Heading south? The best way to travel between Tokyo and Okinawa

photo by David Pursehouse

Okinawa is the best known resort island of Japan. The beauty of the ocean of Okinawa is on top of all other regions’, and beaches of Okinawa are always highly ranked in Japanese beach ranking. But Okinawa is not just about beach cultures. Other than summery activities, there are many more things that attract tourists such as whale watching and Okinawa gourmet tours. In fact, Okinawa is quite different from any other regions of Japan. The unique beauty and culture also attracts many foreign travelers as well as Japanese tourists. So, what is the best way to travel from Tokyo to this paradise resort?

About transport to Okinawa

Japan is an island nation consisting of Honshu, Hokkaido, Shikoku, Kyushu and countless large and small islands. Among all 48 prefectures, Okinawa prefecture is particularly isolated: even Okinawa main island is 660km away from Kagoshima, the nearest mainland, and 1500km away from capital Tokyo. Therefore, most common method of transport from Japanese mainland to Okinawa is by air. Other than flights, there are ferry services between Kagoshima and Okinawa.

Flight (Legacy carriers)

Haneda–Naha single fare: 8,890 – 46,090yen
Flight duration: 3 hours
Tokyo station-Haneda airport single fare: 580yen by train
Travel time on train: Approx. 40 minutes

Airway is the most commonly used method to travel to Okinawa. Among many airlines, legacy carriers JAL, ANA and SKYMARK fly between Haneda airport of Tokyo and Naha airport of Okinawa. As of October 2017, 14 flights of JAL, 12 flights of ANA and 6 flights of SKYMARK operate daily. Fully priced single fare of JAL and ANA costs 46,090yen, and 24,190yen by SKYMARK. This is not cheap at all, but each airline offers great discounts for early bookings. For example, JAL and ANA tickets can be purchases at one third of price if booked 75days before or earlier. Also, early flights or late flights tend to be cheaper than other flights on the same day.

JAL
ANA
SKYMARK

Flight (LCC)

Narita–Naha single fare: 5,890 – 23,790yen
Flight duration: Approx. 3 hours 30 minutes
Tokyo station-Narita airport single fare: 900yen by shuttle bus (if booked in advance)
Travel time on train: Approx. 80 minutes

Among all airlines connecting Tokyo and Okinawa, Jetstar is the only LCC and flys between Narita airport and Naha airport. As of October 2017, 4 flights depart Narita and 5 flights depart Naha airport daily. Unlike legacy carriers like JAL and ANA, fares significantly vary depending on date or flight schedule on the day. While last minute booking, especially flights in most convenient time slot are likely to be expensive, you may find unexpectedly cheap tickets during regularly held sales campaign.

Jetstar

What about traveling by train and ferry?

Tokyo station – Kagoshsima Chuo station single fare: 29,860yen (Shinkansen multiple ride, Japan Rail Pass can be used)
Travel time: Approx. 7 hours
Kagoshima port – Naha port single fare: 16,660yen (Second class room, B class bed)
Travel time: 25 hours

One thing everyone may be wondering about is whether there is no other way to go to Okinawa. Actually, there is another way, that is traveling to Kagoshima by train such as Shinkansen then take a ferry from Kagoshima to Naha port. However, singe fare costs over 40,000yen by this way. Japan Rail Pass may make it slightly cheaper, but it is still way more expensive than airways. In addition, it is such a long journey taking more than 32 hours just to go to Okinawa, which is almost 2 days. Therefore this is not a common way to travel to Okinawa. But if you like traveling long distance enjoying sceneries along the way, this may be the best way for you.

A” Line (Japanese)

Welcome aboard

It seems taking a flight is the best and only way to travel to Okinawa considering time and cost efficiency. Just carefully choose an airline to fly with, as LCC may not be the cheapest option all the time. Sometimes legacy carriers offer the lowest fare depending on time of booking or fight schedule on the day. It is important to check each airline’s website to compare flight fares. Also, you can travel from Tokyo to Okinawa by train and ferry. This method requires time and costs, but it may be the best for you if you prefer slow and relaxing journey.