Best Airports To Land In Japan For Travelers

Japan has 11 airports serving passengers, including two major international airports: Narita International Airport and Haneda Airport. These airports offer unique benefits that can improve your journey to Japan. However, the best airport to land at depends on your final destination and specific needs. For instance, if you are travelling to Tokyo, Narita and Haneda are the best options. On the other hand, if you are visiting Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe, you should land at Kansai Airport.

Narita International Airport (Tokyo)

Narita International Airport, also known as Tokyo-Narita International Airport or Narita Airport, is one of two international airports serving the Greater Tokyo Area, the other being Haneda Airport. Narita Airport is located about 50-60 kilometres from the centre of Tokyo in Narita, Chiba. It is the busiest airport in Japan in terms of international passengers and international cargo traffic.

The airport is renowned for its services and technological advancements in its facilities and has been awarded a 5-star world airport rating by SKYTRAX. It is also considered one of the best airports in the world. Narita's connectivity makes it a popular choice for international travellers, with flights to over 100 destinations across 35 countries. The airport serves as the main international hub for several airlines, including Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways, and United Airlines.

Narita International Airport has three terminals, with most domestic flights handled at Terminal 3. The airport offers a range of facilities for travellers, including lounges, observation decks, and a capsule hotel. There are also plenty of dining options, with a variety of Japanese and international cuisines available. Additionally, Narita Airport has a wide selection of shops, including duty-free shopping and fashion brands.

Travelling between Narita Airport and Tokyo is convenient and offers several options. The Narita Express, operated by JR East, provides a direct link to major stations in Tokyo, such as Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shibuya, and Shinjuku. The private railway company Keisei operates the Skyliner train from the airport to Nippori and Ueno stations. Highway buses also connect the airport to major stations, hotels, and tourist spots in Tokyo. These buses offer multiple routes and are a good option for those travelling with a lot of baggage.

Haneda Airport (Tokyo)

Haneda Airport has three terminal buildings and four runways. Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 are the primary terminals and handle all domestic flights, while the International Terminal (Terminal 3) handles all international flights. The airport is one of the busiest in the world, handling 87,098,683 passengers in 2018, and able to handle 90 million passengers per year following its expansion in 2018. In 2020, Haneda was named the second-best airport in the world after Singapore's Changi Airport and the World's Best Domestic Airport.

Haneda Airport recommenced international service in 2010, with a dedicated international terminal and a fourth runway, allowing long-haul flights to operate during the night-time. Haneda is well worth visiting due to its close proximity to Tokyo City, and it offers easy access to the sites of Hakone, Yokohama, and Nikko through the Shinkansen lines. The Keikyu railway lines bring you immediately to the centre of Tokyo, with a direct connection to Shinagawa where you can connect with the JR lines.

If you have time, you can visit the airport sky deck for fresh air and a view. Haneda Airport also has nice lounge areas with reclining chairs and charging stations, a wide variety of shops, and duty-free shopping with online pre-departure orders and airport pick-up. There are also shower facilities available, with clean personal rooms offering towels, Shiseido shower gel, shampoo, and conditioner, and a blow dryer.

Kansai International Airport (Osaka)

Kansai International Airport (KIX) is the primary international airport in the Greater Osaka Area of Japan. It is located on an artificial island in Osaka Bay, 38km (24 mi) southwest of Ōsaka Station. The airport is within three municipalities, including Izumisano (north), Sennan (south), and Tajiri (central), in Osaka Prefecture.

Kansai International Airport is the closest international airport to the cities of Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe. It is also the international gateway for Japan's Kansai region, which contains the major cities of Kyoto, Kobe, and Osaka. The airport is about 50 minutes from the bullet train hub of Shin-Osaka and 100 minutes away from Kyoto Station. The JR Limited Express and Rapid Trains connect the airport and central Osaka in just over 30 minutes. The Nankai Railway's Rapi:t train takes 35 minutes to get to the heart of Osaka, in Namba.

Kansai International Airport offers free Wi-Fi and 11 currency exchange offices, some of which are open 24 hours. The airport also has a Tourist Information Centre staffed by multilingual travel experts who can answer questions and provide free maps and brochures. Japanese public transport, stores, and restaurants do not accept foreign currencies, so it is recommended to have small amounts of yen currency.

