Japan domestic flights for visitors: which airline, which fare, what you can carry and when to be at the airport

Should you fly within Japan?

Japan's high-speed trains are so good that many visitors never look at a domestic flight, and on the busiest corridor that is the right call. JR Central says the Shinkansen gets you from Tokyo to Kyoto in about 2 hours and to Osaka in 2 hours 21 minutes, with up to 18 trains an hour. A flight on the same route only looks faster until you add the trip out to the airport, the bag-drop deadline, security and the walk to the gate.

Further out, the balance tips the other way. There is no railway to Okinawa — JNTO notes that most flights to Naha leave from Tokyo or Osaka — and for Tokyo to Sapporo or Fukuoka the plane is usually the faster option. Visitors who hold an international ticket can also use the airlines' special domestic fares, explained below, which can make a long hop cheaper than the train. Bear in mind that a Japan Rail Pass covers trains, not planes: our JR Pass guide explains what it does cover.

A rough rule of thumb: take the train where a direct Shinkansen does the trip in about four hours or less, and compare flights beyond that. The itinerary guide shows how both fit into a typical route, and the Shinkansen tickets guide has the train prices.

Which airlines fly within Japan

Two big airline groups fly most domestic routes:

• ANA (All Nippon Airways) flies from Haneda to more than 40 airports and to over 50 airports in all. It also sells seats under ANA flight numbers on partner airlines: AIRDO, Solaseed Air, StarFlyer, IBEX Airlines and Oriental Air Bridge.
• Japan Airlines (JAL) and its group airlines — Japan Air Commuter, Japan Transocean Air, Ryukyu Air Commuter, Hokkaido Air System and J-AIR — fly a nationwide network of their own.

Alongside them are smaller airlines such as Skymark and Fuji Dream Airlines, and low-cost carriers such as Peach and Jetstar Japan, which sell low base fares and charge for extras like checked bags and seat selection.

Two practical points follow from all the codeshares. First, the airline that operates the flight sets the rules: on codeshare flights the operating airline's cabin-bag rules apply, and ANA sends passengers on flights operated by AIRDO, Solaseed Air, StarFlyer, IBEX and Oriental Air Bridge to the operating airline's website for online check-in. Second, check the terminal on your ticket. At Haneda, ANA's flights leave from Terminal 2, but StarFlyer-operated codeshares leave from Terminal 1.

The figures in this guide come from ANA's and Peach's published rules and from the transport ministry's list of items you may and may not carry. JAL and the other airlines publish their own rules, so read your airline's pages before you pack.

Fares for visitors with an international ticket

Japan's airlines sell domestic flights at special prices to people arriving on an international trip, and the offers changed in 2026. What you can book depends on the country your journey starts in, so look at the airline's website for your own country.

• ANA's Discover JAPAN fare has ended. ANA says it "was discontinued for new bookings, ticketing, and travel as of May 18, 2026." For flights from 19 May 2026, ANA's rules for domestic fares bought with an international ticket list Flex, Standard, Simple and Sale fares and one called "Flex (For combination with INT Fare)/Full Flex". Some of these fares have a limited number of seats, and some can be held before you pay.
• TOKYO+ (from Europe). ANA's Italian site, for flights from Europe, invites travellers to fly to Tokyo "and connect to another destination in Japan for no additional airfare", with the "Japan domestic airfare included with your international ticket". Taxes and other fees may apply, the international fare may vary with domestic seat availability, and the domestic flights do not have to arrive at and depart from the same airport. You can stay in Tokyo for more than 24 hours or connect straight through, to over 40 destinations.
• SAME FARE (from Singapore). ANA Singapore promises "the SAME FARE whether you're heading to Tokyo or traveling to Hiroshima via Tokyo" when the domestic flight is booked with the international ticket. A stopover of more than 24 hours "will be subject to consumption tax and applicable fees".
• JAL Japan Explorer Pass. JAL launched this fare in December 2015 for people living outside Japan who hold an international ticket. This site does not quote its current price or conditions; check JAL's website for the country you live in.

Two rules apply to these offers. You normally book the domestic flight together with the international one — ANA Singapore's instructions are to use "Search Multiple Cities" and finish with your flight home — and the international ticket's baggage rules then apply to the domestic flights in it. Our free domestic flights guide explains the offers in more detail.

ANA's domestic fares since 19 May 2026

Bought on its own, an ANA domestic ticket now comes in three main fares — Flex, Standard and Simple — plus a set of special fares. The points that matter to a visitor:

• Flex and Standard are priced by seat availability. Change a booking at a busy time or at the last minute and you may pay a fare difference.
• Standard is stricter on the day. Before you have flown any segment, you cannot move to an earlier or later flight on the same day; after the first segment, same-day changes to the later ones are allowed.
• On cheaper fares, seats are chosen at check-in. On fares without advance seat reservation, you pick a seat at online check-in from 24 hours before departure. ANA advises families who want to choose seats in advance, or who need a bassinet, to book a fare that includes advance seat reservation.
• The price is fixed when you buy. New fare amounts apply to tickets bought from 1 April 2026, and the number of seats at each fare is limited. If the fare for your flight changes after you have paid, ANA neither charges nor refunds the difference.

