How to fly directly from Australia to Japan

Japan is becoming more and more popular among Australian travellers. Cherry blossoms, a mix of ultra-modern architecture and technologies with a very traditional-oriented culture and astonishing history, powder snow for ski and snowboard enthusiasts, excellent food pretty much everywhere you go or a fact that Japan is “only about 9.5 hours away with many non-stop direct flights.

Those are just a few highlights of why Australians pick Japan as their next holiday adventure. And from my personal experience, it was an unforgettable experience. And one visit is not enough. I am sure that as soon as you get back home, you will think. Ok, when do I go again?

Now, how do you get to Japan from Australia in the fastest, most convenient and comfortable way?

1) Sydney to Tokyo Direct Flights

Qantas

We probably don’t need to introduce Qantas to any Australian, so let's see and compare the options.

The Schedule:

There are two daily flights from Sydney International Airport to Tokyo. Both flights arrive at the Tokyo Haneda International Airport, which is the better option for you as it is closer to the city and most of the locations where you will probably stay. The duration of the flight is 9 hours and 50 minutes. Personally, I think it’s not that bad compared to when you fly to any other destinations overseas.

1) Day flight

The day flight departs at 12:10 pm as flight number QF59 and lands in Tokyo at 8:00 pm.

Pros:

• I think this is an excellent option as you arrive at a very reasonable time, can already spend a night at your hotel, and wake up fresh in the morning to start exploring.
• Also, your hotel room will be ready - no need to wait for the usual afternoon check-ins.
• If you take the limousine bus from Haneda airport to your hotel, most likely, the traffic won’t be that bad at this late evening time.

Cons:

• If you are on a budget, the negative is that you already need to pay for the first night at the hotel, even though you most likely arrive there around 10 pm. If you take the overnight flight (see flight 2 below), you don’t need to pay the hotel and can consider the first-night hotel cost as part of the flight ticket.
• It's a worse plane than the overnight flight - read more below.

2) Overnight flight - QF25

This flight departs at 10:05 pm (during the Sydney summer season from October to March) and lands in Tokyo at 5:55 am. During the winter season, it leaves at 8:20 pm and lands in Tokyo at 5:25 am.

Pros:

• Cost - you can save some money by not paying for the first night's stay at the hotel.
• Time - you don’t lose any daytime by travelling during the night.
• From what I know, parents with young kids would prefer night flights (like we did) because it can be (I really stress “can be” as all kids are, of course, different) a bit easier flight for the parents if their kids go to sleep easily on a plane.
• You arrive early in the morning and can start exploring Tokyo and Japan immediately.
• Better aircraft - Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (see below for more info) with three classes - Economy, Premium Economy and Business.

Cons:

• Comfort - Night flight is not for everyone. Especially if you are flying in Economy class or can’t sleep on a plane. If you don’t usually get much sleep, then you should probably consider the daytime flight to start exploring and enjoying Tokyo and Japan fresh.
• Hotel check-in - Unless you have the option for early check-in, you will need to wait for your hotel room to be ready by at least 2 pm in most cases. Of course, every hotel is different, so please check the check-in time of the hotel you are staying at. But most hotels have their check-in in the afternoon.

The plane you will be flying with from Sydney to Tokyo with Qantas and does it matter?

Currently (as of January 2024), each flight from Sydney to Tokyo is being served by a different aircraft type. The difference is fairly important as it can provide you with two different experiences.

Daytime Flight - Airbus A330-300

The daytime flight QF59 is served by Airbus A330-300. This is a wide-body aircraft (which means this aircraft has two aisles between the seats), but most of those Qantas aircraft are a bit older, and you can only choose between Economy and Business classes.

Qantas refurbished all of the Airbus A330s in their fleet between 2014 and 2019, with new lie-flat business suites and new economy class seats, and the experience is pretty good. We won’t be discussing the actual product and services in this article, but I wanted to provide some basic comparisons between the aircraft used for the flights between Australia and Japan.

