Getting There

By Plane

Japan has three international airports. Outside Tokyo is Narita International Airport, where you'll want to land if your main business is in the capital, in the surrounding region, or at points north or east such as Hokkaido. Another international airport, Kansai International Airport (KIX) outside Osaka, is convenient if your destination is Osaka, Kobe, Nara, Kyoto, or western or southern Japan; it is also convenient for domestic air travel within Japan, since most domestic flights out of Tokyo depart from Haneda Airport, necessitating an airport transfer if you arrive at Tokyo International Airport. In between Narita and Kansai airports is the new Central Japan International Airport (Centrair), which offers the advantage of slick airport facilities (including hot-spring baths!) and easy access to Nagoya, the Shinkansen bullet train, Japan Alps, and beyond.

The Major Carriers

Since the flying time to Tokyo is about 12 hours from Los Angeles and 14 hours from Chicago or New York, you'll want to consider onboard services and even mileage programs (you'll earn lots of miles on this round-trip) as well as ticket price when choosing your carrier.

Japan Airlines (tel. 800/525-3663; www.japanair.com), is Japan's flagship airline and largest domestic carrier. Offering more international flights to Japan than any other carrier, it's noted for its excellent service, Western and Japanese cuisine, personal video screens even in economy on long-haul flights, and wireless Internet service on flights between Tokyo and New York and between Tokyo and London. JAL flies to Tokyo from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu, Chicago, and New York, and to Osaka from Los Angeles and Honolulu. JAL also serves other countries worldwide, including flights from London to Tokyo and Osaka and flights from New Zealand and Australia. One advantage to flying JAL is its Yokoso Japan Airpass, which allows passengers flying JAL to Japan to purchase discounted airfares for travel within Japan.

Other airlines flying to Japan from North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand include:

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

Air New Zealand (tel. 0800/737-000 in New Zealand; www.airnewzealand.com) flies from Auckland to Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya and from Christchurch to Osaka and Tokyo.

All Nippon Airways (tel. 800/235-9262; www.anaskyweb.com), which has a code-share alliance with United Airlines (you can earn United frequent-flier miles with ANA), offers flights from New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and San Francisco to Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya. It also flies from London and Sydney to Tokyo.

American Airlines (tel. 800/433-7300; www.aa.com) code-shares with Japan Airlines, giving it one of the largest networks from North America to airports throughout Japan (you can also earn American frequent-flier miles with JAL). It offers flights daily from Los Angeles, San Jose, Dallas, Chicago, and New York to Tokyo. It also offers nonstop flights from Dallas to Osaka.

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.

Northwest Airlines (tel. 800/447-4747; www.nwa.com), operating across the Pacific longer than any other airline, offers flights to Tokyo from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Detroit, New York, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Portland, and Honolulu. It also offers direct flights from Detroit to Osaka and Nagoya.

Qantas (tel. 13-13-13 in Australia; www.qantas.com) flies from Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, and Cairns to Tokyo.

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

Airfares

Because the flight to Japan is such a long one, you may wish to splurge on upgraded service and a roomier seat. JAL's unrestricted round-trip first-class fare with 180-degree reclining seats from New York to Tokyo averages about $15,307, plus tax. JAL's business class restricted round-trip Business Saver fare is about $4,790 plus tax. Even full-fare economy-class tickets run about $5,834, but I doubt many people end up paying full fare.

JAL's Value economy fares run about $900, but you can save even more money with a Super Sale ticket, which carries restrictions. 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 price and time. In all three seasons, fares are a little higher on weekends. JAL's advance purchase Super Sale fare in February 2006 with minimum and maximum stay restrictions was $680 for round-trip travel between New York and Tokyo on a weekday.

Coping with Jet Lag

A major consideration for visitors flying to Japan, especially on long flights from North America, is jet lag. Flying west has slightly less effect than flying east, which means you'll have a harder time recovering from your flight from Japan back to North America.

Here are some tips for combating jet lag:

Reset your watch (and your mental clock) to your destination time as soon as you board the plane.

Drink lots of water before, during, and after your flight. Avoid alcohol.

Exercise and sleep well for a few days before your trip.

If you have trouble sleeping on planes, fly eastward on morning flights.

Daylight is the key to resetting your body clock. At the website for Outside In (www.bodyclock.com), you can get a customized plan of when to seek and avoid light. Upon reaching Japan, put in a normal day.

If you need help getting to sleep earlier than you usually would (or staying asleep until morning), some doctors recommend taking either the hormone melatonin or the sleeping pill Ambien -- but not together.