Tokyo's Haneda airport tops 90 million users for 1st time in 2025
Ideas
Some of the ideas here might be related to personal experience and some might just be related to ideas about what is happening with Haneda these days.
As I lived and worked in South Korea, I would often travel to Japan, two or three times a year and, when Haneda became more prominent than Narita, Haneda into Japan became my main point of entry since about 2008 onward.
As the increase in the number of foreign tourists at Haneda and terminal three or what before was called the international terminal there number have increased significantly.
For example, in the fall of 2019 I traveled to Japan to Haneda there times and two which were during the 2019 Rugby World Cup, which I wasn't a part of going there and that was a major period of celebration in Japan and everything seemed so alive at that time.
Haneda, going through immigration was full of foreigners and most of course were talking in their native language such at that time, the group I seemed to be with in waiting were from France as it seemed many airlines all came in at about the same time., which seems to be quite common for or maybe for busy airports its just a normal part of business.
Of course who could have known less than 6 month later the world would be turned upside down with the COVID pandemic.
And then, the unthinkable happened Japan basically closed itself off from the rest of the world and I wasn't able to get back to Japan and Haneda until the winter/spring of 2023 after of course I was able to shoe Japan that I had the required three COVID booster shots.
Before terminal three or the international terminal was built I don't remember ever landing at terminal one, which is related to Japan Airlines or terminal two which is related to All Nippon Airlines or ANA.
Before 2008, I think if I remember correctly, I always landed at Narita international airport and had to take the limousine shuttle but into Yokohama which took about 90 minutes, which from Haneda after Japan and South Korean finalized their shuttle agreement from Seoul Gimpo to Tokyo Haneda the trip to Yokohama from Haneda now only took about 20 minutes.
At that time there still were not a lot of foreign airlines actually using Haneda as most continued to use Narita airports. But around 2010 or 2014 or maybe just a little earlier many airlines were attempting to land at Haneda and because Japan was awarded the 2020 Summer Olympics, many foreign airlines were now competing to arrive at Haneda instead of Narita.
At that time, or around that time, the Japanese government decided to increase the number of countries for visa free travel to Japan as a way to increase foreign tourists into Japan and of course due to Japan being awarded the 2020 Summer Olympics making it much easier for foreigners to travel to Japan.
Japan is still very much a county that uses face to face business meetings for much of its business as meeting with prospective business partners is still a major situation despite the wide spread use of Zoom these days.
And airline travel to other parts of Japan is still very important and the two major airlines, JAL and ANA benefit significantly from business travel both domestically and internationally too.
Chinese tourists coming to Japan was always very robust, but as usual, due to Japan taking one step forward and ten steps back related to things said or done, as usual Chinese tourist, which used to be the largest tourism group going to Japan has significantly decreased and as now its the Chinese New Year period the numbers going to Japan are way down from last year or even the year before.
And yes foreign tourists from Hong Kong and Taiwan continue to go to Japan and with the Chinese New Year, now in full progress the numbers might be increasing as they, for whatever reason, don't exactly follow what Beijing says these days.
But while tourists from China might be way down those from South Korea seem to be way up as though, there are always historical and diplomatic friction, South Korean tourists seem dot be increasingly going go to Japan the last few years.
And as Japan is losing out on Chinese tourists going to their country South Korea seems to be getting more and more Chinese tourists the last few years.
Haneda international airport is in the central part of Tokyo and there just isn't much room for expansion and even maybe a new runaway it just isn't possible. As it seems Haneda might be at its maximum at this time, but maybe they can learn from Chicago or Heathrow in London how to squeeze a few more flights into an already overcrowded arrival situation.
And it seems, maybe many airports are the same, there are not a lot of international flights departing or leaving after 12 midnight as it seems everything seems to shut down at Haneda after 12. There are more flights being added from 12 to 6 am but there aren't a lot of shops open and transportation is very limited at Haneda from from 12 to 6 as maybe some tourists might have to wait until after 6 or later to get a shuttle bus or even a taxi into other parts of Tokyo.
While Narita airport in Chiba might be expanding, for most foreign travelers in and out of the Tokyo area just getting to Tokyo from Narita by the shuttle limousine bus service, due to traffic concerns could take up to an hour
Haneda is much more convenient and less expensive if you are lucky enough to get a flight to Haneda and not Narita.
That's not to say Narita is not a good airport, as it is very good but its just a little out of the way compared to Haneda and once you experience Haneda in central Tokyo and get to your hotel destination somewhere in Tokyo there is no comparison which is the better alternative.
Have a nice day!
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