Hi there!

 

Fellow Michigander here!

So you want to fly from Detroit DTW to Japan!

Which airport should you fly into?!

In short, the first routes I recommend checking out are these routes:

Specifically, head to delta.com for these routes.

You can find a direct flight from DTW to Tokyo on Delta.

And you can find a direct flight from DTW to Nagoya on Delta. (The only reason I recommend flying into Nagoya is because there is a direct flight. For a first trip to Japan with limited time, Nagoya is not a must-visit but it can make a good launching point. More on this later.)

This may not be the cheapest flight, but Delta has proven itself to be a quality airline to fly from the US to Japan.

And… it’s direct!

 

Well, soon Delta is canceling the direct route from Detroit to Nagoya… So, that kind of makes this about flying from Detroit to Tokyo…

 

Flying to Japan with airlines of Japan

If you want to start off your trip to Japan with Japanese hospitality, then the major airlines in Japan that you can fly from the US are ANA and Japan Airlines (JAL).

Things can change, but you won’t get a direct flight from Detroit to Japan, though.

For example, when I flew from the US to Japan on JAL, I flew from DTW to Chicago on American Airlines, and then Chicago to Tokyo on JAL.

When I flew from the US to Japan on ANA, I flew from DTW to Los Angeles LAX on Spirit (with a layover in Las Vegas) and then from LAX to Tokyo on ANA. (Although in that case, they were separate flights, not partner airlines, as I made it an excuse to stay a couple of days in Los Angeles with a day trip to Malibu.)

 

Flying direct to Japan on Delta

So, back to flying direct.

Should you fly into Tokyo or Nagoya?

First, you should know (or it’s nice to know, anyway) that Tokyo actually has 2 major airports: Haneda and Narita.

For your first trip to Japan, for most people Haneda is the better airport because it’s more centrally located in Tokyo.

And Delta’s Tokyo flight flies directly into Haneda, so that’s a plus!

There are lots of international flights that fly into Narita.

If you end up on an airline that flies into Narita, it’s not that big of a deal since it’s still well-connected to Tokyo as a major international airport, but there is more travel time involved. It’s just something to be aware of.

Another thing you should know about is Mount Fuji. That is near Tokyo. So if seeing Mount Fuji is important to you, you’ll need to go near Tokyo at some point. It’s possible to climb Mount Fuji, but only in summer.

Otherwise, there are plenty of spots where you can see Mount Fuji.

One of the best Mount Fuji viewing spots is Chureito Pagoda. But Hakone and Kawaguchiko are famous spots too.

Of course, you can’t see it all in one trip, so if you are okay with not seeing Tokyo or Mount Fuji, then Nagoya can be a good choice for you.

Also of course, how you want to spend time in Japan is completely dependent on what interests you.

But if you are more “culture and history” compared to “big city” (aka Tokyo), then Nagoya can be a good choice, because it’s closer to more of the famous cultural spots of Japan.

The Golden Route of Japan covers the famous places in Japan

Aside from Tokyo and Mount Fuji (which is on the north side of the Golden Route), the rest of the “Golden Route” is further south of Nagoya. This includes Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, and Miyajima.

You can have a perfect first trip to Japan just by going to these places!

And although not on the Golden Route, you may also want to look at including Kumano Kodo! This is where you will find Nachi Falls, which is one of the famous views of Japan! Nagoya can be a good launching point to go to Nachi Falls too.

And then, since you will have to do a loop either way, whether you fly into Tokyo or Nagoya, you might find it less overwhelming to just fly into Nagoya compared to Tokyo.

Nagoya is still a big city in Japan, but not as big as Tokyo.

Tokyo is a BIG city, and the Tokyo train stations can be overwhelming for first time tourists to Japan!

 

Cheaper flight to Japan?!

Now, searches may vary, but I will tell you recently a search my mom did to come up with a MUCH cheaper flight to Japan!

This is if you don’t mind a little bit of extra effort (and time) to save potentially hundreds of dollars!

Recently (December 2022), this is how it was. This was a one-way flight for the end of January 2023.

A search for a Delta flight from Detroit to Nagoya was between $1,900 to $2,100. (Unfortunately, such a price is not completely unexpected for a one-way flight to Japan nowadays.)

Then, she tried searching for other airports somewhat near Detroit.

She found a Delta flight from Cleveland to Nagoya for around $900. (!!) This is a one-stop flight, with a transfer in… Detroit. So, yes, it’s the same Detroit to Nagoya flight, but if you start out of Cleveland, it’s cheaper!

So now, it would be up to you how you would like to make this flight. You could go with convenience and choose the direct flight from Detroit.

Or, you could go to Cleveland and fly from there. Of course you’ll have to think about the extra cost and time of flying from Cleveland.

Maybe you could find a flight to Cleveland, in which case to reduce risk you would want to get there the night before and stay in a hotel. Even if you do this, it could be cheaper. (Of course, if you’re doing round trip, you’ll have to do this twice.)

Maybe you want to drive to Cleveland. Then, you’d have to think about airport parking fees.

etc etc.

Not only does doing it this way involve extra time and effort, doing something like this may involve extra risk depending on your way of getting to Cleveland. For example, if you miss your first flight within the US which then causes you to miss the actual flight to Japan… you will likely be out of luck because you will have booked the flights separately and not under one ticket.

So, it’s not something everyone will want to do, but in case it’s something you think will be worth it, it’s something to look into!

And apparently, sometimes these sorts of searches can work for other smaller airports around, like Lansing for example. If you are willing to fly in a day early, then you might even search states further away, too.

 

I like to search for flight on kayak.com and then book flights direcftly.

 

Well, there is a lot to think about in deciding on your first trip to Japan, but that’s just to get you started!

If you haven’t figured out WHEN to go, then also to see about when to go to Japan.

 

More about flying to Japan:

 

HAPPY FLYING FROM DETROIT TO JAPAN!

 

Also check the homepage for more ideas on planning your first trip to Japan!