Guide to cheap flights to Japan
It’s no secret that Singaporeans absolutely adore flocking to Japan, whether it’s hitting up Super Nintendo World or roaming the bustling streets of Shibuya. With Japan as your chosen destination, the next step would be securing your flight tickets.
Now we can’t speak for everyone, but we try to use hacks to fly cheap in favour of spending more while we’re there. To help you out, we’ve rounded up some of the cheapest flights from Singapore to Japan.
Note: Airfare indicated are based on one-way trip bookings for mid-November 2024. Prices are accurate at the time of writing, and may be subject to change.
When is the best time to fly to Japan?
September to November are Japan’s peak period for tourists. The holiday season means you not only have to contend with inflated airfare, but crowds at popular tourist destinations as well.
Not only will you get cheaper fares during January to March, you’ll also get to experience colder climates and snowy mountains – like the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine.
For those planning to head to Japan next year, note that Spring is the peak season for Japan – typically between March and May.
Image credit: @hochi_ma_daytime_gram via Instagram
If you want to catch Cherry Blossom season, locals predict for them to bloom late in March till early April. 1-way flights during this period average about $515/pax one-way, so if you want to catch those pink petals, you better start saving up.
Statistically, the cheapest month for Japan-bound travel is July. August comes in at 2nd place with 12% cheaper tickets. So now that we’ve established which months are “off-peak” to travel, here are the best airlines for Singaporeans looking to score cheap flights to Japan:
Cheap flights to Japan from Singapore, at a glance
| Airline | Starting price | Destinations | Direct or layover |
| Air Japan | From $225.20 | Tokyo | Direct |
| Peach Aviation | From $164.20 | Osaka | Direct |
| Scoot | From $310.40 | Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo | Direct |
| Jetstar | From $174 | Tokyo, Okinawa, Osaka, Sapporo, Kochi, Matsumaya, Miyazaki, Nagoya, Oita, Takamatsu, Asahikawa, Nagasaki | Direct: Okinawa Layovers for the rest, via Manila or Okinawa |
| AirAsia | From $222 | Tokyo, Fukuoka, Osaka | Layover via KL, Bangkok, Hanoi, Manila, Shanghai, Seoul or Tokyo |
| ZIPAIR | From $277.90 | Tokyo | Direct |
| T’Way Air | From $315 | Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Kumamoto | Layover via Seoul |
| Singapore Airlines | From $663 | Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Okinawa | Direct |
| Korean Airlines | From $570 | Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Okinawa, Kagoshima, Niigata, Okayama, Aomori | Layover via Seoul |
| Air China | From $532 | Tokyo | Layover via Beijing |
– Budget airlines –
Budget airlines, also known as low-cost carriers, allow you to fly where you want to go without breaking the bank. If you plan on saving on your flight in favour of some omakase dining, or a JAL Explorer Pass for smoother travel, check these airlines out:
1. Air Japan
In-flight meals with vegetarian & halal options, direct flights from $179
Image credit: Air Japan
Air Japan is a low-cost airline owned by ANA. In April 2024, they launched a new route between Singapore Changi Airport and Tokyo’s Narita International Airport, with prices starting as low as $225.20 for a one-way trip. The direct flight takes about 6 hours and 50 minutes.
Image credit: Air Japan
Like other budget airlines, in-flight meals aren’t included in the lower pricing tiers for Air Japan, but you can still purchase them separately.
Prices start from ¥1,600 (~S$14.16), and some highlights from their menu are the Chicken Nanban Rice Bowl and Omakase-style sushi box. They also have vegetarian Green Curry and a halal-option – the Halal Meal.
Airfare from Singapore
Tokyo: From $225.20
Book cheap flights to Japan on Air Japan.
2. Peach Aviation
Launching in December 2024, from $164.20 with 20kg free checked baggage
Aside from Air Japan, the other newest airline operating Singapore-Japan routes is Peach Aviation. Established in 2011, the Osaka-based budget airline will launch routes from Singapore on 5th December 2024. We’ll get to fly from Changi Airport Terminal 2 to Osaka’s Kansai International Airport, at a duration of 6.5 hours and airfare from $164.20 one-way.
Unlike most budget airlines, standard economy passengers on Peach Aviation are entitled to 7kg of carry-on and 20kg checked baggage at no extra charge. Mark your calendars for 28th December 2024, as they’ll be holding a sale where airfare is just $99/pax. Getting to fly to Japan for under a hundred bucks? Best believe we’ll be setting alarms and reminders for that.
