$282 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 9/18. 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.
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1 adult, Economy

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Best Japan Flight Deals from San Francisco

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
Tokyo
Tokyononstop$532
Osaka
Osaka1 stop$651
Okinawa
Okinawa1 stop$648
Fukuoka
Fukuoka1 stop$648
Nagasaki
Nagasaki2 stops$1,443
Kumamoto
Kumamoto1 stop$1,063
Iwakuni
Iwakuni1 stop$2,185
Sendai
Sendai2 stops$1,295
Hakodate
Hakodate2 stops$1,071
Komatsu
Komatsu2 stops$986
Miyazaki
Miyazaki2 stops$992
Tokyo
Tokyononstop$532
Osaka
Osaka1 stop$651
Okinawa
Okinawa1 stop$648
Fukuoka
Fukuoka1 stop$648
Nagasaki
Nagasaki2 stops$1,443
Kumamoto
Kumamoto1 stop$1,063
Iwakuni
Iwakuni1 stop$2,185
Sendai
Sendai2 stops$1,295
Hakodate
Hakodate2 stops$1,071
Komatsu
Komatsu2 stops$986
Miyazaki
Miyazaki2 stops$992

Cheap Flights from San Francisco to Japan

 
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

Tue, Sep 2 - Tue, Sep 16
ZIPAIR Logo
5:20 pm - 8:00 pmSFO-NRT
10h 40mnonstop
ZIPAIR Logo
9:30 pm - 3:20 pmNRT-SFO
9h 50mnonstop
$532ZIPAIR
Find Deal
Wed, Sep 3 - Wed, Sep 17
ZIPAIR Logo
5:20 pm - 8:00 pmSFO-NRT
10h 40mnonstop
ZIPAIR Logo
9:30 pm - 3:20 pmNRT-SFO
9h 50mnonstop
$569ZIPAIR
Find Deal
Wed, Jul 16 - Wed, Sep 3
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:30 pm - 11:20 amSFO-NRT
19h 50m1 stop
Asiana Airlines Logo
1:20 pm - 3:30 pmNRT-SFO
18h 10m1 stop
$640Asiana Airlines
Find Deal
Mon, Nov 3 - Fri, Nov 7
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:30 pm - 5:55 pmSFO-NRT
25h 25m1 stop
Asiana Airlines Logo
9:00 am - 3:00 pmNRT-SFO
23h 00m1 stop
$648Asiana Airlines
Find Deal
Mon, Sep 1 - Thu, Nov 20
Japan Airlines Logo
8:00 am - 3:35 pmSFO-NRT
15h 35m1 stop
Japan Airlines Logo
5:40 pm - 9:45 amNRT-SFO
9h 05mnonstop
$731Japan Airlines
Find Deal
Mon, Nov 3 - Wed, Nov 12
Japan Airlines Logo
11:35 am - 4:00 pmSFO-NRT
11h 25mnonstop
Japan Airlines Logo
5:40 pm - 9:45 amNRT-SFO
9h 05mnonstop
$732Japan Airlines
Find Deal
Mon, Sep 1 - Mon, Sep 15
Air Canada Logo
6:41 am - 4:25 pmSFO-KIX
17h 44m1 stop
Air Canada Logo
6:05 pm - 12:23 pmKIX-SFO
34h 18m2 stops
$789Air Canada
Find Deal
Sat, Jul 5 - Sat, Jul 12
Air Canada Logo
7:40 pm - 4:25 pmSFO-KIX
28h 45m1 stop
Air Canada Logo
6:05 pm - 3:13 pmKIX-SFO
13h 08m1 stop
$790Air Canada
Find Deal
Tue, Oct 21 - Tue, Nov 4
ANA Logo
1:20 am - 4:30 amSFO-HND
11h 10mnonstop
ANA Logo
10:55 pm - 3:20 pmHND-SFO
9h 25mnonstop
$824ANA
Find Deal
Sun, Nov 9 - Tue, Nov 25
ANA Logo
11:00 am - 8:10 amSFO-ITM
28h 10m1 stop
ANA Logo
9:00 am - 9:15 amITM-SFO
17h 15m1 stop
$977ANA
Find Deal
Useful Info

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?

The cheapest price for flight routes found by users searching on KAYAK in the last 2 weeks for round-trip flights from San Francisco to Japan.

The cheapest ticket to Japan from San Francisco found in the last 72 hours was to Tokyo, at $584 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 $584.

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.

Yes, flying with a layover may cost you more time, but you can also save money on the route, with a 1 stop layover the cheapest option at $3,030 on average.

