
Aso Kumamoto Airport
Domestic and international flights use one passenger terminal building, run by Kyushu Kumamoto International Airport Co., Ltd. (熊本国際空港株式会社). It opens at 6:30 and closes at 21:30, and the closing time can change with flight operations. If you arrive before 6:30 for an early flight, you cannot enter the terminal.
6.1 Where are the help desks?
The information desk (案内所) is on the 1st floor, open 6:30–21:30. It helps with the building, sightseeing, transport and hotels, and takes lost property found in the terminal. The tourist information corner (WELCOME PLAZA), also on the 1st floor, has brochure counters for Kyushu Sanko Bus, Ozu Town, TABIPPO, Kurokawa Onsen and the Kikuchi tourism association. The Sanko Bus counter sells bus tickets, tours and souvenirs. Staff are there from 9:00 to 16:00, but some booths may be empty on some days.
6.2 Is there free Wi-Fi?
Yes. KUMAMOTO Free Wi-Fi works in the terminal building and at Sorayoka Dining. The first time, you sign in with an email address or a social media account. Some devices cannot connect because of their security settings.
6.3 Where can I get cash and change money?
The currency exchange machine is in the arrivals lobby on the 1st floor, open 8:00–21:00. It takes notes only and checks your passport. It changes yen into US dollars, Chinese yuan, Korean won, New Taiwan dollars and Hong Kong dollars. It changes those currencies plus euros, Vietnamese dong and Philippine pesos into yen. It may not handle a currency because of stock levels or currency rules.
ATMs of Higo Bank and Kumamoto Bank (8:00–21:00) and Seven Bank (6:30–21:00) are in the 1st-floor lobby. You can top up transport IC cards at the Seven Bank ATM. The airport does not say which cards issued outside Japan the ATMs accept.
6.4 Is there a prayer room?
Yes, in the arrivals lobby on the 1st floor, open 6:30–21:30. There are separate rooms for men and women, each with washing facilities to use before prayer. It is open to people of any religion, and you do not need to book.
6.5 What if I need a doctor?
The OHDr. Medical Support Station on the 1st floor gives online health consultations with a doctor in Japanese, English and Chinese. It is open 11:00–17:00, and its number is 070-3349-8080. If you need a clinic, the staff help you choose one or offer online medical care (オンライン診療), which is paid. The airport page does not give a price for the consultation itself, so ask before you start.
6.6 Is there help in English?
The airport’s website is in Japanese. Its other language versions, including English, are machine translations that the airport says may not be accurate. Sanko Bus has an English website, Kyushu Bus Booking, with the route, stops, timetables and fare table for the Limousine Bus, and the Liner’s flyer is available as an English PDF. The OHDr. station offers English for its doctor consultations. The airport does not say which languages the information desk or call center staff speak, and neither operator says whether its drivers or phone staff can help in English. Ask when you call.
Address: 1802-2 Oyatsu, Oaza, Mashiki-machi, Kamimashiki-gun, Kumamoto-ken 861-2204 · Google Maps
Phone: 096-232-2311 (Kumamoto Airport Call Center, 8:30–21:30)
Official website (Japanese, with machine-translated versions)
Common questions
What if my flight is late?
The Limousine Bus leaves on time as a rule, but the last bus from the airport waits for the last arriving flight. The Liner runs to its timetable even when flights are late, and if the last flight of the day arrives late, there may be no Liner. Ask at the boarding point or call OASO Ozu Taxi.
Where do I get off for Kumamoto Castle?
The airport says to get off at Sakuramachi Bus Terminal and walk from there.
I lost something. Who do I ask?
In the terminal, ask the information desk at 096-232-2311. On the airport’s roads, call the airport police box at 096-232-2820. In the airport car park, call the car park office at 096-232-3670. On the plane, ask your airline.
Can I bring a pet?
Pets can enter the terminal only in a cage; assistance dogs can come in with you. Pets are not allowed on the Limousine Bus. On the Liner, a pet must stay in its carrier. For flying with a pet, ask your airline.
Is there a hotel or luggage storage at the airport?
There is no hotel, but the information desk can suggest one. For luggage, there are only coin lockers.
Can I charge my phone, or feel unwell?
Free charging cables (type B, type C and Lightning) are in the event space on the 1st floor. After security, seats in the 3rd-floor boarding area have power outlets and USB ports. If you feel unwell, tell the information desk; there is a first-aid room (救護室) to rest in, but it has no medical staff.
Next steps
Sources (checked October 5, 2026)
- Aso Kumamoto Airport: official website, FAQ, access (bus stops, fares, taxi), terminal map, information desk, tourist information, Wi-Fi, currency exchange, ATMs, prayer room, OHDr. Medical Support Station, Kumamon IC card machine
- Airport notices: public transport after the earthquake (August 3, 2026), terminal operation (August 3, 2026), traffic restrictions for the Tour de Kyushu (October 2, 2026)
- Sanko Bus: Airport Limousine Bus, how to ride, contactless payment, crowding on event days (October 1, 2026), Kumamon IC card transition (August 31, 2026), fare revision of August 1, 2026 (PDF)
- Kyushu Bus Booking: Airport Limousine Bus (English), fare table (PDF), timetable from the airport (PDF), timetable to the airport (PDF)
- Aso Kumamoto Airport Liner, Q&A, flyer (English PDF), timetable (PDF), fares and payment (PDF)
- Ozu Town: Airport Liner, Kumamoto City: payment methods on public transport (September 18, 2026), Kumamon IC card notice (August 31, 2026), Kanzono Kotsu: Super Banpeiyu airport bus timetable from September 18, 2026
