Flying to Japan: Best Airports, Airlines, Tickets and Routes

Which is the best airport for Tokyo? Narita or Haneda? What’s the best airline flying to Japan? How can you get the best and cheapest ticket? Here are all the answers.

Japan Airlines plane at Narita International Airport – image © hans-johnson / CC BY-ND 2.0 DEED

The Takeaway

• For most travelers, it makes sense to fly in and out of Tokyo.
• Tokyo has two airports: Haneda and Narita.
• If you can, choose Haneda.
• Haneda is closer to Tokyo and nicer all around, but Narita is fine if you cannot get a good Haneda flight.
• If you don’t intend to visit Tokyo, you might consider flying into Kansai.
• The Japanese airlines ANA and JAL offer great service.
• North Americans, Europeans and Australians/Kiwis may save some money by flying via another Asian country, but it’s inconvenient.
• Europeans may save some money by flying via the Middle East, but it’s inconvenient.

Which Airport in Japan Should You Fly To? Narita, Haneda or Kansai?

Haneda Airport aka Tokyo International Airport – image © tataquax / CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED

Most travelers to Japan will fly into Tokyo, which has two airports: Narita (NRT) and Haneda (HND). These two airports have frequent connections to almost all parts of the world. Kansai (KIX), which serves Kyoto and Osaka, has lots of connections to Asian cities and a few connections to North America, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. For more on Kansai, see later in this article. To choose between Tokyo’s Haneda and Narita airports, see the following section.

Narita vs Haneda: How to Choose

Narita Airport Terminal 1 – image © Kentaro IEMOTO / CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED

As mentioned above, Tokyo has two international airports: Haneda and Narita. You may be locked into using one or the other due to your airline of preference. They’re both modern, efficient and pleasant international airports, but if you have the choice, fly into Haneda. Why? Haneda is significantly closer to Tokyo (15km vs 57km). Both are well served by public transport, but Haneda is only 25 minutes by train from Tokyo, while Narita is around an hour. And you can take a regular taxi or taxi van from Haneda to downtown Tokyo for around ¥8500 (US$56), while a cab from Narita will cost around ¥25,000 (US$164).

Terminal 3 at Haneda Airport – image © GoToVan / CC BY 2.0 DEED

But the biggest reason to choose Haneda over Narita is this: The Japanese government has been pouring huge amounts of money into Haneda to turn it into Japan’s gateway to the world. The whole airport has been refurbished and it looks and feels new. It’s packed with great restaurants and shops, and there are three hotels right in the airport, including the excellent Villa Fontaine Grand Haneda Airport, which boasts an incredible rooftop spa with baths that offer views of Mt Fuji. I stay there whenever I have an early flight into or out of Tokyo. In contrast, Narita has no true hotels inside the airport, so you’re always taking shuttle buses or taxis.

All that said, if your airline of choice only flies to Narita, it’s no big deal. It’s only an hour from the city on the comfortable Narita Express train and it’s a fine airport in its own right.

For more information, see Arriving at Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport and Arriving at Tokyo’s Narita International Airport.

Should You Fly into Kansai?

Kansai Airport – image © redlegsfan21 / CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED

While several other airports in Japan offer flights to/from nearby Asian countries, the only other major Japanese airport of interest to Western travelers is Kansai, which serves Osaka and Kyoto. Here are the Western cities with flights to Kansai:

• San Francisco (United)
• Los Angeles (JAL)
• Honolulu (JAL, ANA, Hawaiian)
• Vancouver (April to October, Air Canada)
• Brisbane (Jetstar)
• Cairns (Jetstar)
• Helsinki (Finnair)
• Amsterdam (KLM)
• Paris (Air France)
• Munich (Lufthansa)
• Istanbul (Turkish)

If you do not want to visit Tokyo and instead want to focus on Kansai (Kyoto, Osaka, Nara etc) and points west, then flying into Kansai is a fine idea. It takes about 1 hour and 15 minutes by direct express train to travel from Kansai Airport to Kyoto.

For more information, see Arriving at Kansai International Airport (KIX).

To find the best deals on flights into Kansai, click here.

Should You Buy an Open-Jaw Ticket?

Shinkansen in the station – image © Takeshi Kuboki / CC BY 2.0 DEED

Some travelers consider buying a so-called “open-jaw” ticket to Japan. Such tickets allow you to fly into one city and out of another. So, you might fly into Tokyo and out of Kansai. Given that the shinkansen from Kyoto back to Tokyo only takes 2 hours and 15 minutes, it’s really not worth the hassle of buying an open-jaw ticket. For most travelers, a traditional round-trip ticket in and out of the same city is the way to go.

Which Airline Should You Choose?

Japan Airlines 777 – image © Alan Wilson / CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED

Most travelers will be able to choose between their own country’s flagship airlines and Japan’s two main international airlines: All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airlines (JAL). You won’t be surprised to hear that service aboard ANA and JAL is usually excellent. Also note that Japanese flyers tend to prefer ANA and JAL over airlines, so if that matters to you, keep it in mind. Here are a few country-by-country notes:

United States to Japan

ANA plane at SFO – image © Bill Abbott / CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED

There are flights from the major east and west coast cities to Japan, as well as a few other cities like Chicago, Dallas and Honolulu. You’ll be able to choose from ANA, JAL, United, American and Delta, as well as Japan Airlines’ new low-cost carrier called Zipair, which offers economy and business roundtrip fares for as low as US$500/$1800. Zipair is your cheapest option for a lay-flat seat across the Pacific. Also note that Air Canada offers good flights to Japan and this can be a good option for some Americans. Finally, if you’re on a tight budget, you can sometimes save a fair bit of money by flying to Japan from the States via South Korea or China.

Find the best US-Japan fares.

Canada to Japan

Air Canada 787 – image © Oliver Holzbauer / CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED

There are direct flights from Toronto, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver to Japan. You’ll be able to choose between ANA, JAL and Air Canada. WestJet offers Calgary-Narita flights from April to October three times a week, and you can often get great deals on premium economy and business seats on these flights.

Find the best Canada-Japan fares.

Australia

Qantas A330 at Narita – image © Alan Wilson / CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED

From Australia, you’ll be able to choose between JAL, ANA, Qantas and JetStar. You’ll usually get the cheapest fares on JetStar. You can also find deals by flying via other Asian countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan and China.

Find the best Australia-Japan fares.

Europe

Lufthansa A380 – image © Cityswift / CC BY 2.0 DEED

Most western European flagship carriers offer flights to Tokyo, and a few offer flights to Kansai (see the earlier section on Kansai). You can save a fair bit of money by flying via the Middle East to Japan, with Emirates often offering the best rates. You can also save money by flying via other Asian countries like Thailand and China.

Find the best Europe-Japan fares.

Kyoto District Map

Click a Kyoto District for detailed info on attractions, places to eat and accommodation