The special fares (economy class) include:

Refunds on all of these carry a fee except Biz, which can be refunded free of charge before departure. Membership of the ANA Mileage Club, which Youth and Senior require, is free.

Three more rules can save money:

1. Children aged 2 to 12 get 25% off Flex, Standard, Simple and Sale fares.
2. Round trips bought together on the same fare cost less than two one-ways (some fares are excluded), and they can be open-jaw. ANA's own example: fly Tokyo to Fukuoka, travel overland to Nagasaki, then fly Nagasaki to Tokyo.
3. Connections through an airport ANA specifies count as a single segment, with up to 24 hours between flights; conditions vary by fare.

Peach and other low-cost fares

Peach, a low-cost carrier, sells three fares. All three include two cabin items weighing up to 7 kg in total; everything else depends on the fare.

A few more Peach rules are worth knowing. On Minimum and Standard you can hold a new booking for 24 hours for a fee (Standard Plus includes the hold), but not for flights within 72 hours or on sale fares. If Peach cancels your flight or it is significantly delayed, refunds and transfers are available without handling fees whatever the fare. Fees are set by the country your first flight departs from and are paid in that currency, and payment options include credit cards, convenience stores, ATMs, internet banking, e-money and QR-code payment.

Low-cost fares are cheap because the extras are unbundled, so a traveller with a checked bag and a chosen seat should compare the total, not the headline fare. Jetstar Japan and the other low-cost carriers set their own fares and bag rules; read them on the airline's site, and check which airport your flight uses before comparing it with a full-service one.

How, where and when to book

• Book on the airline's own website or app. ANA warns that tickets bought through comparison sites may not allow changes, cancellations or refunds, may carry extra fees, and cannot be refunded by ANA: you have to go back to the site that sold them.
• Use your passport name. ANA does not let passengers board with a ticket issued in someone else's name, an award ticket issued to a person not entitled to it, or a ticket bought with an illegal credit card. Buy from the airline or a recognised travel agency, never from auctions or resale listings.
• Book international and domestic together when you want a visitor offer. On ANA that means a multi-city search that ends with your flight home.
• Book early for Japanese holidays. The number of seats at each fare is limited, so the cheapest go first. ANA asks passengers to check in earlier during the summer holidays and around the year-end and New Year period; those are the dates to book early, too.
• If you reserve without paying, ANA requires payment by 20 minutes before departure at the latest. Peach's 24-hour hold is described above.

Our trip cost guide shows how a domestic flight fits into an overall budget for Japan.

Baggage allowance on Japan domestic flights

ANA's premium class allows 3 checked pieces of up to 32 kg each. Coats, umbrellas, child seats and crutches do not count towards the cabin allowance, and a bag too big for the cabin must be checked in before security.

Excess baggage on ANA is charged per piece:

*Routes within Hokkaido and some island and regional routes, such as Naha to Miyako or Ishigaki; ANA's baggage page has the full list.

ANA accepts excess baggage up to 45 kg a piece and 100 kg per passenger. People flying together can pool their allowances and let one person check in everyone's bags.

More baggage rules worth knowing:

• Carry on only what you can lift. Under a common guideline for Japan's airlines in force since 1 April 2026, passengers bring one carry-on bag plus one personal item that fits under the seat in front, sizes include wheels and handles, and you should carry on only what you can lift into the overhead bin yourself.
• Lock checked bags that have a lock, unless you are connecting to an international flight.
• Keep valuables, electronics and medicines with you. ANA asks passengers not to check in fragile items such as watches and glassware, electronics such as computers and cameras, valuables, or daily necessities such as medicines, and is not liable for them in the hold.
• Infants' gear travels free. A child under 2 without a seat has no baggage allowance, but a fully collapsible stroller, a carrying basket and a car seat are carried free of charge. Our guide to Japan with kids covers trains, strollers and car seats on the ground.
• International tickets follow international rules. When the domestic flight is part of an international ticket, the international baggage allowance applies to it.

To send a big suitcase ahead by courier instead of checking it in, see our luggage guide.

