$288 Find Cheap Flights from San Francisco to Japan

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a KAYAK user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight from San Francisco to Japan departing on 4/25. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel. Click the price to replicate the search for this deal.
1 adult
1 adult, Economy, 0 bags

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Cheap Flights from San Francisco to Japan

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
Tokyo
Tokyononstop$629
Osaka
Kobe1 stop$650
Okinawa
Okinawa1 stop$687
Fukuoka
Fukuoka1 stop$633
Nagasaki
Nagasaki1 stop$943
Ishigaki
Ishigaki1 stop$1,064
Kumamoto
Kumamoto1 stop$907
Iwakuni
Iwakuni1 stop$1,087
Hakodate
Hakodate1 stop$5,289
Sendai
Sendai1 stop$875
Komatsu
Komatsu1 stop$836
Ōita
Ōita2 stops$1,191
Takamatsu
Takamatsu1 stop$936
Tokyo
Tokyononstop$629
Osaka
Kobe1 stop$650
Okinawa
Okinawa1 stop$687
Fukuoka
Fukuoka1 stop$633
Nagasaki
Nagasaki1 stop$943
Ishigaki
Ishigaki1 stop$1,064
Kumamoto
Kumamoto1 stop$907
Iwakuni
Iwakuni1 stop$1,087
Hakodate
Hakodate1 stop$5,289
Sendai
Sendai1 stop$875
Komatsu
Komatsu1 stop$836
Ōita
Ōita2 stops$1,191
Takamatsu
Takamatsu1 stop$936

Book Cheap San Francisco to Japan Plane Tickets

 
Here are some of the best deals found on KAYAK recently from the most popular airlines for round-trip flights from San Francisco to Japan that are departing in the next months. While these flights were available on KAYAK in the last 72 hours, prices and availability are subject to change and deals may expire.
Discover the best prices for you by selecting your travel dates on KAYAK.

Recent round-trip flight deals from San Francisco to Japan

Mon, May 11 - Mon, May 18
Multiple Airlines Logo
4:45 pm - 6:20 pm
SFO
-
CTS
33h 35m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
11:50 am - 2:45 pm
CTS
-
SFO
18h 55m
1 stop
$625Multiple Airlines
Tue, Jul 7 - Tue, Jul 14
ZIPAIR Logo
5:15 pm - 8:00 pm
SFO
-
NRT
10h 45mnonstop
ZIPAIR Logo
9:30 pm - 3:15 pm
NRT
-
SFO
9h 45mnonstop
$629ZIPAIR
Sun, Aug 23 - Wed, Sep 23
Philippine Airlines Logo
12:30 am - 12:45 am
SFO
-
HND
32h 15m
1 stop
Philippine Airlines Logo
2:55 pm - 9:10 pm
HND
-
SFO
22h 15m
1 stop
$630Philippine Airlines
Mon, Aug 17 - Wed, Sep 2
Multiple Airlines Logo
8:20 pm - 2:10 pm
SFO
-
NRT
25h 50m
1 stop
Multiple Airlines Logo
9:30 pm - 3:15 pm
NRT
-
SFO
9h 45mnonstop
$630Multiple Airlines
Tue, Aug 25 - Tue, Sep 1
Cathay Pacific Logo
2:00 pm - 1:45 pm
SFO
-
FUK
31h 45m
1 stop
Cathay Pacific Logo
5:40 pm - 11:15 pm
FUK
-
SFO
21h 35m
1 stop
$633Cathay Pacific
Tue, Sep 1 - Tue, Sep 8
Philippine Airlines Logo
12:30 am - 12:45 am
SFO
-
HND
32h 15m
1 stop
Philippine Airlines Logo
2:05 am - 9:10 pm
HND
-
SFO
35h 05m
1 stop
$633Philippine Airlines
Wed, Apr 22 - Wed, May 6
Cathay Pacific Logo
1:00 pm - 1:55 pm
SFO
-
HND
32h 55m
1 stop
Cathay Pacific Logo
4:20 pm - 10:40 pm
HND
-
SFO
22h 20m
1 stop
$634Cathay Pacific
Mon, May 4 - Wed, May 6
China Airlines Logo
1:05 am - 10:45 am
SFO
-
OKA
17h 40m
1 stop
China Airlines Logo
8:55 pm - 7:55 pm
OKA
-
SFO
15h 00m
1 stop
$817China Airlines
Thu, Apr 2 - Thu, Apr 9
EVA Air Logo
12:30 pm - 2:20 pm
SFO
-
AOJ
33h 50m
1 stop
EVA Air Logo
3:30 pm - 11:59 pm
AOJ
-
SFO
24h 29m
2 stops
$1,222EVA Air
Wed, Apr 1 - Thu, Apr 9
EVA Air Logo
12:25 am - 2:20 pm
SFO
-
AOJ
21h 55m
1 stop
EVA Air Logo
3:30 pm - 8:00 pm
AOJ
-
SFO
20h 30m
1 stop
$1,591EVA Air
Booking Insights

