UPDATED! Exploring Japan With The ANA Experience Japan Fare

ANA's Experience Japan Fare is a great, cost-effective way to explore Japan by air. It's part of their domestic flight services, and one of a few Special Fares they offer, designed to encourage exploration of Japan by flying with ANA.

Here's my guide to ANA's Experience Japan Fare so you can determine if it is suitable for you and your travel plans.

ANA's Experience Japan Fare

by Rob Dyer

Discounted domestic flights

All Nippon Airways (usually abbreviated to ANA) is Japan's largest airline. 

Their Experience Japan Fare is a special fare that can be used across ANA’s entire Japan domestic flight network. It's a service specifically designed for foreign visitors to Japan, priced to encourage exploration of Japan's diverse islands.

Prices are significantly lower than their standard domestic flights. However, it's also worth checking prices of the various low cost carrier airlines also operating in Japan.

Flying with Japanese airlines

Whenever I fly from my home in the UK to Japan, I always aim to fly with a Japanese airline such as All Nippon Airways (ANA) or Japan Airlines (JAL). Both airlines offer a great balance between price and service. Particularly if you're flying economy or 'economy plus' classes.

Even though, like the majority of airlines in recent years, both airlines have slightly trimmed back on the 'luxuries' included in their fares, the standard of in-flight service with both airlines is usually noticeably better than many of their rivals. If you have the option, I recommend flying with either ANA or JAL, you'll rarely go wrong.

TIP: I always begin searching flights using the Skyscanner website. It's quick, easy, flexible (has some really useful filters)  and has a refreshingly clutter-free interface (they also have a mobile app if you prefer).

Search Japan flights with Skyscanner

An alternative to shinkansen

As the fares are aimed specifically at foreign visitors, ANA are clearly hoping that some travellers will choose their Experience Japan Fare flights instead of taking the shinkansen.

And with good reason. When it comes to longer-haul travel within Japan, its much-praised bullet trains are not always the quickest or cheapest means of transportation.

Train vs plane - an example

It takes around 8 hours to travel by shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagasaki on the southern island of Kyushu. Taking a flight takes just 2 hours. 

Price wise, the cheapest return shinkansen option would be to get a 7 Day JR Pass for ¥29,650. Whereas a return flight using ANA Experience Japan Fare would be just ¥22,000. That's a ¥7,650 saving.

Also Recommended: Why You Need To Go Beyond Tokyo

Fares and routes

There are three ANA Experience Japan Fares. Pricing is determined by the locations they cover. * indicates a round trip.

¥5,500
Sapporo to Wakkanai*, Memanbetsu, Nemuro Nakashibetsu, Kushiro, Hakodate, Aomori, Akita, Sendai, Niigata, Fukushima.
Tokyo to Odate Noshiro, Akita, Shonai.
Osaka to Aomori*, Akita, Sendai, Fukushima, Niigata.

¥7,700
Tokyo to Osaka* (Itami, Kobe or Kansai airports).

¥11,000
Routes within the ANA network aside from the above.

This pricing is current as at June 2023. All prices include tax.

Islands and cities included in ANA's Experience Japan Fare

Major cities covered by the network include Sapporo, Tokyo (both Haneda and Narita airports), Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Okinawa. Meaning the following islands are all included:

Fare baggage allowance

The fare includes a free baggage allowance, which is the same piece system as on international flights. ANA advises all fare users to check the baggage rules of all of their flights.

Details on fare conditions

It is possible an additional airport fee may apply to the above pricing. Fares are converted from Japanese Yen to the local currency, and is therefore subject to change, depending on the current exchange rate.

Reservations must be made at least three days prior to the departure date. Seats booked using this fare are limited and may not be available on all days or on all flights.

Full details on the fare conditions can be found on ANA's website HERE.

Eligibility for the ANA Experience Japan Fare

To use this fare, the following conditions must be met:

Full details on the ANA Experience Japan Fare can be found on the ANA website HERE - where flight availability can be checked and bookings made.

JAL's Japan Explorer Pass

Rival airline Japan Airlines (JAL) also offers a similar discounted domestic flight program called the JAL Japan Explorer Pass. You can read more about that HERE.

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Search Japan flights with Skyscanner

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