$288 Find Cheap Flights from Japan to California

1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

KAYAK searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to California

 
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results for flights to California
These are the airlines KAYAK users have selected most often from within our search results for flights to California
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Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for flights to California

Get data-powered insights and trends for flights to California to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What is the cheapest flight to California?

These are the best round-trip prices found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 72 hours.

The cheapest ticket to California from Japan found in the last 72 hours was to Los Angeles, at $374 round-trip. The most popular route is Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) to Los Angeles (LAX) and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $374.

What is the cheapest month to fly from Japan to California?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for flights from Japan to California, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the median of all values for each month.

The cheapest month for flights from Japan to California is November, when tickets cost $811 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are August and March, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,164 and $1,029 respectively.

How far in advance should I book a flight from Japan to California?

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights to California, removes the top 0.1% to account for outliers, and then takes the average of all the values for each week.

To get a below average price on the flight from Japan to California, you should book around 2 weeks before departure, which saves you about 25% compared to booking last minute. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 26 weeks before departure.

Which is the cheapest airport to fly into in California?

Prices will differ depending on the departure airport, but generally, the cheapest airport to fly to in California is San Jose Airport (SJC), with an average flight price of $390.

Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight$287
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 12% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 18% lower on average.
Flight from Tokyo Narita Airport to Los Angeles

Flights from Japan to California: the best tips from KAYAK users

Insights shared by verified travelers who flew the route from Japan to California 
Verified travelerFlew with ANA
NRT
-
SFO
May 2025
Bring your own meals like sandwich, nuts, fruit, or protein bar, because the food not only smells fowl but tastes even more so. Jesus, I’d rather just eat a protein bar.
Verified travelerFlew with Japan Airlines
NRT
-
SFO
Nov 2024
This trip seemed shorter than I thought. Sleeping helps pass the time. Also take an aspirin and wear compression socks
Verified travelerFlew with United Airlines
NRT
-
SFO
Oct 2024
Procedures in Tokyo Narita airport are very efficient. Transportation to and from Tokyo is also efficient, economical, and available.
Verified travelerFlew with Japan Airlines
NRT
-
SFO
Oct 2024
Get a butt pillow for the long flight and a neck pillow to sleep comfortably
VictorFlew with American Airlines
HND
-
LAX
Oct 2024
Make sure to eat before you get on, as the food options aren’t the most appetizing.
JohnjimyFlew with ANA
NRT
-
SFO
Aug 2024
If you have multiple carry-on. You may be subjected to have tags or have to pay, due to limited spaces. I was fortunate to have my bag under seat for take off. Other passengers decided to bring the whole room with them without me having space to put my backpack carry on.
Verified travelerFlew with ANA
NRT
-
SFO
May 2024
Haneda airport now handles most of the international traffic. It's much closer to downtown Tokyo. Narita is 45-55 minutes out of town. Do online and complete you immigration documentation before your flight. Print the QR code and the machine will scan it along with your passport. Much faster.

FAQs for booking flights from Japan to California

  • How does KAYAK find such low prices on flights from Japan to California?

    KAYAK is a travel search engine. That means we look across the web to find the best prices we can find for our users. With over 2 billion flight queries processed yearly, we are able to display a variety of prices and options on flights from Japan to California.

  • How does KAYAK's flight Price Forecast tool help me choose the right time to buy my flight ticket from Japan to California?

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from Japan to California is likely to change within 7 days, so travelers know whether to wait or book now.

  • What is the Hacker Fare option on flights from Japan to California?

    Hacker Fares allow you to combine one-way tickets in order to save you money over a traditional round-trip ticket. You could then fly from Japan to California with an airline and back with another airline.

  • What is KAYAK's "flexible dates" feature and why should I care when looking for a flight from Japan to California?

    Sometimes travel dates aren't set in stone. If your preferred travel dates have some wiggle room, flexible dates will show you all the options when flying from Japan to California up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

  • What is the cheapest day to fly to California?

    Based on KAYAK data, the cheapest day to fly to California is Monday where round-trip tickets can be as cheap as $933. On the other hand, the most expensive day to fly is Saturday, where round-trip prices are $1,044 on average.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from Japan to California

 
See real verified KAYAK customer reviews for airlines flying to California. Airline scores are aggregated from all reviews left by passengers on KAYAK after flying with an airline from Japan to California. KAYAK doesn’t show reviews that are older than 5 years. Learn how KAYAK collects reviews.
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from Japan to California? KAYAK airline reviews give an overall score for each airline based on loads of factors, including comfort, boarding, in-flight entertainment and more, to make your decision easier. See airline scores according to verified KAYAK customer reviews.
8.3
Japan AirlinesOverall score based on 1671 reviews
8.4Boarding
7.7Food
7.8Entertainment
8.7Crew
8.2Comfort
Airline reviews

First time flying. Very comfortable, plenty of leg room in economy. The food was good, as well as the snacks. Quick flight back from Kansai to HNL.