KAYAK's insights & trends for San Francisco to Japan flights

Get data-powered insights and trends into flights from San Francisco to Japan to help you find the cheapest flights, the best time to fly and much more.

What is the cheapest San Francisco to Japan flight route?

Data is based on round-trip flight searches on KAYAK over the past month.

The cheapest ticket to Japan from San Francisco found in the last 72 hours was to Tokyo, at $532 round-trip. The most popular route is from San Francisco (SFO) to Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT), and the cheapest round-trip airline ticket found on this route in the last 72 hours was $532.

Can I save money by flying with a layover from San Francisco to Japan?

The average round-trip price for all non-stop flights, flights with one layover, and flights with two layovers for the route found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks.

No, with an average price for the route of $961, prices are generally cheapest when you fly direct.

What is the cheapest month to fly from San Francisco to Japan?

To calculate monthly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each month over the last year for round-trip flights from San Francisco to Japan, 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 San Francisco to Japan is January, when tickets cost $783 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and December, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,242 and $1,179 respectively.

What’s the cheapest day of the week to fly from San Francisco to Japan?

The average price of all round-trip flights from San Francisco to Japan clicked on KAYAK for each day over the last 12 months.

For San Francisco to Japan, Tuesday is the cheapest day to fly on average and Saturday is the most expensive. Flying from Japan back to San Francisco, the best deals are generally found on Thursday, with Friday being the most expensive.

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

To calculate weekly average prices, KAYAK takes all prices for each week before departure over the last year for round-trip flights from San Francisco to Japan, 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 San Francisco to Japan, you should book around 1 week before departure. For the absolute cheapest price, our data suggests you should book 1 week before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight$288
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 12% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 9% lower on average.
Flight from San Francisco to Tokyo Narita Airport

Flights from San Francisco to Japan: the best tips from KAYAK users

Insights shared by verified travelers who flew the route from San Francisco to Japan 
BryanFlew with ANA
SFO
-
NRT
Feb 2026
Check your operating carrier. It seems like ANA is operated by United, so you would essentially be paying for United Airlines service (supposedly 3 stars) as opposed to the 5 star ANA service.
LeeFlew with ANA
SFO
-
HND
Jan 2026
Make sure you understand the cost of additional baggage. This information was not make readily available. If I had known it was so high, I would have made sure to pack in a single checked bag. It seems this information was hidden from me.
Verified travelerFlew with ANA
SFO
-
HND
Mar 2025
Compression socks are your friend. I wish I bought some to help me deal with the cramped seating.
TFlew with ZIPAIR
SFO
-
NRT
Nov 2024
Haneda is closer to the city center, so fly there if you can. Zipair has by far the best rates, but try to book early and pick a seat so you’re not stuck in a middle seat.

FAQs - booking Japan flights

  • Do U.S. citizens need a visa to travel from San Francisco to Japan?

    If you’re a U.S. citizen planning to travel from San Francisco to Japan, you are not required to obtain a visa prior to your departure, as long as you don’t intend on staying in the country for over 90 days. Nonetheless, make sure your passport is valid and has an empty visa page for an entry stamp.

  • Are there direct flights from San Francisco to Japan?

    Yes, it’s possible to find non-stop flights out of San Francisco International Airport (SFO) going to both Narita International Airport (NRT) and Haneda International Airport (HND) in Tokyo, as well as Kansai International Airport (KIX) in Osaka, but only in certain months. The airlines operating these routes are mainly ANA, Japan Airlines and United Airlines.

  • How do you get to the center of Tokyo from the airport?

