Airport conquest series. Yamagata Airport and Shōnai Airport in a single day. Both airports have the word “Oishii” (delicious) in their official nicknames — Oishii Yamagata Airport and Oishii Shōnai Airport.

The full series index is here.

Route Design

The overland route from Yamagata Airport to Shōnai Airport goes by JR: Sakuranbō-Higashine → Shinjō → Amarume. The problem is getting from Amarume Station to Shōnai Airport. There’s no direct shuttle bus.

Airport shuttle buses run only from Tsuruoka and Sakata, but they pass through “Aeon Mall Mikawa” along the way. And Aeon Mall Mikawa has a free shuttle bus from Amarume Station. So the route becomes: Amarume Station → (Aeon Mall free shuttle) → Aeon Mall Mikawa → (airport shuttle) → Shōnai Airport — a cheap connection.

However, depending on the free shuttle and airport bus schedules, the wait at Aeon Mall can be several hours. In practice, due to time constraints, I took a taxi from Amarume Station to Aeon Mall Mikawa (~20 min, ~¥3,700), then the airport shuttle from there.

Itinerary (as of February 2022)

07:15 → 08:15Haneda → Yamagata Airport JAL 175 (Ultra Sakitoku)¥6,990
08:25 → 08:35Yamagata Airport → Sakuranbō-Higashine Station One Coin Liner (reservation required)¥500
09:13 → 09:52Sakuranbō-Higashine Station → Shinjō Station JR Ōu Main Line¥1,520
10:15 → 11:01Shinjō Station → Amarume Station JR Rikuu West Line(included above)
11:05 → 11:25Amarume Station → Aeon Mall Mikawa Taxi~¥3,700
11:40 → 11:50Aeon Mall Mikawa → Shōnai Airport Shōnai Airport shuttle bus¥330
12:50 → 13:55Shōnai Airport → Haneda ANA 398 (SUPER VALUE 75K)¥7,790

Timetables are subject to change. Check the latest schedules before traveling.

Yamagata Airport Access

Yamagata Airport is right next to the JR Ōu Main Line, but the runway sits between the terminal and the tracks, so the nearest station (Jinmachi) requires a detour. The practical option is the One Coin Liner (¥500, ~10 min, reservation required) to Sakuranbō-Higashine Station, which is also a Yamagata Shinkansen stop.

Amarume Station to Shōnai Airport

There’s no direct transport from Amarume Station to Shōnai Airport. Two options:

Budget route: Amarume Station → (Aeon Mall Mikawa free shuttle) → Aeon Mall Mikawa → (airport shuttle) → Shōnai Airport. Depending on the free shuttle schedule, the wait at Aeon Mall can be several hours. The free shuttle is intended for mall customers, so if you have time, doing some shopping is the right thing to do.

Time-saving route: Amarume Station → (taxi, ~20 min, ~¥3,700) → Aeon Mall Mikawa → (airport shuttle, ¥330) → Shōnai Airport. This is what I chose.

Note: the “Aeon Mall Mikawa” bus stop for the airport shuttle is about a 5-minute walk from the Aeon Mall building itself.