$276 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 3/9. 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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Cheap Flights from San Francisco to Japan

Cheapest round-trip prices found by our users on KAYAK in the last 72 hours
Tokyo
Tokyononstop$571
Osaka
Kobe1 stop$683
Okinawa
Okinawa1 stop$730
Fukuoka
Fukuoka1 stop$627
Ishigaki
Ishigaki1 stop$963
Iwakuni
Iwakuni1 stop$1,486
Hakodate
Hakodate1 stop$977
Sendai
Sendai1 stop$732
Komatsu
Komatsu1 stop$947
Takamatsu
Takamatsu1 stop$811
Aomori
Aomori2 stops$1,116
Miyazaki
Miyazaki1 stop$781
Tokyo
Tokyononstop$571
Osaka
Kobe1 stop$683
Okinawa
Okinawa1 stop$730
Fukuoka
Fukuoka1 stop$627
Ishigaki
Ishigaki1 stop$963
Iwakuni
Iwakuni1 stop$1,486
Hakodate
Hakodate1 stop$977
Sendai
Sendai1 stop$732
Komatsu
Komatsu1 stop$947
Takamatsu
Takamatsu1 stop$811
Aomori
Aomori2 stops$1,116
Miyazaki
Miyazaki1 stop$781

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, Feb 2 - Sun, Feb 8
ZIPAIR Logo
3:40 pm - 7:55 pm
SFO
-
NRT
11h 15mnonstop
ZIPAIR Logo
9:25 pm - 1:40 pm
NRT
-
SFO
9h 15mnonstop
$571ZIPAIR
Tue, Feb 17 - Tue, Mar 3
ZIPAIR Logo
3:40 pm - 7:55 pm
SFO
-
NRT
11h 15mnonstop
ZIPAIR Logo
9:25 pm - 1:40 pm
NRT
-
SFO
9h 15mnonstop
$572ZIPAIR
Sun, Jan 25 - Sat, Feb 7
ZIPAIR Logo
3:40 pm - 7:55 pm
SFO
-
NRT
11h 15mnonstop
ZIPAIR Logo
9:25 pm - 1:40 pm
NRT
-
SFO
9h 15mnonstop
$573ZIPAIR
Mon, Mar 9 - Mon, Mar 23
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:50 pm - 2:40 pm
SFO
-
FUK
22h 50m1 stop
Asiana Airlines Logo
3:50 pm - 3:00 pm
FUK
-
SFO
15h 10m1 stop
$727Asiana Airlines
Wed, Apr 8 - Thu, Apr 23
Asiana Airlines Logo
11:30 pm - 11:50 am
SFO
-
CTS
20h 20m1 stop
Asiana Airlines Logo
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
CTS
-
SFO
18h 00m1 stop
$730Asiana Airlines
Fri, Mar 6 - Thu, Mar 19
Air Canada Logo
10:45 pm - 5:40 pm
SFO
-
KIX
49h 55m2 stops
Air Canada Logo
7:25 pm - 9:31 am
KIX
-
SFO
30h 06m1 stop
$802Air Canada
Sun, Mar 29 - Thu, Apr 9
Air Canada Logo
8:50 pm - 4:25 pm
SFO
-
KIX
27h 35m2 stops
Air Canada Logo
6:05 pm - 9:30 am
KIX
-
SFO
31h 25m2 stops
$807Air Canada
Sun, Feb 22 - Thu, Mar 5
ANA Logo
12:20 am - 8:10 am
SFO
-
ITM
14h 50m1 stop
ANA Logo
7:00 pm - 3:20 pm
ITM
-
SFO
13h 20m1 stop
$854ANA
Tue, Feb 17 - Wed, Mar 4
ANA Logo
12:20 am - 7:30 am
SFO
-
ITM
14h 10m1 stop
ANA Logo
8:20 pm - 3:20 pm
ITM
-
SFO
12h 00m1 stop
$856ANA
Sun, Jan 18 - Fri, Feb 6
United Airlines Logo
12:20 am - 6:10 pm
SFO
-
ITM
24h 50m1 stop
United Airlines Logo
1:00 pm - 9:38 am
ITM
-
SFO
37h 38m2 stops
$866United Airlines
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 $564 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 $564.

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 $914, 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 $754 (return) on average. On the other hand, the most expensive months are June and December, when the average cost of round-trip tickets is $1,269 and $1,164 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 3 weeks before departure.

Good to know

Low seasonJanuary
Cheapest flight$276
Best time to beat the crowds with an average 12% drop in price.
Most popular time to fly and prices are also 5% 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 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 $863 on average. Morning departures are around 16% 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 $1,041.

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 $371 one-way - $765 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 1020 reviews
7.9Entertainment
8.6Boarding
7.7Food
8.7Crew
8.2Comfort
Airline reviews

The crew was incredible. The pilots were so fantastic. The smoothest landing I’ve ever experienced.

10.0 ExcellentAnonymous, Nov 2025
KIX - HND
Read more ANA reviews

The crew was incredible. The pilots were so fantastic. The smoothest landing I’ve ever experienced.

The flight attendants are always fantastic. My only issue – and it was on my Haneda to Vancouver flight – same as my Vancouver to Osaka flight – I had a confirmed special meal and they had no record of it on board. I tried to confirm it with the gate agent in Fukuoka, where I initiated the day, because of the mess up a month ago, and she said that they can't confirm special meals. I'd have to see when I got on board.