    There are two international airports serving the Tokyo area. Haneda International Airport is closer to the city center. The airport has a monorail that takes you downtown in under an hour and you can expect to pay around ¥410 ($4). Narita International Airport is connected to the center with the JapanRail that can cost about ¥1340-3000 ($19-27).

  • Which is the best airport to fly into to get to Mount Fuji?

    Mount Fuji is an impressive mountain recognized by UNESCO, located southwest of Tokyo. The closest airport to fly into to get to Mount Fuji from San Francisco is Tokyo Haneda International Airport. The drive is just over an hour long.

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

    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 San Francisco to Japan.

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

    KAYAK’s flight Price Forecast tool uses historical data to determine whether the price for a flight from San Francisco to Japan 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 San Francisco to Japan?

    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 San Francisco to Japan 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 San Francisco to Japan?

    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 San Francisco to Japan up to 3 days before/after your preferred dates. You can then pick the flights that suit you best.

  • What is the cheapest time of day to fly to Japan?

    The cheapest time of day to fly to Japan is generally in the evening, when round-trip flights cost $795 on average. Morning departures are around 31% more expensive than evening flights, on average. The most expensive time of day to fly to Japan is generally at night, which is peak travel time and where the average cost of a ticket is $1,056.

Top tips for finding cheap flights to Japan

  • Looking for a cheap flight? 25% of our users found tickets from San Francisco to the following destinations at these prices or less: Tokyo $355 one-way - $649 round-trip
  • When looking to book your flight from San Francisco to Japan, look for routes to Tokyo. There are two main airports in Tokyo, Narita International Airport (NRT) and Haneda International Airport (HND), which offers more options. The capital city is also conveniently centrally located within the country.
  • When planning your trip from San Francisco, California, to Japan, you’ll have to make sure to exchange your dollars into the local currency, the Japanese yen (JPY). The main international airports in the country, like the ones in Tokyo and Osaka, have currency exchange desks at their international terminals.
  • If you’re one to get anxious before a long flight, San Francisco International Airport has a few amenities that are great for unwinding. Passengers can relax and stretch in the yoga rooms in Terminals 2 and 3 or enjoy some peace in the reading room in Terminal 2.
  • If you’re planning on getting in a taxi or renting a car while you’re visiting Japan and you’re traveling with infants, make sure you have the right equipment. Children aged six or under must be in an adequate child seat. If your car rental agency doesn’t provide child seats, you will have to travel with one.
  • If you’re traveling from San Francisco to Japan on business, the airports offer services that can help make your trip as productive as possible. For instance, San Francisco International Airport has work stations in Terminal 2 as well as a business center to stay connected before boarding. Once arriving at the Narita International Airport, there is a hotel on-site perfect for travelers on a tight schedule.

Reviews of the top 5 airlines serving from San Francisco to Japan

 
Need help choosing which airline to fly with from San Francisco to Japan? 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.
8.4
ANAOverall score based on 1116 reviews
8.6Boarding
7.8Food
8.2Comfort
8.0Entertainment
8.7Crew
Airline reviews

The food was not great; but I don’t expect much from airline food. However, the staff was incredible! I had gotten to the gate when I realized I had left my computer at the security checkpoint! I told a staff member and she said, “well, you will miss this flight if you go back to get it” It was a long way from the gate. I asked if I might get on the next flight. She sent for another staff member, and he took me to the gate desk. He found an open seat, and said,”okay, go run to get your computer, I will get you a new boarding pass.” I rran back, retrieved my computer, and returned to the gate. It was closed, but I found the gate nearby where the next ANA flight was leaving. Another staff member was ready for me, and printed me a new pass, and even made sure I still had an aisle seat that I requested! I got in line and continued my trip. These people are amazing, helpful, and friendly. My trip could have been ruined, or postponed at a great expense, but they saved the day! 5 stars!!!!

