Somewhere between typing “Tokyo” into a flight search and seeing two airport names appear, most travelers from Oregon stop and wonder which one they actually want. The airlines that cross the Pacific to Japan, Delta, American, United, ANA and Zipair Tokyo among them, each publish their own list of U.S. gateway cities, and your trip begins by choosing which of those cities to route through. After that comes the second choice, Haneda or Narita, and what the first hour on the ground looks like.
Which airlines fly from Portland to Tokyo?
The airlines with nonstop service to Tokyo are Delta, American, United, All Nippon Airways and Zipair Tokyo, and each one names the U.S. cities where its Tokyo flights begin. Portland is not on those lists, so a trip from Oregon starts by reaching one of the gateway cities and continuing across the Pacific from there. Seattle/Tacoma, for example, appears among Delta’s nonstop cities to Haneda.
The cities differ by airline and by Tokyo airport, so it helps to read the lists side by side before choosing where to change planes. The three U.S. carriers serve Haneda, while ANA and Zipair Tokyo serve Narita.
Delta, American and United to Haneda
Three U.S. airlines fly nonstop between Haneda and American cities. Los Angeles is the one gateway all three share, which makes it the most flexible name on the board if you are mixing carriers. Delta also reaches Haneda from the Pacific Northwest through Seattle/Tacoma, and from Honolulu, Atlanta, Detroit and Minneapolis/St. Paul.
American connects Haneda with Dallas/Fort Worth and New York–JFK. United adds Chicago–O’Hare, Newark, San Francisco, Washington–Dulles and Guam to its list. Picking an airline therefore also means picking the city where you will stretch your legs between flights.
| Airline | Nonstop to Haneda from |
|---|---|
| Delta Air Lines | Atlanta, Detroit, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Seattle/Tacoma |
| American Airlines | Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, New York–JFK |
| United Airlines | Chicago–O’Hare, Guam, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, Washington–Dulles |
ANA and Zipair Tokyo to Narita
All Nippon Airways flies nonstop from Narita to Chicago–O’Hare, Honolulu, Los Angeles and San Francisco. It also runs seasonal service to Vancouver, a useful detail if your routing takes you north of the border.
Zipair Tokyo covers Honolulu, Houston–Intercontinental, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Jose, California, from Narita, with charter flights to Orlando. Both airlines tie your Tokyo arrival to Narita, so decide on the airport before you settle on the carrier.
Japanese airlines for the next leg
If Tokyo is only your first stop, the domestic carriers fan out from both airports. From Narita, All Nippon Airways flies to Nagoya–Centrair, Osaka–Itami and Sapporo–Chitose, and Japan Airlines flies to Nagoya–Centrair and Osaka–Itami. Jetstar Japan and Peach cover a long list of smaller cities, among them Fukuoka, Naha, Ishigaki, Kagoshima and Nagasaki.
From Haneda, Air Do heads to Hokkaido towns such as Asahikawa, Hakodate and Kushiro. Skymark Airlines serves Fukuoka, Kobe and Naha, Solaseed Air flies to Kumamoto, Miyazaki and Nagasaki, and StarFlyer links Haneda with Fukuoka, Kitakyushu and Osaka–Kansai. Spring Japan connects Narita with Hakodate and Hiroshima.
Where do you land?
You land at one of Tokyo’s two airports, Haneda or Narita, and the airline you choose decides which. Delta, American and United arrive at Haneda, while ANA and Zipair Tokyo arrive at Narita. Beyond Tokyo, Kansai and Nagoya also take international flights.
Haneda, in the city itself
Haneda is the airport of Tokyo city, and it is now possible to arrive directly in the heart of Tokyo from international destinations. For a traveler coming across the Pacific, that means a single flight can drop you at the edge of the city you came to see.
The three U.S. airlines above all use it, and the domestic network from Haneda runs to Sapporo, Fukuoka, Naha, Kagoshima and Kobe, among others. If your trip combines Tokyo with another Japanese city, the same airport can start the second leg.
Narita, the second Tokyo airport
Narita is one of the two airports serving Tokyo and handles both international and domestic flights. It sits in Chiba Prefecture, 1 hour by express train from Tokyo, so the ride into the city is part of your first day.
