Fly Free In Japan!
Flying free in Japan well is true for the most part. According to this press release from JAL, select foreign visitors can fly free domestically within Japan. So why now? What’s the catch? And where should you go? This is part of a larger effort by the Japan National Tourism Organization to spread tourist visits to places beyond Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. As you have undoubtedly read and also heard from us, the prime tourist spots in these cities can be overrun at times. This has become a serious issue for locals, resulting in all manner of restrictions in places such as Kyoto restricting access to some parts of the old city and Osaka dramatically increasing its tourist tax. At the same time, other parts of Japan are almost begging foreigners to visit their towns such as Aizuakamatsu, Matsushima, and Shikoku. As we tour these outlined places, we’re often greeted with words of thanks for helping spotlight these hidden gems. So, how does the JAL plan work? You must fly from your home country on a JAL flight. And when you book that reservation, you must also book your domestic flights at the same time. The only other fee is that if you stay more than 24 hours in your arrival city, such as Tokyo or Osaka, before hopping onto your domestic flight, in that case, you’ll pay a $100 fee. But other than that, there aren’t any real restrictions. Example, you arrive in Tokyo’s Haneda airport at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, then catch a domestic flight to Saporo before 9:00 a.m. Tuesday. That domestic flight is free. But if you want to first get over jet lag and explore a little bit of Tokyo for a few days, then you’ll pay a $100 fee in order to fly domestically at a later date. The press release makes no mention of any restriction to the number of domestic flights you can take, nor is there a mention of a termination date of this offer. So, where should you consider flying to while you’re in Japan? I mean, after all, Japan has a high-speed rail system that is phenomenal and takes you to pretty much anywhere in Japan except for Okinawa. We suggest visiting Hokkaido to the north, flying to Chitos airport. Yes, you can take the Shinkansen to Hakodate, then an express train from there to Saporo, but it will take you nearly 8 hours. So, why not hop on a domestic flight that takes a little less than two? Once you are there, rent a car to explore Japan’s incredible northern main island. We recently produced a video on our visit to Hakodate, which is the wonderful port town on Hokkaido. So, be sure to check it out for inspiration. Or go south to Nagasaki to explore the amazingly diverse island of Kyushu, which includes the Beu Hills, which features a concentrated cluster of natural hot springs and countless onen. or visit our favorite small town in all of Japan, Mojiko on the Canmon straight with its pedestrianfriendly inner harbor, excursion boats, Canmon Straight Museum, and the walking tunnel under the straight. So, contact JAL to find out all the specifics as we make no claim to accuracy of our statements. That is, do your own research, but this is a legitimate incentive that will help you further your enjoyment of Japan beyond the big three main cities. And if you’re enjoying this video, please share it with others. We try our best to provide good information through our videos, but because our places are typically less known and less traveled, they don’t show up that often in search engine results. So therefore, getting the word out is very important for us to keep this thing going. So, thanks for watching and be sure to enjoy some of our other videos such as surviving Japan, seven things to know before you arrive, and our other video, Is Jr. Pass worth it? And until next time, sayanada.
Yes! Japan Airlines offers foreign visitors free flights within Japan. We share the details on this amazing offer that is an effort to introduce the less known and less crowded parts of Japan to visitors. With Japan experiencing record numbers of visitors, the most famous places of Kyoto, Tokyo and Osaka are overrun with people. So this is a way to encourage visitors to go beyond these three main cities of Japan. Visit less known and off the beaten path places such as Hokkaido, Mojiko and Kyushu. Email us with your questions or travel ideas to info@unchartedjapan.net and check out our many videos on less know places.
Sources:
Uncharted Japan: www.unchartedjapan.net
Credits:
Soundtrack: Epidemic Sound
Maps: Google Maps
Images: Getty Images by license
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