Liquids, food and alcohol

• There is no 100 ml rule on domestic flights. Japan's transport ministry lists the liquids you may carry and notes that "an additional restriction is applied to international flights" — the familiar 100 ml containers in a clear bag. On a domestic flight, toiletries, medicines and sprays may be carried up to 0.5 litres or 0.5 kg per container and 2 litres or 2 kg per person, and spray valves need caps.
• Drinks can go through security. Take bottles out of your bag for screening; their contents may be inspected. ANA asks passengers to carry bottled drinks on board rather than check them in, because bottles may break.
• Alcohol of up to 24% by volume is not treated as a dangerous good, but it must stay in its retail container: the ministry's list says a drink "poured into a hip flask from a retailed container, is not allowed." Drinks over 24% and up to 70% are limited to 5 litres, also in retail containers, and anything over 70% cannot be carried at all.
• Food is fine if it is well packed. ANA asks passengers to pack seafood and pickles securely and, in the cabin, to keep them at their feet rather than in the overhead locker. Self-heating lunch boxes count as dangerous goods and are banned from the cabin and the hold.
• Bleach is banned.

These allowances are for personal use only. If you travel with prescription medicine, our medication guide covers the rules for bringing it into Japan.

Power banks, lighters, scissors and knives

• Power banks can never go in checked baggage. On flights boarding from 24 April 2026, ANA allows up to two per person in the cabin, each rated 160 Wh or less, with the terminals taped over or the power bank in a plastic bag. Charging a power bank from the seat's power outlet is prohibited, and ANA asks passengers not to use power banks to charge other devices on board.
• Lighters cannot go in checked baggage either, and lighter-shaped novelties are banned from the cabin. Check your airline's rules before carrying one on.
• Scissors without a sharp point and with blades of 6 cm or less, measured from the tip to the pivot, are allowed in the cabin, as are small cosmetic scissors and the scissors in a sewing kit.
• Knives go in checked baggage. The transport ministry's list bans knives from the cabin, Swiss Army knives included, although round-bladed butter knives and paper knives are allowed. A kitchen knife bought as a souvenir has to be checked in; our guide to what to buy in Japan covers buying one and getting it home.
• Umbrellas are allowed in the cabin.

Even an item on the allowed list can be refused at security, and anything that is not allowed in the cabin has to be checked in, if there is still time, or given up. Screening is compulsory: ANA notes that since 10 March 2022, going beyond the checkpoint without a security check "will be considered a violation of the Civil Aeronautics Act, and may result in imprisonment of up to 1 year or a fine of up to JPY 500,000." At the checkpoint, put coats in the trays and take laptops and plastic bottles out of your bag; boots and thick-soled shoes are screened too.

Do you need a passport for domestic flights in Japan?

Carry it. Foreign visitors must have their passport with them at all times in Japan, as our rules guide explains, and the airport is no exception. ANA adds that "in the case of an international ticket, we may need to verify your identity with official documents." The name on your booking must match your passport, because ANA does not let passengers board with a ticket issued in someone else's name.

How early to arrive at the airport

ANA's deadlines for domestic flights:

These are cut-offs, not advice, and security queues and long walks eat into them. At Haneda's Terminal 2, ANA puts the walk from security at 4–8 minutes to gates 500–513, 7–11 minutes to gates 51–57 and 11–15 minutes to gates 47–50. This site's advice: reach the airport about an hour before departure if you have bags to check, a little less if you have cabin bags only and a boarding pass on your phone, and earlier still during the summer holidays and at New Year. Other airlines set their own cut-offs, so check yours.

Connection times

If you are connecting between flights, leave at least ANA's minimum connection times (in minutes):

StarFlyer connections need 50 minutes at Haneda. Between ANA's domestic and international flights the minimum is longer: at Narita, 45 minutes from domestic to international and 75 the other way; at Haneda, 55 minutes to an international flight from Terminal 2 or 70 to one from Terminal 3, and 80 minutes from international to domestic; at Kansai, 55 and 60; at Chubu, 60 either way. Changing airports takes far longer: ANA allows 180 minutes between Haneda and Narita and between Itami and Kansai.

Late arrivals, delays and bad weather

Late flights can land after public transport stops. ANA warns passengers on ANA1133 from Haneda to Naha (scheduled 20:35 to 23:20; the arrival time varies by date, and some dates have no flight) that the monorail, rail and buses may not be running when it lands. It asks them to check the timetables themselves and tells anyone planning to take a taxi to contact the taxi company; the Okinawa Hire Taxi Association it links to is marked Japanese only. Check the last train or bus from your arrival airport before booking a late flight, and read our taxi guide for how taxis work in Japan.

Snow in winter and typhoons in summer and autumn can ground flights. When bad weather is forecast, ANA posts notices that let holders of tickets for the affected airports and times change their reservation or get a refund on its website without a handling fee, whatever happens to the flight in the end; passengers on international tickets get a separate link. Check the flight status before you leave for the airport, and if a domestic flight connects to your flight home, leave a day of slack between them.

To cite or link to this page: Japan domestic flights for visitors: which airline, which fare, what you can carry and when to be at the airport — Japan Pocket Guide, https://japanpocketguide.com/plan/domestic-flights/ Copy