Travel to Japan
Flying to Japan
Japan Airlines (www.jal.co.jp/en), All Nippon Airways (www.ana.co.jp/eng) and Jetstar Japan (www.jetstar.com/jp/en) offer international flights to Japan.
Peak travel times to and from Japan are during the cherry blossom season (late March/early April), the Golden Week holiday (late April/early May), the Obon holiday (mid-August) and the New Year holiday (January).
Major airports are: Tokyo Haneda Airport, Tokyo Narita International Airport, Osaka Kansai International Airport, Central Japan International Airport (Centrair), New Chitose Airport (Sapporo), Fukuoka Airport and Sendai Airport.
Airport Guides
Osaka Kansai International Airport
CodeKIX
LocationOsaka Kansai International Airport is located 50km (31 miles) southwest of Osaka.
Telephone+81 72 455 2500.
AddressIzumisano1 Senshukukokita
Izumisano-shi
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Tokyo Narita International Airport
CodeNRT
LocationTokyo Narita International Airport is located 65km (40 miles) east of Tokyo.
Telephone+81 4 7634 8000
AddressChiba Prefecture 282 00041-1 Furugome, Narita
Tokyo
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Chubu Centrair International Airport (Central Japan International Airport)
CodeNGO
LocationChubu Centrair International Airport is located on Ise Bay, a man-made island around 50km (31 miles) south of Nagoya.
Telephone+81 569 381 195
AddressTokoname1 Chome-1 Centrair
Aichi Prefecture
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Fukuoka Airport
CodeFUK
LocationFukuoka Airport is located approximately 6km (3.7 miles) from Fukuoka city centre, Japan.
Telephone+81 92 621 6059
AddressHakata Ward778-1 Shimousui
Fukuoka
Tokyo Haneda Airport
CodeHND
LocationTokyo Haneda Airport is located around 18km (11 miles) south of central Tokyo.
Telephone+81 3 5757 8111.
AddressOta3-2 Haneda-Kuko, 3-Chome
Tokyo 144
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Flight times
To Tokyo: from London - 11 hours 40 minutes; New York - 16 hours 25 minutes; Toronto - 13 hours 20 minutes; Singapore - 6 hours 30 minutes; Sydney 9 hours 25 minutes.
Departure tax
Departure tax is included in the airfare.
Travelling to Japan by Rail
Rail passes
The Japan Rail Pass (www.japanrailpass.net) is the most economical way for international visitors to travel all over Japan by rail. It can be used on all Japan Railways services including selected shinkansen (bullet trains), except for some routes that require additional payment. There are passes for seven, 14 and 21 consecutive days. Passes are available online and at selected train stations and airports. The rail pass must be validated on the day you begin to use the pass.
Driving to Japan
Getting to Japan by boat
There are international ferry services to Japan from Russia, China, Taiwan and South Korea, although ticket prices may not be cheaper than air tickets.
Major port cities are Osaka (www.osakaport.co.jp), Kobe (www.kobe-meriken.or.jp), Yokohama (www.yokohamaport.org/portal), Shimonoseki (www.shimonoseki-port.com), Fukuoka (port-of-hakata.city.fukuoka.lg.jp) and Naha.
Cruise ships
There are cruises around the Japanese islands, including Tokyo. Some cruise ships stop in Japanese ports while en route to Shanghai or Hong Kong.
Ferry operators
Japan is accessible by sea, with the main routes to Japan from China and Korea. Ferries operate weekly from Osaka and Kobe to Shanghai (www.shinganjin.com). For South Korea, there's a route between Busan and Fukuoka (www.jrbeetle.co.jp), Busan and Hakata (www.camellia-line.co.jp), and Busan and Shimonoseki (www.kampuferry.co.jp).