8.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Jan 2026
KIX - HNL
Read more Japan Airlines reviews

First time flying. Very comfortable, plenty of leg room in economy. The food was good, as well as the snacks. Quick flight back from Kansai to HNL.

Excellent service, excellent food and beverage options, plenty of legroom

I fell asleep, and the crew kindly left some snacks for me

Underpricer is a terrible third party service that couldn’t change three letters on my boarding pass in time to make a flight. It cost me tons of money to have to buy a new ticket with JAL. I’m extremely let down with Kayak using such a sketchy company with horrific customer service.

Check in procedure is harder than with other airlines, infotainment system is outdated

I liked- timely took the take off I disliked- food for ANML was not served even after request, ASVML was really bad, the cleanliness of seats were not up to satisfactory level and I had to use my own sanitizer. Even basic sanitizer packs were not served, cabin crew could be more friendly as I noticed their behavior against other fellow passangers who were not speaking English well.

The crew was attentive and provided everything I needed. The business class food was excellent.

Fantastic flight company. A higher standard than any American airline company for sure.

I thought this was a JAL flight but landed up being a code sharing one with Hawaiian Air. Got upgraded by check in staff and they confirmed my bag coming from Bangkok which was great. Cabin crew was solid, not especially friendly, just super efficient and wanting to get the job done which they did. Very fast and agenda oriented. Worst part is my economy plus seat was no better than my economy seat on JAL. Plus JAL has way better food, cleaner plane, and better crew. Worst part is when I landed, was never told where to grab bags. I had correct flight name and number for JAL but there was a Hawaiian flight number in another baggage terminal. I wasted over an hour with no help from ground staff for my bag. Hawaiian and Alaska airlines merger can’t happen fast enough as Hawaiian airlines is a dinosaur. Bad experience again and I’m not surprised. JAL rocks!

Business class lie flat seat is the best and easiest to operate 👍👍

I really liked the legroom. I am 6’4”.a at For some reason our seats were not together and using the app to fix it didn’t work. Passengers were nice enough to move for us but you should absolutely ensure a parent sits with their child.

Staff were friendly and happy. Delta could make sure passengers that don't have the app know of changes. Without Kayak I would not have known about the change of gate or the delay. Kayak was faster to notify me.

They changed planes and the new plane couldn’t carry enough fuel to fly across the country so we had to stop in Kansas City to refuel. Flight was delayed .

Flight was too crowded and seats are too small, especially since passengrs are getting larger. Having a middle seat is ALWAYS tough! Woman on my left was large & kept creeping in to my space. Flight personnel were great! Have more savory rather than sweet snacks please.

The crew took good care of us. The flight from ATL to SFO is a longer one, and there were multiple beverage offerings. I like the 757's that Delta uses. Good airplane that is comfortable. I do wish Delta would separate Priority boarding from the better seats. I would gladly take a smaller seat in an open row than be jammed into Comfort just to get priority boarding, just to make sure I don't have to check a bag.

The crew was not very visible. This might be a good thing for people who wanted to sleep but seemed odd when compared to the Atlantic crossing where they are more present in the cabin. The Food (beef) was not good. Tough and tasteless. Would love to see more choices on a long flight like that.

Gate agent rushed to fill hot jetway with crowd so it took over 12 minutes to go from gate to plane. Just like a discount airline Pooly prepared cabin and third time that claim of rough air prevented any cabin service. Friends on a Southwest flight at similar time had service.

The flight crew was friendly. I tried to adjust my seat online ahead of time but no option existed without additional fees. My friend asked at the gate about a seat change and was able to make it happen. That was great! The flight crew moved a very tall gentleman and his companion which allowed us to have more space which was nice. Overall, good experience. Appreciated the blanket and pillow.

I was uncomfortably cold on the plane. Other than that it was uneventful and therefore as enjoyable as a plane ride can be.

Food was surprisingly good but the WiFi was not great

On the way my flight entertainment wouldn’t work the screen went black and no matter how many times I tried to turn it on it wouldn’t. Food was surprisingly good but the tray tables were tiny so you couldn’t get anything else on the table. The seats hardly go back and are not overly comfortable. Wouldn’t fly United again.

Unbelievably poor service from flight attendants. They didn’t even do water service on a four hour flight. Just disrespectful.

