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

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).