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 September, when tickets cost $810 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and December, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,309 and $1,210 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 Friday is the most expensive. Flying from Japan back to San Francisco, the best deals are generally found on Thursday, with Saturday 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
High seasonOctober
Cheapest flight$282
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 12% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 11% 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 
Verified travelerFlew with ANASFO-HNDMar 2025
Compression socks are your friend. I wish I bought some to help me deal with the cramped seating.
TFlew with ZIPAIRSFO-NRTNov 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 $828 on average. Morning departures are around 30% 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 $1,126.

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 $377 one-way - $790 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.
8.3
Japan AirlinesOverall score based on 1494 reviews
7.8Entertainment
8.2Comfort
8.7Crew
8.4Boarding
7.7Food
Airline reviews

Extremely poor at handling baggage. I had oversized golf bag and JAL would not recheck in Boston. Had to haul by myself to Jet Blue. Both JAL and Jet Blue claimed I had overweight bag. Had to adjust baggage several times. Will avoid JAL in future and I always avoid Jet Blue when I can. QATAR always superior.

2.0 MediocreDaniel, Apr 2025BKK - NRT
Read more Japan Airlines reviews

Extremely poor at handling baggage. I had oversized golf bag and JAL would not recheck in Boston. Had to haul by myself to Jet Blue. Both JAL and Jet Blue claimed I had overweight bag. Had to adjust baggage several times. Will avoid JAL in future and I always avoid Jet Blue when I can. QATAR always superior.

JAL using the state of art A350-1000 for JFK to HND It’s a great plane to fly Very comfortable with lower cabin altitude Quieter cabin Wider seats Big tv screen Excellent service and catering

This portion of the trip from HCMC to Dallas was operated by American Airline. Unfortunately they are 2 steps below JAL in overall quality. Regardless, AAStill got me where I needed to go on time.

I fly to Asia twice a year for the last 15 years. I always try to fly JAL. It’s always a pleasant experience. Since TripCase shut down, this is the first time I used Kayak for live trip notifications. I was very pleased with Kayak’s quality and helpfulness of notifications. I will be using them going forward.

This flight was leg 2 of 2 leg journey. The staff at baggage re-drop in Tokyo were fabulous. Once at gate when time to board, had to take standing room bus to the tarmac to board. Did not like getting out to plane and having to wait 5 minutes until they opened bus door.

First experience with JAL so was okay to pretty good. 10 hour flight in premium select seat. . Seats in that category should be better than pretty good. Seat pan a little short for tall people but plenty of leg room; I think JAL in process of new planes? Also, — they could have offered a bit more water throughout flight and meals not the greatest. That said, certainly 200 percent better than a very recent AK Air International flight in similar cabin class in comfort and meals.

It's a domestic flight, but still the JAL quality shone through. The crew were polite and helpful and even prepared little gifts / souvenirs for the children on the flight, and everyone got a simple drink. The free wifi for entertainment on the personal device was also a great boon, and the shows surprisingly decent. Would recommend.

We ordered for non vegetarian Hindu meal but instead they served us vegetarian Hindu meal. That was also not good. It was very annoying and aggravating. Hope our return from Tokyo to jfk on March 27 same is not repeated. Caterar should understand difference between non vegetarian Hindu meal and vegetarian Hindu meal.

Allow gold card holders (Group 1) to board with their guest like other One World carriers do

Checked baggage process is confusing and time consuming especially when checking oversized bags. Very slow agents didn't help.

Due to turbulence there was no inflight service, which is very understandable, The flight is very short, and safety is more important. There was a bit of a delay with take off, but was to be expected with the rain.

The crew was amazing, really friendly and efficient. One of the best flights I have ever been on. They made the long flight comfortable and I noticed there were two birthdays on the flight. They gave to customers birthday cards and wished them a happy birthday. That was very nice to see.

Everything was great. Wifi was down,but that didn't matter to me.

The staff are very kind ,friendly and helpful .This is my first time flying with ANA and surely will fly again.

The best best best flight experience I have ever had. And I fly A LOT. THANK YOU, ANA!!!

My wife and I liked almost everything about ANA except for the economy seat space and the cold breakfast (croissant which seemed to just come out of the fridge)

Excellent service and comfortable seats. Friendly and helpful staff. No food for a 3hr flight over lunch time which was surprising (or is that a feature of domestic flights in Japan?)