Overnight Flight - Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is also a wide-body aircraft and is one of the most modern passenger aircraft currently flying (the only one that is even newer is the Airbus A350). A few special characteristics of this plane can be decisive factors when choosing between daytime or overnight flights.

• Less noise - it’s quieter inside the plane than in most other planes. Definitely much quieter than the A330.
• Modern technology is helping to reduce the effects of turbulence. Flying with this plane can be a much better experience if you feel uncomfortable during turbulence.
• The windows in Dreamliner are 65% larger than comparable aircraft windows. That, again, can provide a much better flying experience as you don’t feel so cramped.
• Higher ceilings and larger overhead bins. Again, you will “feel” like you have more space around yourself, and of course, we all know how larger overhead bins for our carry-on luggage would make our life easier when boarding the plane.
• Pressure and humidity of air. Thanks to the modern composite materials with which the plane is built, the cabin can be pressured to a lower altitude than other aircraft, and the air inside the plane is more humid so you will feel more refreshed after a long flight.

ANA

The second option for getting from Sydney to Tokyo is to fly with ANA (All Nippon Airways). ANA is a Japanese carrier, and as with Qantas, you can choose between 2 daily options. The schedule is similar to Qantas, and both flights also arrive at the Tokyo Haneda International Airport. This means most of the Pros and Cons, especially regarding the time of arrival, saving on hotel fees for the first night when flying overnight, or waiting for check-in, are the same as for Qantas flights.

The main reason why you would choose to fly with ANA can be:

• Different price
• Different service
• Three options for cabin classes for both flights
• Better aircraft for the daytime flight than Qantas

The Schedule

1) Daytime flight

The daytime flight (flight number NH890) departs from Sydney International Airport (SYD) daily at 12:00 pm AEST during the Japanese summer season or at 12:25 pm AEDT during the Japanese winter season and arrives at Tokyo Haneda International Airport at 8:35 pm or 8:00 pm respectively.

2) Overnight flight

The overnight flight (NH880) departs Sydney at 8:55 pm AEST or 9:45 pm AEDT and arrives in Tokyo at 5:35 am or 5:20 am, respectively.

Both flights are operated with the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner with three cabin class options:

1. Business class
2. Premium economy class
3. Economy class

As we mentioned above, the Dreamliner is one of the most comfortable planes currently in service, and you can enjoy this comfort on both flights.

JAL - Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines (JAL) is a flag carrier of Japan, and you can fly with them daily from Sydney to Tokyo. Currently (January 2024), one daily flight provides you with a different time option than Qantas and ANA, as the flight departs in the morning. During the Japanese summer season, flight number JL52 departs Sydney International Airport at 8:15 am and arrives at Tokyo Haneda International Airport at 5:05 pm. During the Japanese winter season, the flight departs at 9:15 am from Sydney and arrives in Tokyo at 4:55 pm.

Pros:

I think this is a great daytime option as you arrive in the late afternoon, and you still have a chance to explore Tokyo in the evening after you check in to your hotel. Or you can relax and have a full night of sleep to prepare for the next day's adventures.

Cons:

Yes, you can say that you lost pretty much the entire day with this flight. You need to get to the airport approximately 2.5 hours before departure, which means very early morning during the summer season and early morning during the winter season. And when you arrive, you will get to your hotel, most likely not before 7 pm.

The plane you will fly - again, it’s a Dream…

If you decide to fly with Japan Airlines from Sydney to Tokyo, you will again fly with the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, as with ANA or Qantas overnight flights. The difference will be, of course, in service and seating, but otherwise, it would be a very similar experience as I described above.

2) Sydney to Osaka with Jetstar

This option is new to the 2024 schedule, and it can be a great alternative option for anyone who wants to fly from Sydney to another city other than Tokyo. Jetstar will start flying between these two cities three times a week at the beginning of April (flight number JQ13), departing Sydney at 10:20 am and arriving at the Kansai International Airport in Osaka (KIX) at 7:00 pm.

