NEW! Find The Best Flights To Japan With Skyscanner

Discover how to use Skyscanner’s powerful search tools and hidden features to find the cheapest flights to Japan, save hundreds on airfare, and spend more on the experiences that matter.

• Use “Explore Everywhere” and flexible date searches to compare prices across entire months and find the cheapest times to fly to Japan
• Set up Price Alerts to get notified when flights drop by 20% or more on your preferred routes
• Master filters and search options like direct flights, one-way tickets, and multi-city routing to unlock better deals
• Compare multiple Japanese airports (Tokyo’s Narita and Haneda, Osaka’s Kansai) as prices can vary significantly
• Consider connecting flights through Asian hubs like Seoul, Taipei, or Hong Kong for substantial savings
• View flights and hotels together in month view to budget for your entire trip and find the best value travel windows

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Planning a trip to Japan? Whether you’re pulling together your first-time itinerary, or returning to explore more of those off the beaten path locations, the journey starts with finding the right flights.

That’s where Skyscanner comes in. It’s the platform my wife and I turn to every time we begin our search for flights to Japan.

This powerful flight search engine can help you discover deals you didn’t know existed, all while making the search process surprisingly fun. Here’s how to use Skyscanner like a pro to get yourself to Japan without breaking the bank.

1. The homepage

• What to look for: The clean search interface with the “Flights,” “Hotels,” and “Car Hire” tabs, and the prominent “Explore everywhere” search bar.
• Where to find it: Skyscanner Homepage

2 & 3. Flexible Search & Cheapest Month features

• What to look for: The calendar view showing green/red/yellow price indicators and the “Cheapest Month” selection in the date picker.
• See how to use it: Skyscanner’s official guide on using these tools has perfect step-by-step screenshots.
• Source: Skyscanner Whole Month Search Guide

4. Flight Price Drops (app feature)

• What to look for: This is a mobile-specific feature. Look for the “Drops” interface which highlights flights with at least a 20% price reduction.
• Where to find it: The Skyscanner app is available for Android and iOS.
• Source: Skyscanner App (with “Drops” feature)

5. Savings Generator Tool

• What to look for: A chart or graph showing the best time to book versus the most expensive time.
• See how to use it: Skyscanner has a dedicated page explaining this tool with visuals.
• Source: Best Time to Book – Savings Generator

6. Price Alerts

• What to look for: The “Bell” icon or the “Get Price Alerts” button on the search results page.
• Where to find it: The “How-to” guide for Price Alerts contains clear screenshots of the setup process.
• Source: How to use Skyscanner Price Alerts

7 & 8. Useful Content & Inspiration Hub

• What to look for: The “Travel Blog” or “Inspiration” section with travel guides and “Best time to visit” articles.
• Where to find it: The main Inspiration Hub page.
• Source: Skyscanner Tips & Inspiration

9. Last-Minute Flight Deals

• What to look for: The specific section listing immediate flight deals, often found under the “Deals” tab or by searching for “Everywhere” with near-term dates.
• Source: Skyscanner Daily Flight Deals

Start with what you actually want

The best flight deals happen when you combine flexibility with smart searching. Here’s what to consider:

• When is your ideal travel time? Shoulder seasons (late autumn and early spring) often offer the sweet spot of good weather and lower prices. Check out my guide to the best time to visit Japan for help choosing travel dates.
• Which Japanese cities interest you? Tokyo (Narita or Haneda), Osaka (Kansai), or even smaller airports like Fukuoka can have very different price points. Check out my guide to Japan’s best airports for hassle-free travel.
• How flexible are your dates? Even shifting by a few days can save hundreds of dollars.

Pro tip: Use Skyscanner’s Price Alerts feature to track your preferred routes and get notified when prices drop by 20% or more.

The “Explore Everywhere” hack (Japan edition)

Here’s a game-changing feature most people don’t know about. Skyscanner has a search option called “Explore Everywhere” that can reveal surprisingly affordable routes to Japan.

Here’s how to use it:

1. Go to Skyscanner.com or open the app
2. Type in your local airport (or even your entire country for maximum flexibility)
3. Type “Japan” or a specific city like “Tokyo” into the destination box
4. Choose your dates – or better yet, search by “Whole month” to see when flights are cheapest

This view shows you all your options at once, making it easy to spot patterns. Maybe flying midweek saves you $200. Maybe April is significantly cheaper than March. You won’t know until you look.