10.0 ExcellentChris, Mar 2026
HNL - NRT
Read more ANA reviews

The food was not great; but I don’t expect much from airline food. However, the staff was incredible! I had gotten to the gate when I realized I had left my computer at the security checkpoint! I told a staff member and she said, “well, you will miss this flight if you go back to get it” It was a long way from the gate. I asked if I might get on the next flight. She sent for another staff member, and he took me to the gate desk. He found an open seat, and said,”okay, go run to get your computer, I will get you a new boarding pass.” I rran back, retrieved my computer, and returned to the gate. It was closed, but I found the gate nearby where the next ANA flight was leaving. Another staff member was ready for me, and printed me a new pass, and even made sure I still had an aisle seat that I requested! I got in line and continued my trip. These people are amazing, helpful, and friendly. My trip could have been ruined, or postponed at a great expense, but they saved the day! 5 stars!!!!

Best service! Food was Japanese fine dining and they even sang happy birthday to me since it was my birthday halfway through the flight. Bed was comfortable and cabin was quiet.

I originally thought I was booking with ANA airlines and didn't see "operated by United" until the day of. I even thought the United check-in update was a scam so ended up checking in 3 hours before the flight, causing separate seating and uncomfortable middle seats.

Very disappointing. Our flight was delayed for almost 6 hours with the lost time disrupting our travel plans. United should have known that any delay (approximately and hour) triggered a no-fly/work because according to the FAA they had to many flight hours. After the mechanical delay (approximately an hour) we had to wait for a fresh crew change. Seems to me that United could have anticipated this incident. Again, a very disappointing travel experience.

Excellent crew, food and comfort from LA to Narita. Flight from Narita to Manila was just okay, Food and comfort needs to improve. The business class was not comfortable.

Lots of leg room in premium. Departed exactly on time. Friendly crew.

My connecting flight from CTS to Narita was late and I missed my connection. A very nice agent met me when I deplaned and ensured that I caught the next flight back to SFO. Fantastic customer service :)

Cabin Crew was excellent. They took care of everything requested. Flight was good

I didn’t know that my connecting flight from Japan to Hawaii was at a different airport - arrived in Haneda (ticket said Tokyo but didn’t notice the airport name) and had to get my bags and go out of immigration and back in to go to Narita airport 2 hours away. Such a hassle and SOOO confusing and complicated. Check your airports IN ADVANCE and NEVER book if you have to change airports. 40+ years of flying and first time had this. Never again. ANA is great but booking agencies will sell you a connection that you have a good chance of missing - even under the best circumstances.

I was charged $200 for a 2nd checked bag, which is unreasonably high and feels like price gouging. Other than that the experience was excellent.

Excellent! So happy that the crew members were so helpful and friendly and able to understandably communicate. They’re very receptive with someone like me, with disability. I love that I did not even have to ask for luggage help like, having to place and take down my carry-on luggage in and out of the over-head compartment. Hope, help is extended to disabled passenger(s) through out class classifications they’ve bought; economy or business class it might be. As a disabled person myself, I’m truly of great appreciation of this kind of help. Means a lot !!! Thank you so very much JAL crew. You out done others on this customer service part of the trip. Please continue to do so. From now on, I’ll choose JAL as my airline whenever I have to fly to any southeast asian countries. And I will disseminate my excellent travel experience with you to others.

American Airlines food is horrible. Also, paid to fly JAL on all segments, but received a much lower quality. I was disappointed to learn that we would be using American Airlines on this flight, which has less comfort, entertainment, choices, and lower standard of service. Overall not satisfied.

Food was very mediocre. Economy is pretty uncomfortable. Crew was excellent and responsive.

Not as good as I expected, I couldn't use the screen to watch movies or anything else because it wasn't 'STEADY' AT ALL, it moved every single time that the passenger who sat on that seat moved, that caused me fell dizzy and nauseous when I tried to use it, so I ended up with only sleeping and eating with no entertainment all my haul flight on premium economy seat, plus the passenger who sat next to me, she just loved to spread her very long hair down on my shoulder, face, arm, sometimes her hair just whacked my face till I really wanted to offer her my hairband!, super annoying 😑 and that my bad experience with that flight.

This was serviced by American Airlines. Not as great as Japan Airlines. The LAX domestic airport is not a great airport. We needed to take a shuttle to go to the gate. Mind you, this is just a connection, but we had to go to security again, which is a hassle after a very long flight from Japan. It makes sense, for our checked baggage to be picked up and moved to the other carousel for our final destination, but for us doing the security all over again, pointless. We had our boarding passes already when we were still in Japan, yet we had to start from zero again when we arrived LAX. There should at least be a different line for connecting passengers without going out like it’s our final destination. Next time, I will try to book our flights from any foreign countries non stop to my destination.