Again, you will fly with the wide-body Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner and can choose between Business and Economy class.

3) Melbourne to Tokyo Direct Flights

Currently there are two options of how you can fly directly from Melbourne to Tokyo. You can choose between Qantas and JAL. Both are day flights, and both flights arrive at Tokyo Narita Airport. 

The Narita International Airport is less convenient than the Tokyo Haneda Airport, where all flights from Sydney arrive. It is far from the Tokyo central areas - it will take you approximately at least 45 minutes to one of the main areas where you will most likely stay - You can read about the top 3+1 areas to stay in Tokyo here.

Qantas

The number one difference is that Qantas is a daily flight, which means you have a bit more flexibility when choosing the departure and arrival dates. Flight QF79 is a day flight that departs Melbourne International Airport (MEL) at 9:25 am AEST during the Japanese summer season and at 9:05 am AEDT during the Japanese winter season and arrives at Tokyo Narita International Airport (NAR) at 7:00 pm or 5:40 pm, respectively.

The second difference is the aircraft you would be flying with. Qantas uses the older Airbus A330 aircraft for this route, which has two-class seating - business and economy.

JAL (Japan Airlines)

If you want to fly with JAL, you have a bit fewer options. Flight JL774 flies directly between Melbourne and Tokyo Narita Airport only three times a week - Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. It's a day flight again, departing a bit earlier than Qantas at 7:20 am (both seasons) and arriving in Tokyo at 4:20 pm or at 3:15 pm during the Japanese winter season. This can be a good option for someone who wants to get to their accommodation still fairly early as remember it will take you most likely over an hour to get from the Narita Airport to your accommodation (considering it is in one of the most common areas - read some tips here).

JAL uses the modern Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, so as we described above, it can be a bit more comfortable to fly with JAL than with Qantas. They also provide two-class seating with business and economy options.

4) Brisbane to Tokyo direct flights

There are two options for flying directly from Brisbane to Tokyo, either with Qantas or Jetstar. Both are day flights departing Brisbane at reasonably convenient morning times, and both arrive at the Tokyo Narita International Airport. There is not much to compare regarding the schedule or the arrival at the airport.

The Qantas flight is slightly better as you arrive in Tokyo earlier than if you fly with Jetstar, meaning you can get to the hotel earlier. As discussed earlier, it is a bit longer to get from Narita Airport to the main Tokyo districts, and the sooner you arrive, the better, especially if you are travelling with young kids.

But let’s compare both options in more detail. You probably think it’s an easy choice, but you might be surprised why Jetstar might be the winner for many. And it’s not just the price as most of you would expect.

Qantas

Qantas flight (flight number QF61) departs Brisbane International Airport (BNE) at 9:35 am (AEST) during the Japanese summer season and at 9:20 am (AEST) and arrives in Tokyo at 5:55 pm and 5:30 pm, respectively.

Why would you pick flying with Qantas over Jetstar (we are not discussing the price here as it can vary)?

• You are part of the Qantas Frequent Flyer membership program
• You always fly Qantas
• If, from your experience, you prefer Qantas service over Jetstar
• If you want to arrive a bit earlier to Tokyo than you would if you fly with Jetstar
• If you have always preferred flying on an Airbus plane instead of a Boeing,

Qantas uses the older Airbus A330-300 aircraft for this flight, and you can read more about the plane differences above. Again you can choose between Business or Economy class.

Jetstar

If you want to fly with Jetstar, then their daily flight JQ9 departs Brisbane International Airport (BNE) at 10:30 am (AEST) during the Japanese summer season (March to October) or at 10:25 am during the winter season. You will arrive at Tokyo Narita Airport (same as the Qantas flight) at 6:30 pm (same for both departures, as the difference is minimal).

Why would you pick flying Jetstar over Qantas?

