Getting There

Air

Finding airlines that fly to Japan should be no problem at all, no matter where you are in the world.  Many of the major airlines have daily flights to Japan.  Narita Airport, near Tokyo, and Kansai Airport, near Osaka, are Japan’s main hubs.  These airports have the most departing and arriving flights in Japan.  The other international airports on the main island of Honshu are Nagoya, Niigata, Osaka and Tokyo; on Kyushu are Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Kumamoto and Nagasaki; on Okinawa is Naha; and on Hokkaido is Sapporo.

By Sea

Korea

Busan-Shimonoseki
There is an easy and inexpensive route from South Korea to Japan and that is by the Busan-Shimonoseki ferry.  Busan is located about 200 kilometers north of Kyushu and Shimonoseki is on the western edge of Honshu.  This ferry service is available daily departing Busan at 6 pm and arriving at Shimonoseki at 8:30 am the next morning.

Busan-Fukuoka
Getting to Fukuoka from Busan you encounter the choice whether to take the ultra fast hydrofoil service or a normal ferry.  Both are available daily from the Busan port.

The JK Line Hydrofoil is an ultra fast hydrofoil service that takes you from Busan to Fukuoka in only three hours.  This service costs around $120 USD single or around $220 USD roundtrip.

The Camellia-line ferry service will take you from Busan to Fukuoka in about 15 hours.   It will cost approximately $85 USD single or around $120 USD roundtrip.

China

Shanghai-Osaka/Kobe
The Japan-China International Ferry Company and the Shanghai Ferry Company have a weekly ferry service that takes you from Shanghai to Osaka.  The travel time is approximately 48 hours and the departing port is at Osaka however the Japan-China International Ferry Company alternates departing between Osaka and Kobe.  Check with shipping offices or port offices for accurate information and dates.  Single trip tickets cost approximately between $180 USD to $455 USD.

Tanggu-Kobe
There is also the China Express Line ferry leaving Tanggu, near Tianjin, to Kobe.  Buy tickets at the Tianjin shipping office and check the departure dates and times.  This service takes approximately 48 hours and single trip tickets start around $180 USD.  The returning Kobe to Tanggu ferry usually leaves Kobe at 12 pm noon on Thursdays.

Taiwan
From Keelung/Kaosiung to Okinawa ferry service will take close to 20 hours and has only limited departure times.  The departure port alternates between Keelung and Kaohsiung, Taiwan.  Check with shipping offices or port offices for accurate information.  This ferry service usually departs Taiwan weekly on Mondays and departs weekly from Okinawa on Thursdays.  This service usually stops at the Ishigaki and Miyako islands of Okinawa as well.

Russia

Vladivostok-Fushiki
Operating only from July until the beginning of October is the twice-monthly Toyo Kyodo Kaiun ferry that departs the Russian port city of Vladivostok and arrives at Fushiki, near Toyama on the Japan Sea Coast.  Single trip tickets costs approximately between $230 USD to $407 USD and should take around 40 hours.

Korsakov-Wakkanai
Operating only from mid July until the end of September is the East Japan Sea Ferry Company service that departs the Russian port of Korsakov and arrives at Wakkanai, the northern tip of Hokkaido.  Single trip tickets cost approximately between $180 USD to $273 USD and should take around 8 hours.