OIST Airport Transfer

Naha Airport to OIST, in one ride.

OIST sits on a hillside in Tancha, Onna Village, about 65 minutes from Naha Airport by expressway. Public transport can involve a bus, a walk and a change or two along the way, which is hard work with a suitcase and a laptop bag. We meet you in the arrivals hall at Naha Airport and drive you to OIST with no changes: door to door, in one taxi.

We wait with a name placard, so there is nothing to look for. No transfers, no shared riding, and you stay in the same car until you arrive.

Passengers are usually researchers arriving to take up a post, visiting researchers on short stays, faculty, students and graduate students, delegates coming for a conference or symposium, guests visiting for collaborations or site visits, and families travelling with them. Tell us the group size and how much luggage you have and we will plan around it.

Naha Airport. We meet you at arrivals holding a name placard.

A late flight does not lose your ride.

Give us your flight number when you book and we follow the flight. If it is delayed, we wait free of charge for up to 60 minutes from the actual arrival time. Most people reach Okinawa on a connection, so this is the part we watch most closely.

If your flight is delayed after you have booked and the actual pickup falls at 22:00 or later, we do not charge extra. The fare fixed at booking is the fare you pay. The one exception is a change you make yourself: if you move the pickup after booking and it lands in late-night hours, the fare is recalculated for the new time.

If the flight is cancelled, we can cancel and refund you (less payment or transfer fees) or move the booking to another day. When a typhoon or a cancellation makes the ride impossible through no fault of yours, there is no cancellation fee.

Early-morning and late-night flights are fine. A late international arrival, or a pre-dawn departure from the campus to catch a first flight — either can be arranged.

Four to five suitcases as a guide. Loading and unloading is our job, not yours.

Late arrivals and early departures are both covered.

Built for relocation-sized luggage.

One large minivan taxi, up to five passengers, with room enough to travel comfortably. Four to five suitcases is the usual guide, though how much fits depends on the size of the bags and the number of passengers. With a smaller group, a row of seats folds down to open up more space.

Poster tubes, research equipment and oversized items can be carried depending on their size. Tell us the dimensions and how many pieces when you book.

The three OIST sites

Three OIST sites come up as transfer destinations. The names are easy to mix up, so tell us which one you need when you book.

Where on campus we can drop you

Where a drop-off point has been given to you, we drive to that point on campus: the Center Building, the Auditorium, the Lab 1 to Lab 5 research buildings, the housing at OIST Village. Tell us which one you need when you book. If the building name is not obvious, just pass on the venue exactly as it is written on your invitation or the conference programme.

If you are visiting for the first time, you may need to check in at Main Reception first. When no drop-off point has been set, we take you to Main Reception.

Standard Area-Based Fixed Fares

Transfers to OIST facilities are charged at our standard area-based fixed fares, according to the destination. The same fare table applies as for any other address on the island. OIST Main Campus in Tancha and OIST Seaside House, on the coast just north of the campus, fall in Onna Village South, while OIST Marine Science Station in Seragaki falls in Onna Village North.

Late-night and early-morning fares

Late-night hours run from 22:00 to 05:00. During those hours a 20% late-night surcharge is added to the fixed fare, the same as for any other destination. For a transfer that crosses 22:00 or 05:00, we confirm the fare at booking based on the hours you are travelling.

Payment

We accept cash, credit cards, cashless payments and bank transfer. All major card brands work. We also accept payment by valid OIST taxi ticket. Guests travelling from overseas can arrange advance payment by PayPal or Wise.

Receipts are issued on the spot. As the fare is fixed, the receipt is handwritten. If you need a particular name or wording for an expense claim, tell the driver before you set off.

OIST taxi tickets and invoicing

We accept payment by valid OIST taxi ticket. For how tickets are issued and where they may be used, please check with the relevant OIST office.

Where the relevant OIST office makes a formal request, invoice payment can also be discussed.

What we cannot accept is a personal promise to pay later on the strength of being connected to OIST. In that case, please settle at the end of the ride by cash, credit card or a cashless payment.

Language

AI translation tools are available to assist communication in a wide range of languages. The driver does not speak every language personally, but with translation in the loop, confirming a destination or holding a conversation on the way works well enough.

Before you book, WhatsApp or another text message is the easiest way to reach us. Written text translates more reliably than speech, and details you cannot afford to get wrong — a flight number, a building name — stay on the screen where both sides can check them.

Cancellation

For transfers there is no charge if you cancel more than 48 hours before pickup, 50% from 48 to 24 hours before, and 100% within 24 hours or for a no-show. Confirmed flight cancellations and weather that makes it unsafe to drive are both exempt. If your dates look like they might move, tell us early — nothing needs to be final.

Where to stay near OIST

Conference and workshop guests usually stay at one of the resorts along the Onna Village coast. Airport to hotel, then hotel to campus, can be booked together. These are the closest to Tancha.

The full list is on the hotel transfer page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Service Information

OIST Main Campus, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa 904-0495 ｜ About 65 minutes from Naha Airport by expressway