Japan's Main Airports: A Comprehensive Overview

Japan has a highly developed air transportation system, with over 50 active airports, including several major international hubs. The two main airports in Japan are Tokyo's Narita and Haneda airports. Narita Airport is the larger of the two, handling the most international traffic into the country. Haneda Airport, on the other hand, serves as the primary domestic base for Japan's two largest airlines, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways, and also offers long-haul international routes.

Tokyo's Narita and Haneda airports

Haneda Airport, also known as Tokyo International Airport, is located in Ōta, Tokyo, about 15 km (9.3 mi) south of Tokyo Station. Haneda is the busier of the two airports serving the Greater Tokyo Area and is the primary domestic base of Japan's two largest airlines, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways. In 2018, Haneda handled 87,098,683 passengers, making it the third-busiest airport in Asia and the fourth-busiest in the world in terms of passenger throughput. Haneda Airport was the primary international airport serving Tokyo until 1978. From 1978 to 2010, the airport handled almost all domestic flights to and from Tokyo, as well as a small number of international flights to East and Southeast Asian cities. In 2010, Haneda Airport opened a dedicated international terminal, Terminal 3, enabling long-haul flights to operate during the night.

The construction of Narita International Airport was highly controversial, especially among local residents in the area. The government's decision to build the airport without proper consultation with the residents and the expropriation of their lands led to the formation of the Sanrizuka-Shibayama Union to Oppose the Airport in 1966, which remained active until 1983. The opening of the airport in 1978 was met with protests, with 14,000 security police officers deployed to counter 6,000 protesters.

Both Narita and Haneda airports have received numerous accolades over the years. In 2022, Narita Airport was named the fourth-best airport in the world by Skytrax, while Haneda Airport was named the second-best airport and the World's Best Domestic Airport. With the combination of these two airports, Tokyo boasts the third-busiest city airport system in the world, after London and New York.

Osaka's Kansai Airport

Osaka's Kansai International Airport is one of Japan's two main airports. It is the primary international airport in the Greater Osaka Area and the closest international airport to the cities of Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe. It is located on an artificial island in Osaka Bay, 38 km (24 mi) southwest of Ōsaka Station. The airport covers a total area of 1,055 hectares (2,607 acres).

Kansai International Airport first opened on 4 September 1994 to relieve overcrowding at Osaka International Airport (Itami Airport), which is closer to Osaka. Kansai was the first airport in Japan to operate 24 hours a day. Over 31 airlines from 26 countries operate at the airport. It serves as a hub for several airlines, including All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, and Nippon Cargo Airlines. The airport has two runways and its facilities cover approximately 545 hectares (1,347 acres).

As of 2008, the total cost of Kansai Airport was $20 billion. Most additional costs were initially due to the island's sinking, caused by the soft soils of Osaka Bay. The airport was severely damaged in the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami when floodwaters inundated the runway and terminal. However, it was renovated within two months of the disaster.

Kansai International Airport offers free Wi-Fi, and there are 11 currency exchange offices, some of which are open 24 hours. The airport is located around 50 minutes from the bullet train hub of Shin-Osaka and 100 minutes away from Kyoto Station. Trains and buses are available for transport to and from the airport, and taxis are also on hand.

Nagoya's Chubu Airport

Nagoya's Chubu Centrair International Airport is one of Japan's most important aviation hubs. It is located on an artificial island in Ise Bay, Tokoname City, in the Aichi Prefecture. The airport is 35km (22 miles) south of Nagoya and is the main international gateway to the Chubu ("central") region of Japan.

Chubu Centrair opened on 17 February 2005, taking over all international and most domestic flights from Nagoya's Komaki Airport. The airport has two terminals: Terminal 1 is the main hub for domestic and international flights, and Terminal 2 is a smaller terminal used by discount airlines. Chubu Centrair is classified as a first-class airport and covers about 470 hectares (1,161 acres) of land, with a 3,500-metre (11,500-foot) runway.

The airport is conveniently connected to Nagoya and other areas of central Japan by train, bus, and boat. Nagoya Station can be reached in 30 minutes by train, with a one-way trip costing 980 yen for a non-reserved seat and 1430 yen for a reserved seat. Buses operate between the airport and locations around Nagoya, including a bus to Sakae in central Nagoya every two hours, costing 1500 yen one way. High-speed boats also connect the airport to the city of Tsu in Mie Prefecture across the Bay of Ise, with a 45-minute journey costing 2980 yen.

Chubu Centrair served 12.35 million passengers in 2018, ranking as the eighth busiest airport in Japan that year. The airport has received several accolades, including being named the fifth-best airport in the world by Skytrax's World's Top Airports in 2019. It also received the World's Best Regional Airport and Best Regional Airport in Asia awards that same year.

Fukuoka Airport

The history of Fukuoka Airport's civilian air service dates back to 1951 when Japan Airlines introduced the Fukuoka-Osaka-Tokyo service. The airport commenced its first international service to nearby Busan, South Korea, in 1965. Over the years, various airlines have introduced and withdrawn long-haul services to and from Fukuoka. The airport has undergone significant expansion and improvement projects, including the construction of a second runway and the expansion of its terminals to ease congestion.

Smaller domestic airports

While Tokyo's Narita and Haneda Airports are Japan's two main airports, there are several smaller domestic airports across the country. These include the airports of Shin-Chitose, Asahikawa, Hakodate, Aomori, Akita, Sendai, Ibaraki, Niigata, Toyama, Komatsu, Shizuoka, Okayama, Hiroshima, Yonago, Takamatsu, Matsuyama, Fukuoka, Saga, Oita, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, Kagoshima, and Naha. Many of these smaller airports also offer some international flights to locations such as Seoul, Taipei, Beijing, Shanghai, and Guam.

Fukuoka Airport, for example, is the largest airport on the island of Kyushu and served 23.8 million passengers in 2017. The airport has two terminals, one domestic and one international, flying to destinations across Japan and Asia. Fukuoka handles an average of 3.6 million passengers per year, most of whom fly on domestic routes, although there are also flights to China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Thailand. The airport was damaged in the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami but was renovated within two months of the disaster.

Another example is Osaka's Kansai International Airport, which is a major point of entry for foreign visitors. Located just 14 kilometers south of Tokyo's city center, Haneda Airport is the busier of the two international airports serving the Greater Tokyo Area. It serves as the primary domestic base of Japan's two largest airlines, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways, as well as RegionalPlus Wings Corp. Haneda has four runways, arranged in two parallel pairs, and three terminals, with the third being mainly used for international flights.

In 1978, Narita Airport opened and took over almost all international services in the Greater Tokyo Area, with most international flights moving from Haneda to Narita. However, airlines from the Republic of China (Taiwan) remained at Haneda Airport due to the ongoing political conflict between Taiwan and the People's Republic of China. Narita International Airport alone accounted for around 1.87 million metric tons of cargo, and it continues to be the airport that handles most of Japan's international traffic.

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