Airfare from Singapore
Osaka: From $164.20
Book cheap flights to Japan on Peach Aviation.
3. Scoot
Flights to Tokyo, Osaka & Sapporo on Pokémon-themed plane, from $310.40
Image credit: Scoot
Scoot has been shuttling bargain-hungry travellers to countries since 2012, and Singaporeans tend to utilise their prices for short getaways to Bali or Bangkok. If you’ve got Japan in your travel sights, the airline also has routes to Tokyo, Osaka, and Sapporo.
Food and Wi-Fi are available onboard for an additional price, but it’s overall cheaper than flying on a full-fare flight. If you’re lucky, you might even be able to board their special Pokémon-themed jet as you head to the adorable critters’ hometown of Japan.
It’s not just Pokémon-themed on the outside, the cabin is decked out with Pokémon too.
Image credit: Scoot
Scoot also offers a FLEX add-on from $20 where you can change your flight’s timing and date, just in case plans change. It’s pretty useful if you have friends that keep adding items to the itinerary or just want to shop more.
Fun fact: Scoot also has quiet and baby-free zones on their long-haul flights, for travellers who require quality shut-eye before they land.
Airfare from Singapore
Tokyo: From $347.20
Osaka: From $310.40
Sapporo: From $365.66
Book cheap flights to Japan on Scoot.
4. Jetstar
Lesser-known destinations like Asahikawa & Oita, from $174
Image credit: @jetstarasia via Instagram
If you’ve already crossed off Japan’s mainland and Hokkaido, your next destination has to be Okinawa, the country’s subtropical cluster of 150 islands. Jetstar can get you there with one-way tickets as low as $174/pax. Need ideas for your island holiday? We’ve got a list of things to do in and around Okinawa.
Take a water buffalo cart tour on Taketomi in Okinawa.
Image credit: @gomako_____ via Instagram
Besides direct flights to Okinawa, Jetstar offers a wide range of destinations in Japan which you can reach from Singapore via layovers in Manila and Tokyo. If you’ve ever wanted to explore lesser-travelled cities and prefectures such as Asahikawa, Matsuyama, and Oita, Jetstar is one of the few budget airlines operating these routes.
Airfare from Singapore
Tokyo: From $197
Okinawa: From $192
Osaka: From $236
Sapporo: From $240
Kochi: From $241
Matsumaya: From $240
Miyazaki: From $249
Nagoya: From $174
Oita: From $246
Takamatsu: From $235
Asahikawa: From $239
Nagasaki: From $256
Book cheap flights to Japan on Jetstar.
5. AirAsia
Discover the western city of Fukuoka, from $394
If you don’t mind a layover, you can find flights with 3-9-hour layovers from Air Asia bound for Fukuoka Airport from $394. Layover destinations include KL, Bangkok, Hanoi, Manila, Shanghai, Seoul, and Tokyo – giving you a mini vacation within a vacation.
Plus, you can also purchase add-ons like hot meals, seating with extra legroom, and additional baggage allowance – you get 7kg with your ticket fyi.
While tourists flock to popular cities like Tokyo and Osaka – which you can also fly to on AirAsia from $280 and $222 respectively – you’ll find prices in Fukuoka to be more friendly on your wallet. To aid the booking process, you can download the airasia Super App which lets you book both your ticket and additional meals with ease.
Pro tip: Order the Pak Nasser’s Nasi Lemak if it’s available, it’s got quite a stellar reputation amongst AirAsia flyers.
Airfare from Singapore
Fukuoka: From $394
Tokyo: From $280
Osaka: From $222
Book cheap flights to Japan on AirAsia.
6. ZIPAIR
The “Scoot of Japan”, from $277.90
Image credit: @yu_aviation via Instagram
While Singaporeans would be more familiar with Scoot as Singapore Airlines’ budget-friendly little brother, ZIPAIR is pretty much the same thing for Japan Airlines. Much like any other budget airline, your airfare only covers your transportation, with in-flight meals and baggage allowance entailing extra costs.
Image credit: @agusta_hendrawan via Instagram, ZIPAIR
But seeing that a direct flight to Tokyo takes about 7 hours, you have the option to pre-book meals or amenity kits to make your journey comfier. Their amenity kit comes with a sleep mask, fluffy slippers, and an inflatable neck pillow. Oh, and did we mention that ZIPAIR offers free Wi-Fi? Because they do.
