Japan's Top Airports: A Comprehensive Guide

Japan has 98 airports, 28 of which are operated by the central government and 67 by local governments. The country's major airports include Tokyo's Narita and Haneda airports, Osaka's Kansai International Airport, Nagoya's Chubu Centrair International Airport, and Hiroshima Airport.

Tokyo's Narita and Haneda airports

Japan's most important international airports include Tokyo's Narita and Haneda airports. These two airports serve both international air traffic and domestic travel. Narita International Airport (NRT) is the largest international airport in Japan, located 60 kilometres (37 miles) east of Tokyo. It was built in 1978 and used to serve the most long-haul flights out of the two airports. However, it is now the less busy of the two, handling over 30 million passengers annually. Transportation to central Tokyo from Narita Airport takes about 1.5 hours.

Haneda Airport (HND), on the other hand, is located within the Tokyo prefecture, making it the only airport in the Tokyo district by address. It is the busiest airport in Tokyo in terms of passenger traffic, handling over 78 million passengers annually. The distance from Tokyo Station to Haneda Airport is just 11 miles, and transportation can take less than 30 minutes. Haneda's proximity to the city centre makes it a preferred choice for many travellers visiting Tokyo.

Both airports offer amenities to travellers and have impressive on-time departure rates. Narita Airport has more airlines serving it compared to Haneda, and it is the more likely option for those flying from abroad. Haneda Airport, meanwhile, is more commonly used by travellers from neighbouring countries. Haneda Airport was initially built for domestic flights, and it continues to offer a larger number of domestic flights compared to Narita.

Osaka's Kansai International Airport

Kansai International Airport, commonly known as Kankū, is Osaka's primary international airport. It is located on an artificial island in Osaka Bay, off the Honshu shore, 38-40 kilometres 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 nearest international airport to Kyoto and serves the western area of Japan, housing the tourist destinations of Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, and Wakayama. The airport is around 50 minutes from the bullet train hub of Shin-Osaka and 100 minutes away from Kyoto Station.

Kansai International Airport opened on 4 September 1994, becoming the first airport in Japan to operate 24 hours a day. It was built to relieve overcrowding at Osaka International Airport (Itami Airport), which is closer to Osaka. The airport is served by the JR Haruka limited express, which connects to Osaka Station in 40 to 50 minutes and is covered by the Japan Rail Pass. The JR Limited Express and Rapid Trains also connect the airport and central Osaka in just over 30 minutes.

Kansai International Airport is one of the busiest airports in Japan, handling 31.9 million passengers in 2019 and 30.6 million in 2024, ranking third in 2019. It has been awarded for its staff and baggage delivery. The airport serves as a hub for several airlines, including All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, and Nippon Cargo Airlines. It provides a large network of domestic and international routes.

Nagoya's Chubu Centrair International Airport

Chubu Centrair opened on February 17, 2005, taking over most of the former Nagoya Airport's commercial flights and cargo shipments from the Tokyo and Kansai areas. The airport was constructed to address the insufficient cargo handling capacity of the previous airport, which was hampered by its location in a residential area. The new airport is strategically positioned to serve the third-largest metropolitan area in Japan, centred around Nagoya, a major manufacturing hub.

The airport is accessible via the Meitetsu Line μ-SKY limited express, which travels between Chubu Airport and Nagoya Station in 45 to 55 minutes. Additionally, the Central Japan International Airport Station, located on the Meitetsu Airport Line, offers a faster connection with a travel time of 28 minutes to Nagoya Station. This station provides easy transfers to Shinkansen bullet trains and other local transportation networks.

Chubu Centrair has received numerous accolades, including being ranked the fifth-best airport in the world by Skytrax's World's Top Airports 100 in 2019. It also received the World's Best Regional Airport and the Best Regional Airport in Asia awards. In 2018, the airport served 12.35 million passengers, ranking as the eighth busiest in Japan, and handled 212,797 tons of cargo.

Fukuoka Airport

The international terminal, opened in 1999, is located in a separate building across the runway and is connected to the domestic terminal by a free shuttle bus. Regular flights depart from here to several countries, including Korea, China, Taiwan, and Singapore. However, the international terminal is only accessible by road, and passengers cannot access it directly by subway. To reach the international terminal from Hakata Station, passengers can take a local bus operated by Nishitetsu Bus, which takes approximately 15 minutes and costs 310 yen, or a taxi, which costs around 1500 yen.

Sapporo's New Chitose Airport

New Chitose Airport is one of six 24-hour airports in Japan, becoming the first in 1994. Services between 10 pm and 7 am are currently limited to six flights per day due to noise concerns. Four of these slots are used by passenger flights to Tokyo, while the other two are used by cargo flights. The airport is located 2.7 nautical miles (5.0 km; 3.1 mi) south-southeast of Chitose and Tomakomai, Hokkaidō, Japan, serving the Sapporo metropolitan area. By both traffic and land area, it is the largest airport in Hokkaidō.

The airport continues to upgrade its facilities to accommodate the growing number of passengers. As a result, Skytrax awarded it the World's Most Improved Airport for 2024, jumping from 102nd to 49th place in the world's top 100 airports in a single year. As of 2018, it was the fifth-busiest airport in Japan, serving 23.7 million passengers. The airport has a range of dining options, including the Hokkaido Ramen Dojo, where diners can choose from multiple ramen shops across Hokkaido, and the Streetcar Dining District, which features nostalgic Hokkaido specialties. The airport also has a wide variety of souvenir shops, and the Rera Chitose Outlet Mall with hundreds of international and local brands is just outside the airport complex.

New Chitose Airport and Sapporo Station are connected by frequently departing JR rapid trains (35 minutes, 1150 yen one way). Buses operate every 15 minutes between the airport and various places in downtown Sapporo, including Susukino, Odori Park and Sapporo Station.

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