As part of their domestic flight service, ANA's Experience Japan Fare is a great, cost-effective way to explore Japan by air.
All Nippon Airways (usually abbreviated to ANA) is the largest airline in Japan.
Discounted Domestic Flights
The 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.
Boarding an ANA domestic flight
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.
Pricewise, the cheapest return shinkansen option would be to get a 7 Day JR Pass for 29,650JPY. Whereas a return flight using ANA Experience Japan Fare would be just 22,000JPY.
Also Recommended: A Guide To Low Cost Airlines In Japan
Geisha on the streets of Japan - Credit: ANA
An exclusive maiko experience in a Kyoto teahouse
Pricing and Routes
There are three ANA Experience Japan Fares. Pricing is determined by the locations they cover.
5,500 yen (Tax included)
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 yen (Tax included)
Tokyo to Osaka (Itami, Kobe and Kansai airports)
11,000 yen (Tax included)
Routes within the ANA network aside from the above
This pricing is current as at September 2020.
Sunset over Tokyo - Credit: ANA
Cities and Islands Included
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:
ANA Domestic Flight Network Map - Credit: ANA
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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.
Sample local dishes throughout Japan - Credit: ANA
Enjoy an adventurous evening of food and drink in Osaka
Eligibility For The ANA Experience Japan Fare
To use this fare, the following conditions must be met:
- Passengers must reside outside of Japan.
- Passengers must hold a passport issued by any country other than Japan, or be a Japanese passport holder with permanent residency outside of Japan.
(Passport details are required at time of purchase.) - Passengers must hold an international ticket/tickets to and from Japan.
(This fare is only applicable for stay in Japan using the international tickets described above.)
(The reservation code or ticket number are required at the time of purchase.)
Explore Japan's remote Yaeyama Islands - Credit: ANA
Enjoy a day of snorkeling and Kayaking at Okinawa Blue Cave
Full details on ANA's Experience Japan Fare can be found on the ANA website HERE - where flight availability can be check 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.
About the Author
A writer and publisher from England, Rob has been exploring Japan’s 6,800 islands since 2000. He specialises in travelling off the beaten track, whether on remote atolls or in the hidden streets of major cities. He’s the founder of TheRealJapan.com.
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Feedback and questions welcome - leave a comment below.
HI, i am noticing that on ANA website the experience japan fares are suspended, while on JAL i can boo these fares, i am travelling end of october 2022 as travel is open, any idea when ANA will also allow discounted travel i want to go from Haneda to Toyama to check out Kurobe gorge, any other alternatives?
Hi Ari B – Hmm, not sure why you’re not seeing that. I have just checked (from the UK) and I can see the fares. Assuming the JAL fare doesn’t cover that route (I cna’t remember if it does or not), then you could just try one of Japan’s low cost carriers like Peach. You can find a list of those here:
https://www.therealjapan.com/japan-why-you-need-to-go-beyond-tokyo/#t-1664541289372