Airfare from Singapore
Tokyo: From $277.90
Book cheap flights to Japan on ZIPAIR.
7. T’Way Air
Lesser-known Korean budget airline, from $315
Image credit: @twayair via Instagram
T’way Air is a South Korean low-cost airline that has flights from Singapore to Tokyo via Seoul’s Incheon Airport in South Korea. It’s not much different from Scoot, and they do have a Business Class that offers 12 flat bed seats.
It’s a 6-hour and 45-minute flight from Singapore to Incheon, from which Tokyo is only another 2.5-hour flight away. So if you don’t mind a pitstop in K-Pop Land, give T’Way Air a go for your next holiday.
Airfare from Singapore
Tokyo: From $340
Osaka: From $315
Fukuoka: From $315
Kumamoto: From $317
Book cheap flights to Japan on T’Way Air.
– Full–service airlines –
We know, these aren’t exactly budget airlines, but if you have the means why not fly in added comfort? Some of these full-service airlines offer cheaper tickets which you can take full advantage of. You might have to make a pit stop along the way but you get in-flight service, meals and entertainment, more legroom, and extra baggage allowance.
8. Singapore Airlines
Support local while flying to 6 destinations in Japan, from $663
While their prices might be a little higher compared to budget airlines, Singapore Airlines has direct flights to cities like Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka as well as cities off the mainland like Sapporo and Okinawa. Your airfare comes with 25kg check-in baggage, wider seats, meals and drinks, and other full-service perks in the form of airline freebies.
That “welcome home” in-flight announcement hits different every time.
We found flights to Fukuoka, Nagoya, and Osaka to be the cheapest ones offered by SIA. Since these cities are connected via the super efficient shinkansen, why not fly to these cities and start your journey from there?
Airfare from Singapore
Tokyo: From $764
Osaka: From $663
Fukuoka: From $675
Nagoya: From $670
Sapporo: From $1,226
Okinawa: From $1,178
Book cheap flights to Japan on Singapore Airlines.
9. Korean Airlines
Spend up to a full day in Seoul, from $570
Hear us out, we know Japan is your chosen destination, but if you could squeeze in a shopping spree day trip in Seoul, would you? Korean Airlines offers you that very option, along with 23kg of baggage allowance to stash your loot. Layover durations range from 5-22 hours, allowing you to explore Korea for a day before zipping over to Narita Airport.
Shop for duty-free cosmetics, bump into a Korean idol – the possibilities are endless here.
Image credit: @mi_cha_el.1990 via Instagram
Stow your luggage, and grab an express train into the city if you have more than 7 hours to spare during your transit. Even if you don’t, the duty free stores within the airports boast an impressive range of luxury and designer goods to check out.
Plus, their website’s also pretty easy to navigate with options to view fares in your preferred language and currency.
Airfare from Singapore
Tokyo: From $570
Osaka: From $570
Fukuoka: From $680
Nagoya: From $680
Sapporo: From $755
Kagoshima: From $875
Okinawa: From $755
Niigata: From $875
Okayama: From $875
Aomori: From $875
Book cheap flights to Japan on Korean Air.
10. Air China
3-hour transit in Beijing before Tokyo, from $532
If you don’t mind a layover in Beijing, Air China flies to Narita Airport in Tokyo with some fairly affordable fares. If you’re a member of Star Alliance, you also enjoy access to the Beijing Capital International Airport lounge at Terminal 3, Pier E.
Image credit: @airchinalimited via Instagram
In the interest of having more baggage allowance – 23kg to be specific, in-flight services, and not having too many hours spent at departure lounges. Air China fits that category without costing travellers too much time or money.
Airfare from Singapore
Tokyo: From $532
Book cheap flights to Japan on Air China.
Fly to Japan on a budget with these airlines
If you’re all about that savings life, you can use SkyScanner or Google Flights to source for departing and returning flights on different airlines for even greater savings. It’s a little trickier, but if it means you get to save more to spend on eating, seeing, and shopping, we say ganbare!
Already sorted out your transportation? Check out these Japan-based articles for itinerary ideas:
Cover image adapted from: @flypeach & @jetstarasia via Instagram
Last updated by Shannon Lee & Renae Cheng on 27th September 2024.