Corporate Trip to Japan from Los Angeles: Flights & Plan

Can you fly nonstop from Los Angeles to Japan?

Yes. Los Angeles (LAX) has nonstop flights to both Tokyo airports, Haneda and Narita, and to Osaka Kansai, with a flight time of about 11 to 12 hours. That makes a corporate trip to Japan from Los Angeles the easiest to route of any US departure city: six airlines fly to Tokyo, and ANA alone lists three daily flights.

For a planner, this choice changes three things:

Seats: with six carriers on the Tokyo route, a group of 40 or 150 has more than one place to ask for a group fare
Arrival airport: you can choose Haneda for a short transfer, or Narita when that is where the seats are
Routing: you can land in Tokyo and fly home from Osaka, so nobody travels back across Japan on the last day

US passport holders need no visa for a short business stay of up to 90 days. The passport must be valid for the whole stay. Colleagues who travel on other passports should check Japan's visa exemption list before you confirm names.

LAX to Tokyo and Osaka: the flights in detail

To Tokyo (Haneda, HND, and Narita, NRT): ANA lists three daily flights. Japan Airlines, United, Delta, American and ZIPAIR also fly the route
To Osaka Kansai (KIX): Japan Airlines flies daily. United has announced a daily Los Angeles-Osaka flight from March 27, 2027
Flight time: about 11 to 12 hours on the way out, and about 9 to 10 hours on the way back
Dates: you cross the International Date Line. Leave Los Angeles on Monday and you land on Tuesday afternoon. The return lands in California on the same calendar day it left Japan

Schedules checked in November 2026 against airline timetables and announcements. Airlines adjust routes every season, so confirm with the carrier before you build a programme around a flight.

On the ground, Haneda is 20 to 30 minutes from central Tokyo and Narita about an hour. Kansai airport is about 50 minutes from central Osaka and about 75 to 80 minutes from Kyoto Station by the Haruka express. If the programme is based in Kyoto or Osaka only, the Kansai nonstop saves the group a domestic transfer from Tokyo.

The open-jaw idea: arrive in Tokyo, leave from Osaka

An open-jaw ticket means flying into one airport and home from another. From Los Angeles it fits the classic Tokyo and Kyoto programme: the group moves west once by bullet train and never doubles back. Ask the airline's group desk to price it as one ticket. It is simplest when the same carrier flies both legs, which from LAX is Japan Airlines today and United from March 27, 2027.

A seven-night sample:

Monday: depart LAX
Tuesday: afternoon arrival in Tokyo, transfer, light dinner near the hotel
Wednesday: morning walk, first working session after lunch, dinner out
Thursday: morning plenary, afternoon team activity, free evening
Friday: bullet train to Kyoto in about 2 h 15, temple or garden visit, group dinner
Saturday and Sunday: Kyoto, with a half-day session, cultural workshops and one free afternoon
Monday: short train ride to Osaka, street-food evening and closing dinner
Tuesday: transfer to Kansai airport, flight home, landing in Los Angeles the same day

That is three nights in Tokyo, three in Kyoto and one in Osaka.

Sixteen or seventeen hours ahead: shaping the agenda

Japan is 16 hours ahead of Los Angeles in summer and 17 in winter, because Japan does not use daylight saving time. In practice the clock is easier to read than the number suggests: 6 pm in Los Angeles is 10 am the next day in Tokyo in summer, and 11 am in winter.

What that means for the agenda:

First two days: people wake very early and fade in the late afternoon. Put walks, visits and breakfast meetings in the morning and keep dinners short
Working sessions: schedule the content that needs the sharpest thinking from the third day on site, in the morning
Calls home: a late-morning slot in Japan reaches the Los Angeles office at the end of its previous business day. Protect one fixed slot rather than letting calls spread through the week
Evenings: a gala dinner works best on the last or second-to-last night, when the group has adjusted

The return is the kinder direction on the clock. The flight is shorter, and the group lands on the same calendar day it left. Allow a day before anyone presents to a client.

What Los Angeles companies come to Japan for

Los Angeles is home to film and television studios, game publishers, aerospace manufacturers and consumer brands. Their reasons for coming to Japan differ, and so does the right format. The programmes below are published on this site, with prices per person, excluding international flights.

Entertainment and gaming: teams come for Japan's animation, video game and pop-culture industries. A video-game themed incentive runs from Tokyo to Osaka by way of Kyoto, which fits the open-jaw ticket
Aerospace and manufacturing: the Nagoya industry study tour is built for managers, engineers and operations leaders, with 15 to 80 participants, from €2,100
Consumer brands: a product launch in Tokyo for 100 to 600 guests starts from €2,600. A roadshow through several cities starts from €3,400 per team member, for a team of 5 to 30
Sales rewards and President's Club: the four-day Tokyo and Kyoto incentive starts from €3,400 for 30 to 150 guests. The luxury Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka programme starts from €7,900 for 10 to 40 guests, arriving in Tokyo and leaving from Kansai

Prices are quoted in yen locally. The figures on the site are in euros. Company and factory visits depend on the host and are confirmed case by case.

Booking timeline and group flight tips

Lead times we recommend:

12 months or more: groups of 100 or more, and any date in cherry blossom season (late March to early April) or in November
6 to 9 months: groups of 30 to 100
3 to 6 months: fewer than 30 people outside the peak weeks

For the flights:

Group desk: airlines usually handle group bookings from 10 passengers travelling together. Ask early, and ask more than one carrier, which Los Angeles allows
One flight or two: a large group can be split across two departures on the same day. Tell your DMC, so that a coach meets each arrival
Entry forms: customs and immigration forms can be pre-filled online on Visit Japan Web before departure
Weeks to avoid: Golden Week (April 29 to May 5), Obon in mid-August and the New Year period

A DMC does not sell the international flights. Based in Tokyo since 2005, the SHINOGI DMC team designs the programme, books the suppliers and runs it on site, for groups from 8 to 1,500 participants. A first proposal reaches you within 48 business hours.

Frequently asked questions

How long is the flight from Los Angeles to Tokyo?

About 11 to 12 hours nonstop on the way out, and about 9 to 10 hours on the way back. You cross the International Date Line, so a Monday departure lands on Tuesday afternoon.

Is there a nonstop flight from Los Angeles to Osaka?

Yes. Japan Airlines flies daily from LAX to Osaka Kansai (KIX), and United has announced a daily flight from March 27, 2027. Schedules were checked in November 2026 and change every season.

Can a group fly into Tokyo and home from Osaka?

Yes, on an open-jaw ticket. Ask the airline's group desk to price it as one ticket; it is simplest when the same carrier flies both legs. The group then travels from Tokyo to Kyoto by bullet train in about 2 h 15 and leaves from Kansai airport.

What is the time difference between Los Angeles and Japan?

Japan is 16 hours ahead in summer and 17 in winter. Japan does not use daylight saving time. 6 pm in Los Angeles is 10 or 11 am the next day in Tokyo.

How many nights should a group from Los Angeles plan?

At least five nights on the ground. Plan six or seven nights to combine Tokyo and Kyoto, and seven if you add a last night in Osaka before the flight home from Kansai.