When booking the flight i picked it because it said flying with ana even on our e-ticket as well but I showed up to the airport and I flew with united. I have flew with both airlines before and I prefer ana for the food quality and comfortable. So I was disappointed in that outcome and felt the food gave me minor ibs. The whole thing was missing leading with not getting what I thought I was paying for. Felt a bait and switched. Do not have confidence in using this app in the future trips

This was a large plane with an upper deck. It seems like business was upstairs. If it was a US airline then I would say I sat in economy plus, but I think it was just economy. Though since ANA would not allow me to choose seats for the price it may have been plus. Lots of movies to choose from, and good service.

This was the best airline I’ve ever taken. The staff are amazing. The food was great. The pilot was phenomenal. I would highly recommend this airline.

The beefsteak on the lunch menu was excellent! I usually do not eat airplane food. I loved it.

Flight was too cold. I wore a regular cotton tee and it wasn’t enough. It was a night time flight so I would have thought a blanket would be provided to passengers. A 4 hour flight and no options for a meal? I flew Asiana the next day from Seoul to Manilla. Same duration, 4 hours. They give everyone a pillow and blanket and serve a meal. Why is United so cheap and holding back meals and amenities? Also, they promote too much gay stuff and DEI in their advertisements. Please be mindful of other beliefs and don’t shove your gay ideology down my throat.

Staff always with a smile and very helpful with my mom who has mobility issues.

It was amazing. I was not expecting the phenomenal customer service Asiana provides.

It was all perfect and very pleasant for such long flights

The seats felt very small. We were supplied with pillows and blankets, which was nice. Lots of noise from the bathroom, plus exterior noise. Made it hard to hear the entertainment system, even using my own noise-cancelling headphones. The food was really bad. I generally request a vegetarian meal and one was supplied, but the pasta was cold and hard and there was nothing pleasant about it. Two meals were served on this flight; one was a repeat of the meal I had had on the flight immediately preceding this one, which was bad enough I didn't even try it. Drinks were very limited. All I wanted was water, and on a 10.5 hour flight, I was given 3 cups of about 3 ounces each.

The seats felt very small. We were supplied with pillows and blankets, which was nice. Lots of noise from the bathroom, plus exterior noise. Made it hard to hear the entertainment system, even using my own noise-cancelling headphones. The food was really bad. I generally request a vegetarian meal and one was supplied, but the pasta was cold and hard and there was nothing pleasant about it. Drinks were very limited. All I wanted was water, and on a 4 hour flight, I was given 2 cups of about 3 ounces each.

We took business class, It was comfortable and I was able to sleep.

For the most part, it was an enjoyable experience. It's the 2nd half of the journey was a bit uncomfortable. It was on a noticable smaller plane compared to the previous one.

Only process that my luggage didn’t make it to my destination because of short connection but I understand

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.

internet didn't work. No offer of drinks or snacks.

Flight was seamless. Free wifi helped pass the time. Food was okay, just make sure you pre order or pick something up from the airport

Very comfortable (upgraded to business class). The audio on my screen didn’t work, but I managed to play the audio through my phone while watching the screen.

Flight was late as pilot crew had to land at different airport in their previous flight. Passengers boarded and had to wait for pilots inside plane. Series of incomplete and unnecessary announcements by an annoying voice, rather than complete, informative announcements.

Breakfast was not loaded at SFO due to catering company change. Seems like a major airline at a major hub would have thought of something else or warned passengers to pick up food before boarding a 3 hour flight.

Boarding seemed to be organized bedlam. For what ever reason, preboarding took longer than 20 minutes. Made the plane 20 minutes late taking off. Luckily we arrived on time. Flight crew seemed very friendly. Only slight turbulence.

They hired a new catering company the same day of my flight. They botched the job by not delivering the right carts and after THREE HOURS waiting, the flight crew timed out (flight was 19 hours long and FAA rules state crew can’t work more than 14 hours long). So they CANCELED OUR FLIGHT!! Worst experience ever. Avoid UAL at all costs.

The personnel were professional and friendly. The Boeing 737 Max 9 is too claustrophobic and was very warm at both airport gates, and still warm in the air.

While the staff was pleasant and helpful, the following observations are for your awareness. There was some delay on the tarmac on take off and landing. The paid lunch/food offerings were limited. Entertainment was only available on WiFi at a cost.

get E+, a must for 5 hours flight if you are tall

Liked fold flat bed. Didn’t like having no window. Didn’t like poor choice of food and being served dinner very late, hours after take off of a 7:40pm flight. Servers not friendly. Food horrible in business class.

Everything is good except the dinner and breakfast. The sandwich is very delicious. Toilet is clean, I only use one of them. Flight attendants are very nice. 👍👍

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

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