Master the filters

Once you’ve run your initial search, the real magic happens with filters. These aren’t just for narrowing down results – they’re for discovering better options you might have missed.

Try filtering by:

• Direct flights only if you want to minimise travel time (though connecting flights can sometimes unlock better deals)
• One-way flights to mix and match airlines and potentially save money
• Best, Cheapest, Fastest routes to see which option suits your priorities

Don’t be afraid to experiment. Sometimes a routing through Seoul or Hong Kong can knock hundreds off your ticket price and only add an hour or two to your journey.

Find your perfect month

Instead of picking dates and hoping for the best, flip the script. Use Skyscanner’s “Flexible Dates” feature to search an entire month at once.

This shows you:

• The cheapest month to fly
• Average prices across different dates
• Potential savings compared to peak periods

For Japan travel, this is especially useful because prices can vary wildly around major events like cherry blossom season (late March through April) or Golden Week (late April/early May). If you need guidance on the best times to visit Japan read this post.

Pro tip: Once you’ve identified cheap flight dates, switch the search to hotels to get a sense of total trip costs. Skyscanner’s month view can show you both, helping you budget more accurately.

Use Skyscanner’s built-in intelligence

Skyscanner scans billions of flights daily, and they’ve built some clever tools to help you benefit from all that data:

Price Alerts: Set up notifications for your desired routes. When Skyscanner detects a price drop of 20% or more, you’ll get an alert. Perfect for those who can wait for the right moment to book.

Best Time to Book: Their Savings Generator tool analyses historical data to suggest when you should book for optimal pricing. Generally, international flights to Japan are best booked 2-3 months in advance, but this varies by season.

Last-Minute Deals: Sometimes spontaneity pays off. Check Skyscanner’s last-minute deals section if you can travel on short notice – you might find under-priced seats that airlines are trying to fill.

The whole picture: flights + accommodation

Here’s something many travellers miss: When you’re viewing prices in “Whole Month” mode, you can switch between flights and hotels to see total trip costs. This is incredibly useful for Japan travel, where accommodation prices can vary as much as flight prices depending on the season and local events.

By seeing both together, you might discover that flying a week later saves you money on flights and hotels, or that a slightly more expensive flight pairs with much cheaper accommodation.

Tips specific to Japan travel

A few Japan-specific considerations when using Skyscanner:

Multiple airports: Tokyo has two major airports (Narita and Haneda), and Osaka has Kansai. Check prices for all of them – sometimes the “inconvenient” airport is actually more convenient once you factor in the price difference and train connections.

Open-jaw tickets: Consider flying into one city and out of another. For example, fly into Tokyo and out of Osaka after travelling south. This can save backtracking time and occasionally money.

Connecting flights through Asia: Routes through Seoul, Taipei, Hong Kong, or Singapore can be significantly cheaper and often add only a few hours. Plus, you might get a free stopover to explore another city.

My best strategy for booking flights to Japan

While Skyscanner is invaluable for researching and comparing flight options, I always recommend booking directly with the airline once you’ve found your ideal flight.

Booking direct often makes it easier to manage changes, handle cancellations, or resolve issues if something goes wrong – you’ll deal directly with the airline rather than through a third party. You may also have better access to seat selection, frequent flyer benefits, and customer service.

The good news is Skyscanner often links directly to airline websites anyway, so you can seamlessly transition from research to booking. Use Skyscanner to find the best option, then head to the airline’s site to complete your purchase with confidence.

Stay curious and patient

The best deals come to those who:

Ready to find your flight?

You’re not just searching for a flight – you’re finding your gateway to incredible experiences. That first glimpse of Mount Fuji from your plane window. That bowl of authentic ramen that’ll ruin you for all other ramen. That peaceful morning in a Kyoto temple garden before the crowds arrive.

Head over to Skyscanner.com and start exploring. With these tools and techniques, you’ll be on your way to Japan sooner than you think – and with more yen in your pocket for the adventures that await.

Happy travels!

Further Related Guides

Cheap Flights To Japan: Top 10 Tips and Flying FAQs

Exploring Japan With The ANA Discover Japan Fare

Flying to Japan? Here’s How To Fly Smarter

JAL Japan Explorer Pass: How to Fly Around Japan for Under $100 Per Flight

Japan’s Best Airports Designed for Hassle Free Travel

More Planning Resources

Planning Travel Hub

My List of Recommended Japan Travel Resources

Recommended Japan Travel Resources

My Japan Travel Store

The Real Japan Travel Store

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