Great transfer of luggage from my flight with Osaka to Tokyo then Tokyo to final destination in Chicago

Great experienced staff and very pleasant compared to some other international airlines

Flight was good and comfortable, even for long haul economy. No complaints.

Check in was fast, lounge was good. Special section for ANA passengers in the Plaza Premium lounge. Boarding was organized and quick. Crew was very nice. They ran out of the Japanese meal so they asked me to switch to the international meal. Beef was room temperature and not hot. It tasted ok. Japanese meal was served hot. Movies were not great. Chair was very old and recline was not good. TV monitor was very old and not HD. Plane layout in business was 2-2-2. Should switch to the 1-2-1 layout for more privacy. Overall flight was average to good. Service was good but hard product should be updated to compete against much nicer Taiwanese airlines.

Checking in via an alliance partner, even a foreign one should get TSA Precheck printed on your boarding pass. The paper copy issued by ANA didn’t show it. I couldn’t get my digital copy due to some technical issue arising because I checked in with ANA. The kiosks at SFO similarly threw an error. The only way I could have gotten a new copy of my boarding pass was from the UA counter and lines were nearly as long as TSA so I bit the bullet and went through the regular TSA line. If UA wants my business, they need to improve that process.

They lost my luggage on the inbound flight and then lost it again on this flight. I called online travel agent to change earlier flight to get a longer layover in Vancouver but ANA denied it

Suite lounge in Honolulu is very exclusive and boarding from the lounge into the plane is unique. First suites were huge and comfortable. Japanese meal is like a high end omakase meal. All the staff were very kind and provided sophisticated service. Fast Track upon landing was appreciated but not needed this time because immigration was so empty and easy.

I like the service very much. The food just okay but maybe different culture who like, who don't like.

Checking in as an international flyer is a bit tedious

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

It was okay, short flight so nothing much to comment.

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

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

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.

Good the crew was nice very kind and very helpful

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.

Crews are rude and short. Example: after my drink and was ready to prep my bed to rest. I tried to give my empty glasses to the steward while she was playing her card game on her iPad. The steward told me to take the glass back to my table instead of taking the glass out of my hand. Compare Japanese steward it’s like heaven and hell.

I felt that the customer service improved compared to a several years ago.

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.

It was great, but my bag was not loaded onto the connecting flight. I'm currently getting it resolved. If this isn't a problem, everything else was excellent.

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.

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.

from SFO-> FRA flight, AVML meal was significantly less compared to regular meal, especially no Desert, no Bread, no sides.

This was an older airplane. The cabin was constantly warm to hot throughout the 10 hour flight and there were no vents to personalize air flow. Also since it was an older plane, the material and comfort of the chairs were very uncomfortable. I left my flight with major soreness on my tailbone.

Older aircraft, no meal, only food was for purchase. Not impressed United.

Not pleasant trip cross country when the entertainment and WiFi system not working. No entertainment for entirety of route. Staff was rather nonchalant in that they dismissed the problem due to age of plane. It would have been nice to know this up front so I could have come prepared to read or download movies before boarding Coincidentally or not, there was a similar issue with the entertainment system on my previous flight I took on my fist leg of the trip. There are no seat TVs, so you must rely on the app when it works. United can do better. Also, what use it it to pay for boarding group 2 when half of the passengers are in the same line as you?

My experience on this United Airlines flight was highly uncomfortable, primarily due to two issues: Cabin Temperature: The temperature on the Boeing 737 MAX 8 was unacceptably high, feeling consistently around 80 degrees throughout the flight. This made sleeping impossible and significantly detracted from the experience. Seating Arrangement: Being stuck in a middle seat for a six-and-a-half-hour overnight flight compounded the discomfort. Moving forward, I will always purchase a seat assignment to avoid this situation.

Premium Plus is a really good idea for longer flights

Same as last comment. Food sucks. Quality. Not surprising most people have no clue about nourishment Clearly

We were in business class. the angled seats in that class do not have a real window view & the placement of the controls are bad. But we knew that. But the food options were mediocre. The taste was fine, but the size was for a child. It’s just really feels like United is skimping on everything. Even when we were in the Polaris lounge they did not have diet sodas. They said they were out no Coke zero no Diet Coke, etc. I do not think the portion of nuts they serve on the plane could get any smaller. Really a minimal service and offer for what you’re paying for in business.

We had to deboard 2 times due to maintenance issues. They changed the plane, and then we got deviated to LAX due to maibtenance issues on the other plane, had to sleep at LAX and los a full day.

From the first moment you interact with United Airlines, you can expect nothing less but extreme frustration. The baggage handler at the bag drop seems completely unbothered by the presence of customers waiting in line. No help was extended to load the baggage whatsoever. And if any of your bags is overweight by 0.01 pound they will make you re-distribute everything in your suitcase just to play power trip. When it was time to board no help was extended to customers to locate their seats. Moreover. It was a chaotic mess at the gate when it was unclear who should board first and everyone just bunched up, trying to get on the plane. I am sure the crew was doing their best to perform their jobs while being paid their wages however it shouldn’t be that hard to smile once or twice when you’re in the business if serving customers. It is a shame for the United States of America to have a flagship carrier of such low caliber. Our flight was also delayed by about an hour and a half due to further delays prior to our inbound flight. Being someone who has travelled for both business and leisure in Asia, Europe, and South America I have never experienced such poor quality of service.

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.

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

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

Information on your arrival and departure airports