• Most of you probably wouldn’t care, but I think the number one reason is the aircraft Jetstar uses for this flight - Boeing 787-900 Dreamliner. As discussed above, it is one of the most modern planes flying today, with specific features that make your flight more comfortable.
• The second reason is probably more obvious - price. No, I can’t, and I don’t promise the price will always be lower, but because Jetstar is a low-cost carrier, they offer some basic fares, which, for example, don’t include checked baggage, meals during the flight, etc. And you might get a good deal if you are after the lowest price for the flight.

5) Brisbane to Osaka with Jetstar

New from 2024, you can fly from Brisbane International Airport (BNE) to Osaka-Kansai International Airport (KIX)with Jetstar four times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday). Flight JQ23 is a daytime flight leaving Brisbane at 11:45 am and arriving at Osaka at 7:45 pm. Jetstar again uses their Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft for this route.

6) Perth to Tokyo direct flights with ANA

You can fly directly from the Western Australia capital to Tokyo with the Japanese carrier ANA - All Nippon Airways three times a week - Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. However, this is only a seasonal route operating during Australian summer season - between October and mid April.

The NH 882 flight is an overnight flight departing Perth International Airport at 11:35pm and arriving at Tokyo Narita Airport at 10:15am the next day. ANA uses the Boeing 787-900 Dreamliner aircraft which is a great option for such overnight flight. 

6) Direct flights to Japan from Cairns

There is one more option for flying directly from Australia to Japan. And it is a surprising city from which you can fly directly to either Tokyo or Osaka. It’s not Adelaide or Perth. It is Cairns.

There are a few direct flight options, so let’s dive in and explore the details.

Cairns to Tokyo

Virgin

With Virgin Australia, you can fly from Cairns Airport (CNS) to Tokyo Haneda Airport daily. The flight (flight number VA77) is an afternoon flight that departs Cairns at 1:15 pm (AEST) and arrives in Tokyo at 8:00 pm. The schedule is the same throughout the year.

The plane you will fly

Virgin Australia got rid of all its wide-body aircraft, so you will fly the same aircraft you are used to flying domestically - Boeing 737-800 or the new version Boeing 738-8 Max. It’s a narrow-body aircraft = single-aisle, and with a flight time of around 7hrs 45mins, I can imagine some travellers would probably look for other options.

The good thing is that you can pick between three seat classes - Business, Economy X (extra legroom) or Economy.

Why would you pick flying with Virgin from Cairns to Tokyo

• You are a Velocity frequent flyer member, and Virgin is your preference because you have reward points or you want to collect reward points.
• You prefer Virgin over Jetstar.
• You want to land at Tokyo Haneda Airport, closer to the main Tokyo districts than Narita Airport.

Jetstar

Jetstar flies daily from Cairns to Tokyo, and the flight with flight number JQ25 departs Cairns Airport at 11:20 am and arrives at Tokyo Narita Airport at 6:05 pm during the Japanese summer season and at 5:45 pm during the winter season. The summer season flight is still subject to government and regulatory approval (as of January 2024). The flight time is 7hrs 25mins.

The plane you will fly

Like the other routes between Australia and Japan, Jetstar uses the modern Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with all the benefits of flying with this plane for such a long distance.

Why would you pick Jetstar to fly between Cairns and Tokyo?

• You always fly with Jetstar. It’s your preferred airline, even for domestic flights.
• You want to fly with a bigger aircraft. The Dreamliner is a great plane and definitely better than the Boeing 737-8 for such a long trip. Personally, I would consider this option just because of the aircraft.

Cairns to Osaka

The Jetstar flight (flight number JQ15) is an afternoon flight that flies four times a week Fr, Su, Mo, We and departs Cairns at 12:30 pm (AEST) during the Japanese summer season and at 12:35 pm during winter and arrives in Osaka - Kansai International Airport at 7:00 pm or 6:55 pm respectively.

Again, Jetstar uses their modern Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft for these flights, and you can choose between Business and Economy class.