Flights to Japan from the US

Quick answer: Tokyo has two international airports, and which one your ticket uses depends on the airline: Delta flies its own Tokyo flights to Haneda (HND), the airport closer to the city, while Japan Airlines, ANA and United serve both Haneda and Narita (NRT), and the low-cost ZIPAIR flies to Narita. Delta plans to add Seattle to Narita from March 2027. From the West Coast the flight is about 11 to 12 hours. US citizens need no visa for tourist stays of up to 90 days. Fill in Visit Japan Web before you land to get the QR codes for immigration and customs. JESTA, Japan's planned travel authorization, is not in operation and is targeted for 2028.

Facts checked November 2026. Schedules and entry rules change, so confirm with the airline and the official government site before you travel.

Japan flights at a glance

Where you can fly in Japan

Each city links to every route guide we publish into that airport; each guide covers the airlines, connections and baggage rules, with live fares when the page loads.

• Flights to Tokyo (NRT)13 route guides
• Flights to Tokyo (HND)11 route guides

Entry rules for US citizens as of November 2026

US citizens can visit Japan for tourism, visiting friends or unpaid business for up to 90 days without a visa. Bring a passport valid for your whole stay and be ready to show a return or onward ticket. A visa-free entry does not allow paid work.

Visit Japan Web is the government's free online service for arrival paperwork. Enter your passport, flight and customs details before you fly and it gives you QR codes to show at immigration and at the customs e-gates, which is faster than the paper cards. Use the official site and ignore paid look-alikes.

JESTA, Japan's planned electronic travel authorization for visa-free visitors, is not in operation. Japan's parliament passed the legal change in May 2026, and the government targets a start in fiscal year 2028. Until then there is nothing to apply for, so a site offering a Japanese travel authorization today is not official.

Two money rules changed in 2026. The departure tax, which is added to your airline ticket, was raised on July 1, 2026. And from November 1, 2026, tax-free shopping became a refund system: you pay the consumption tax in the shop and get it back when you leave Japan, after customs checks the goods. Keep the items unused and in your carry-on or reachable at the airport.

Haneda or Narita: which airlines fly where

Haneda is about 30 minutes from central Tokyo by train, and Narita is roughly an hour or more. For a Tokyo-only trip Haneda is usually more convenient, but a Narita flight can have better times or availability, and Narita has its own fast rail links: the Narita Express and the Keisei Skyliner.

As of recent schedules, Delta flies to Haneda from Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Seattle and Honolulu, and has announced daily Seattle to Narita flights from March 27, 2027. American flies to Haneda from Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles and New York JFK, and sells Japan Airlines flights on its other Tokyo routes; it has announced a return to Chicago to Narita from March 2027. United serves both Tokyo airports and began a daily Chicago to Narita route in late October 2026.

Japan Airlines (oneworld, partner of American) and ANA (Star Alliance, partner of United) fly from many US cities to both Haneda and Narita. ZIPAIR, JAL's long-haul low-cost airline, flies to Narita from several US cities, mostly on the West Coast, and charges separately for bags, seats and meals. Check which Tokyo airport is on your ticket before you book a hotel or a domestic connection.

Beyond Tokyo: Osaka and other gateways

Osaka's Kansai Airport (KIX) is the main second gateway and the closest big airport to Kyoto. Flying into Tokyo and home from Osaka saves the trip back, and the shinkansen between Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka is usually easier than a domestic flight.

For Hokkaido, Okinawa, Fukuoka or Hiroshima, connect at Haneda for domestic flights. Most domestic flights use Haneda, so if you land at Narita you may need to change airports, which takes time. Keep the connection on one ticket so a delay is the airline's problem.

Best and quietest times to fly

The busiest weeks are the cherry blossom season in late March and early April, Golden Week from late April to early May, and the year-end holidays. Hotels and trains fill fast, so book early for those dates.

June is the rainy season across most of Japan, and July and August are hot and humid. Typhoons are most likely from about August to October and can cancel flights, especially to Okinawa and the south.

October and November bring mild weather and autumn color, which peaks in Tokyo and Kyoto around late November. The quietest window is usually January to early March outside the New Year week, apart from ski areas in Hokkaido and Nagano. The fare grid on each route guide shows what is live for your dates.

Booking tips for Japan

From the East Coast or the middle of the country, compare a nonstop with a one-stop ticket through a West Coast hub or Seattle. The total time can be close, and a one-stop often gives more departure times.

Pick the airline by your miles and by your Tokyo airport. Delta passengers land at Haneda, except on its Seattle to Narita flights from March 2027; JAL, ANA and United passengers should check which airport their flight uses.

If you fly ZIPAIR, add up bags, seats and meals before you compare it with a full-service ticket, and remember that ZIPAIR uses Narita.

Coming home, you cross the date line and land in the US on the same calendar day you left Japan, sometimes earlier in the day than you took off. Book your onward US connection by local arrival time.

Route guides to Japan

Frequently asked questions