Kansai International Airport opened on 4 September 1994 to relieve overcrowding at Osaka International Airport (also called Itami Airport), which is closer to Osaka. As of 2024, the airport has served over 30 million passengers, making it the third busiest in Japan. In 2020, it was ranked the tenth-best airport in the world by Skytrax and received awards for Best Airport Staff in Asia, World's Best Airport Staff, and World's Best Airport for Baggage Delivery.

Chubu Centrair International Airport (Nagoya)

Chubu Centrair International Airport (NGO) is located on an artificial island in Ise Bay, Tokoname City, in the Aichi Prefecture. It is 35km (22 miles) south of Nagoya, in central Japan, and serves the third-largest metropolitan area in Japan, centred around the city of Nagoya. The airport is a major manufacturing centre, with the headquarters of Toyota Motor Corporation and production facilities for Mitsubishi Motors and Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation.

Chubu Centrair opened on 17 February 2005, taking over most of the commercial flights from the existing Nagoya Airport. The airport covers about 470 hectares (1,161 acres) of land and has one 3,500m (11,500ft) runway. In 2018, 12.35 million people used the airport, and 212,797 tons of cargo was moved. In 2019, it was ranked the fifth-best airport in the world by Skytrax.

The airport's train station, Central Japan International Airport Station, is located on the Meitetsu Airport Line, operated by Nagoya Railroad (Meitetsu). The fastest train service, the μSky Limited Express, connects the airport to Meitetsu Nagoya Station in 28 minutes, with a maximum speed of 120km/h. This station is adjacent to JR Nagoya Station, allowing transfers to Shinkansen bullet trains to Tokyo and Osaka, as well as other major cities. Limousine buses are also available from the airport.

Chubu Centrair is a good option for travellers wanting to visit central Japan. The airport offers duty-free shopping and baggage delivery services to hotels in Aichi, Gifu, and Mie. However, international flight arrivals are limited, and the airport's location in a residential area previously limited the number of flights and their operating hours.

New Chitose Airport (Hokkaido)

New Chitose Airport (IATA: CTS, ICAO: RJCC) is an international airport located 2.7 nautical miles (5.0 km; 3.1 mi) south-southeast of Chitose and Tomakomai, in Hokkaidō, Japan. It serves the Sapporo metropolitan area and is the largest airport in Hokkaidō by both traffic and land area. The airport is one of six 24-hour airports in Japan and is the only inland airport in the country. New Chitose Airport is the main airport of Sapporo, located about 50 kilometres south-east of the city centre. It is one of the busiest airports in Japan, serving the world's most-travelled air route between Tokyo and Sapporo, as well as many other domestic routes and a few international and chartered flights.

New Chitose Airport has a semicircular domestic terminal with eighteen gates and a smaller international terminal with six gates. The airport is adjacent to Chitose Air Base, a Japan Air Self-Defense Force base that houses F-15 Eagle fighter jets, the Japanese Air Force One government aircraft, and a number of smaller emergency response aircraft and helicopters. Chitose and New Chitose have separate runways but are interconnected by taxiways, and aircraft at either facility can enter the other by ground if permitted. The runways at Chitose are sometimes used to relieve runway closures at New Chitose due to winter weather.

New Chitose Airport offers a unique feature: the New Chitose Airport Onsen, a hot spring bathhouse located within the terminal building. The airport also has an observation deck, two hotels, the Doraemon Wakuwaku Skypark (a kids' playground and amusement corner), and Royce' Chocolate World, where visitors can observe the making of chocolates from the popular confectioner. The airport also features a wide range of dining options, including a food court and two themed food zones: the Hokkaido Ramen Dojo and the Streetcar.

The airport is well-connected to Sapporo, with JR rapid trains running between New Chitose Airport Station and Sapporo Station in approximately 33 to 37 minutes. Buses also operate every 15 minutes between the airport and various places in downtown Sapporo, including Susukino, Odori Park, and Sapporo Station.

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