Flight was late - I was downgraded from first class to coach

Movie selection is good. Crew did not understand mileage program and were no help. Sick later. Food?

United needs to step up their game. Delayed flight leaving Seattle, San Francisco. Older aircraft, not very comfortable.

The flight attendants were very rude, beyond comprehension. I took a business class from London to SFO for the first time on United. When I asked for a second piece of bread during dinner, the serving attendant threw a 3rd bread on my plate and said, “here. You can have this one too”! I couldn’t believe the rudeness of the attendant. Most all attendants were very rude, unhelpful, sing the food was absolutely disgusting. Never fly United internationally in business class. My flight back to SFO was a nightmare!!

Plane boarded early a quickly, was mostly full. We left close to on time. And landed early.

7 hours delayed due to operational issues on United’s end. Basically laziness.

Flight from Rome to SFO was excellent compared To our flight to Europe from SFO. The food was much tastier. You can see how UNITED is skimping, though. Instead of getting something mid flight you had to ask for it. It was not automatically served. There was a cookie at the end of the arrival meal, for example that tasted like it just came out of a box. They used to serve a little container of nuts, now … a tiny container of nuts, mixed with pretzels. This was business class that you really have to pay for! But this is minor complaints compared to the overall. My major complaint is the position of the even numbered seats by the windows. You have to turn around to see your window & the positioning as some other controls are harder to get at. This is compared to the odd number seat that are perfectly aligned.

The food quality sucks. One must starve if they do not eat flesh Or wheat based products Some variety would be expected. The trivial amount of snacks and or food is inhumane

Wifi never really worked. Flight attendants were generally fine except when they were not very helpful when my wife accidentally spilled a soda (they chastised her to apologize to the people sitting behind when it was dark and we couldn't see anything and they brought one tiny napkin to help clean it up). Seats were uncomfortable for all four of us. Otherwise a typical flight.

Seats in economy might too narrow. people sitting next to each other is always hitting shoulders.

Easy to board and fly, no frills. Yummy ramen on board.

It was for the most part a 10/10 they said they had entertainment options but all they had was old movies for streaming from the mid 2010’s so like 10 years ago

all good for a very budget flight - well priced and excellent service. Will fly again

Couple of the crew members were really nice and the rest are really rude and didn't help when we needed help, food was not worth it at all and most importantly there's no even entertainment system other than a very interruptive and slow internet and some movies.

I appreciate the economy price of the tickets. The long flight made the comfort level on the lower average side. Wi-Fi connection was not consistent but working. Overall, I would fly again with zip air but next time get the flat, premium seats with the amount of money I would save otherwise.

Comfortable seats and lucky no one was in middle seat. No water on the plane. Plane was on time and staff was fast.

You get what you pay for and nothing more. Wanted a cheap flight and that’s exactly what I got, though it’s human nature to wanting to feel like you got a good deal as well. There was none of that here. I was cheap and they were too. Got to my destination safely and that’s all that really matters.

Nice service. I wish it could provide hot water on the flight.

Everything about the flight was lovely. My only suggestion would be to offer a few more options of tv series from Apple TV or HBO.

After the door had been closed, the cockpit makes an announcement that catering is running late and it is not the airline's fault. It is their fault in the sense that we had to sit for 2 hours or more when we could have stayed in the terminal. Poor communications between catering and airline. This caused a young man to lose his temper and he went storming out hitting objects. He had complained to the gate agent that he had already waited at the gate 7 hours and when can the airplane leave? Airilnes do a poor job of explaining delays, maintenance issues, etc. whereas being truthful may gain more sympathy or understanding.

We were told the flight was delayed 5 times, then it was moved to the next day.

The experience with American Airlines was good, although the Philippines Airlines flight was much better (better seats, better food, better entertainment options, overall better). Again, the MIA to LAX flight was fine, but nothing in comparison to the comfort and accommodations of the Philippines Airlines flight from LAX to MNL.

Loved the crew . Absolutely no complaints. Except for luggage lost

Wish some foods provided rather than just biscuit/cookie for flight more than 2 hours

We are too tired and frustrated to comment politely at this point

The business class seats are dated and uncomfortable. The space is bare minimum and there is absolutely no privacy. For $4K, this is not what I expect.

The flight crew was rude. We were in first class and no one even offered water until an hour after we were in the air. Horrible experience

Great. Quick and quiet and east. The breakfast choices were a welcome surprise!

Everything you need to know for your flight to California

Cabin class types available on flights to California

Cabin classes available on flights to California. Prices are the lowest found on KAYAK over the last 7 days. Price and availability is not guaranteed.