My plans changed and I tried to cancel or change the flight for credit but was giving the run around and denied . Not great

I was so hungry , from Boston to Tokyo, only 2 big food .

The crew was nice, the food could be better, and at least 2 bathroom stalls were out of service.

Good experience for economy transpacific. Reasonable comfortable seats. Food was not as good as I expected or had on other prior transpacific flights but likely attribute that to rising cost of supplies. Staff is courteous. Overall, very good.

The original email I received and flight that I paid for was for Japan Airlines. Since JAL is a partner with American, I ended up on an American Airlines plane. This would not be a problem, except that JAL allows 2 check in bags for free and American only allows 1. A $100.00 unexpected expense was very disturbing, especially since I will have to pay it again on my way home. I feel like it was a bait and switch. I never would have chosen American Airlines if I had known that I would have to pay $200.00 in baggage fees, above and beyond my airfare. Secondly, the check in counter representative did not realize that I had TSA pre-check, so I had to return to the check-in desk on a different floor to get a new boarding pass. The AA representative helping at the check-in kiosks was very helpful, kind, polite, and professional when I returned for the new boarding pass. Thirdly, the crew was not as friendly as I have experienced on other airlines. Their tone when speaking to other passengers was not always polite. The food was better than I expected. However, I am used to having a station where one can serve themselves water, juice or grab a snack. That was not the case on this flight. Truly makes me think twice about booking with American Airlines. I am very disappointed.

I’d have rated Asiana good except an unfortunate incident in which I felt one of your employee didn’t really help us. During the first leg of the trip, the flight from LAX to ICN, I left my backpack on the plane. When I realized, I reported to one of your employee who promised me that it’d be taken care of, that my backpack will be there at HCM city. When we arrived there, HCM people had no idea and my backpack was still at Incheon airport who denied any knowledge whatsoever. I was left in the cold and felt helpless. I was very disappointed. I’d like someone to look into this and let me know.

I am thankful that I was able to fly using Asiana

It was my first time flying Asiana but i was very pleased with how professional and understanding the flight crew is with little kids. One flight attendant held my 3 year old daughter’s hand guiding her to the exit after landing while i had my hands full with luggage and my infant. She was very helpful.

The customer service was excellent. They noticed that our connecting flight was scheduled too closely for us to complete customs, so they changed the flight. Our initial flight was delayed, and they were able to get us on another flight, all without charging us any additional fees. I would fly them again anytime!

Better screens, it would have been nice to have more comfortable seats.

2nd major delay due to maintenance issues. 1st delay missed my connecting flight.

Very clean ,flight attendants very professional,nice , Boarding was very easy

The aircraft was massive (A-380) and became crowded with 400+ passengers on board.

My luggage didn’t arrive with my flight. Flight was delayed by nearly 2 hours while we sat on the plane and I almost missed my connecting flight and subsequently missed the last train from the airport so it took me another 2 hours to get to my destination after arriving, Crew skipped me several times when offering beverages, and I couldn’t get their attention at times because they wouldn’t even make eye contact with me. They didn’t give me a form for disembarking so I had to go to the back of the line after waiting an eternity for immigration. Paid for on flight wi- fi that didn’t work for most of the flight.

Love flying Asiana. Been using it for over a decade now.

Seats are uncomfortable. This has been a trend in the industry for decades. Trying to fit more seats on each plane to increase profits at the expense of the passenger.

Staff were good. My seat was in need of repair, but for a short flight was not problematic. Usual basic snack and drink setup that you'll find on any US carrier. Over, a decent, basic flight.

Flight delayed for more than 16 hrs and no effort was spent to provide an alternate

We had turbulence ever 1/2 hr or so and the captains announcements were SOOOO LOUD

it was a very short flight so my expectations were low.

Entertainment kept turning itself off. Gave up on watching a movie.

Very disappointing given gate agent behavior. Filed a formal complaint with United.

Terrible. No customer service, no food, no drinks on a 6 hour premier economy booking.

The flight crew where really good. Better then the crew from BNE to SFO

Food should be changed in menu Many muslims travels in this airlime they need to add one Halal meal

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 you need to know for your flight from San Francisco to Japan

Information on your arrival and departure airports