Getting There & Around

Most visitors to Tokyo arrive by air, at Narita International Airport 66km (40 miles) outside Tokyo in Narita.

The Airlines

Since the flying time to Tokyo is about 12 hours from Los Angeles and 13 1/2 hours from Chicago or New York, you'll want to consider on-board services and even mileage programs (you'll earn lots of miles on this round-trip) as well as ticket price when choosing your carrier. Airlines flying to Tokyo from North America, England, Australia, and New Zealand include:

Air Canada
(tel. 888/247-2262; www.aircanada.com) offers flights from Vancouver to Tokyo daily.

Air New Zealand
(tel. 0800/737-000 in New Zealand, or 800/262-1234 in the U.S.; www.airnewzealand.com) flies from Auckland to Tokyo.

All Nippon Airways
(tel. 800/235-9262; www.fly-ana.com) is Japan's largest domestic carrier. It offers daily nonstop service from New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and San Francisco to Tokyo. It also flies from London and Sydney to Tokyo. ANA has a code-share alliance with United Airlines (meaning that both airlines can sell each other's tickets; you can also earn United frequent-flier miles with ANA). ANA passengers can also receive discounts at ANA hotels in Japan with free baggage transfers. Another great perk is that passengers flying round-trip from Canada or the United States can receive complimentary domestic-use cellphone hours for up to 2 weeks, with passengers paying only the calling charges; you can reserve phones online and pick them up at Narita Airport upon your arrival.

American Airlines
(tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com) offers flights daily from Dallas and Chicago to Tokyo and code-shares with Japan Airlines.

British Airways
(tel. 0870 850 9850 in Britain; www.ba.com) flies from London to Tokyo.

Continental Airlines
(tel. 800/523-3273; www.continental.com) offers flights daily from Newark and Houston to Tokyo.

Delta Airlines
(tel. 800/241-4141; www.delta.com) offers daily flights from Atlanta to Tokyo.

Japan Airlines
(tel. 800/525-3663; www.japanair.com), Japan's flagship carrier, offers more international flights to Japan than any other carrier and is noted for its excellent service. JAL flies to Tokyo from New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Vancouver. It also connects Japan with England, New Zealand, and Australia.

Northwest Airlines
(tel. 800/447-4747; www.nwa.com), operating across the Pacific for more than 50 years (longer than any other airline), offers more nonstop service between North America and Japan than any other American carrier. North American gateways to Japan are Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Detroit, New York, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and Honolulu. Japan-bound flights also offer connecting service to 10 cities in Asia, making it easy to coordinate onward travel plans to, say, Hong Kong or Bangkok. The airline's stellar service has even attracted the hard-to-please Japanese, who regularly fly Northwest.

Qantas
(tel. 800/227-4500, or 13-13-13 in Australia; www.qantas.com) flies from Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane to Tokyo.

United Airlines
(tel. 800/538-2929; www.united.com) has daily flights from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, and New York to Tokyo. It code-shares with ANA.

Airfares

Because the flight to Tokyo is such a long one, you may wish to splurge on upgraded service and a roomier seat. But we're talking about a serious splurge: Japan Airlines' round-trip first-class fare from New York to Tokyo averages about $14,180, plus tax, while business class will cost about $7,694. Even full-fare economy-class tickets run about $5,655, but I doubt many people end up paying full fare.

Japan Airlines' lowest economy fares average $840, but you can save even more money by buying an APEX (Advance Purchase Excursion) ticket. It's usually loaded with restrictions and is based on the seasons. There are three fare seasons: peak season (summer) is the most expensive, basic season (winter) is the least expensive, and shoulder season is between the other two in time and in price. During all three seasons, APEX fares are a little higher on weekends. Japan Airlines' APEX fare in October 2003, requiring a 7-day advance purchase and with minimum- and maximum-stay restrictions, was $660 for round-trip travel between New York and Tokyo on a weekday during the shoulder season.