It serves most major international destinations as well as many Japanese airports. For Americans, that means the nonstop flights of ANA and Zipair Tokyo, plus a wide choice of onward domestic flights on the same day.
Kansai and Nagoya, if Tokyo is not the whole plan
Kansai International Airport makes it possible to visit Japan without going through Tokyo. It is the gateway to western Japan, serving Kyoto, Osaka, Nara and Wakayama. By train, Kansai is about 50 minutes from Shin-Osaka station, and Kyoto Station is 1 hour 15 minutes away.
Nagoya’s Central Japan International Airport, known as Centrair, is the hub for flights to and from cities in Asia and Japan. Both airports also appear in the domestic lists above, so you can enter at one of them and fly on to Tokyo later, or the other way around.
What do you need for the trip?
What you need is a plan for the hour after landing: which airport, which terminal, and which of the trains, monorails, buses or taxis takes you to your hotel. Each airport has its own setup, and knowing it ahead saves wandering around a terminal after a long flight.
Arriving at Narita
Three rail lines serve Narita International Airport: the Narita Sky Access line, the Keisei line and the JR line. They give you three different routes into Tokyo, so the station you reach at the other end depends on which one you board.
Walking distances from the stations to the terminals are short and written out below. Terminal 1 uses Narita Airport Station, while Terminals 2 and 3 share the Terminal 2・3 Station.
| Terminal | Station | Walk |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal 1 | Narita Airport Station | 5 minutes |
| Terminal 2 | Narita Airport Terminal 2・3 Station | 5 minutes |
| Terminal 3 | Narita Airport Terminal 2・3 Station | 10 minutes |
Arriving at Haneda
From the Haneda passenger terminal, you can search for routes, departure and arrival times, and fares for trains, monorails and buses to your destination. The airport provides this search so you can compare the options against your hotel’s location before you pick a platform.
Taxis work through two kinds of stands, general stands and stands for app-dispatched or reserved taxis. If you have arranged a taxi through an app or by phone, you must use the dedicated stand for reserved taxis. Drivers meeting someone can also reserve spaces in advance in parking lots P2 through P5, with details on each lot’s reservation page.
Going on to Kyoto and Osaka
If Kyoto and Osaka are your real destinations, flying into Kansai puts you in the region without a stop in Tokyo. From there, the trains named above carry you to Shin-Osaka and Kyoto Station.
If you land in Tokyo first, domestic flights tie in at both airports. StarFlyer flies from Haneda to Osaka–Kansai, and Jetstar Japan and Peach do the same from Narita. Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways link Narita with Osaka–Itami.
Good to know before you go
The U.S. State Department rates Japan Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions.
Japan prices everything in yen, so it is worth carrying some in your wallet before you leave the arrivals hall. Rail cards such as Suica and Pasmo are part of daily life in Tokyo, and you will see their names on ticket machines and station gates from your first day. Tokyo’s airports give you plenty of choices for the ride into town, and a little time reading the options in the terminal is rarely wasted.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Haneda Airport, airlines and destinations (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_International_Airport#Airlines_and_destinations), checked October 11, 2026
- Wikipedia, Narita International Airport, airlines and destinations (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narita_International_Airport#Airlines_and_destinations), checked October 11, 2026
- U.S. Department of State, Japan travel advisory (https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/japan-travel-advisory.html)
- Japan National Tourism Organization, how to reach the city from each international airport (https://www.japan.travel/en/plan/airport-access/), checked October 11, 2026
- Japan National Tourism Organization, how to get to Japan, airports, airlines (https://www.japan.travel/en/plan/getting-to-japan/), checked October 11, 2026
- Narita International Airport, Access by rail (https://www.narita-airport.jp/en/access/train/), checked October 11, 2026
- Haneda Airport Passenger Terminal, Access (https://tokyo-haneda.com/en/access/index.html), checked October 11, 2026
To plan your stay
- Best Time to Visit Japan: Cherry Blossoms, Autumn Colors, Weather and Festivals
- Things to Do in Japan: Kyoto Temples, Onsen, Street Food and Day Trips
- Where to Stay in Japan: Ryokan, Temple Stays, Capsule Hotels and the Best Cities to Base In
- Know Before You Go to Japan: Entry, Money, Etiquette and Getting Around