Helpful Info for Travelers from Japan

Flights

If you’re planning to attend the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo (from July 24th to August 9th) and interested in Chinese culture, you should consider taking a side trip to China after the games conclude. There are many direct flights between Tokyo and Shanghai or Beijing and take only 3-4 hours. Once there, travelers have abundant, easy options for travel further into the country, from affordable domestic flights to super-fast bullet trains.

Here are the flight times from several Japanese cities to various destinations in China.

Departure City Arrival City Flying time
Tokyo Beijing 3hrs 10mins
Shanghai 3hrs 15mins
Chengdu 5hrs
Hangzhou 3hrs 45mins
Shenzhen / Guangzhou 5hrs 20mins
Harbin 2hrs 55mins
Fuzhou 3hrs 25mins
Xiamen 4hrs 20mins
Qingdao 3hrs 35mins
Dalian 2hrs 50mins
Chongqing 5hrs 15mins
Wuhan 4hrs 5mins
Changsha 4hrs 15mins
Ningbo 3hrs 30mins
Osaka Beijing 3hrs 20mins
Shanghai 2hrs 35mins
Chengdu 4hrs 25mins
Hangzhou 2hrs 30mins
Shenzhen / Guangzhou 4hrs
Tianjin 3hrs 10mins
Xi’an 4hrs 15mins
Nanjing 2hrs 45mins
Jinan / Dalian 2hrs 45mins
Fuzhou / Hefei 3hrs 5mins
Qingdao 2hrs 30mins
Ningbo 2hrs 55mins
Changsha 4hrs 20mins
Zhengzhou 3hrs 35mins
Wuhan 3hrs 50mins
Nagoya Beijing 3hrs 35mins
Shanghai 2hrs 35mins
Tianjin 2hrs 55mins
Guangzhou / Shenzhen 4hrs 10mins
Harbin / Qingdao 3hrs
Dalian 2hrs 20mins
Nanjing 3hrs 10mins
Shenyang / Yantai 2hrs 50mins
Xi’an 4hrs 40mins
Changchun 3hrs 30mins
Fukuoka Shanghai 1hr 45mins
Dalian 2hrs
Qingdao 2hrs 20mins
Yantai 2hrs 50mins
Sapporo Hangzhou / Shanghai / Nanjing 4hrs
Beijing 4hrs 15mins

* The information above is for reference only. The actual flight time is based on the specific flight schedule on the travel date.

Infographic: The flight times from Tokyo to various destinations in China

Flights from Japan to China

TIP: How to get a good deal on international flights?

There are frequent good deals on flights between Japan and China even if you book only one or two months prior to departure. Winter tends to offer better deals than during the rest of the year, but by checking the following sites frequently during spring, you can still find great deals for summer travel: Expedia, SkyScanner, and Kayak.

Our most recommended online flight booking websites are: Expedia, SkyScanner, and Kayak.

China Visa

Japanese passport holders don’t need a Visa for stays of less than 15 days. Other international travelers will need to apply for a Chinese L type visa prior to arrival. The duration of each L visa is 30 days and one should budget around 10-14 days for processing and mailing time (4 working days for processing and an additional several days for mailing).

There are 6 Chinese consulates in Japan: Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Sapporo, Nagasaki, and Nigata.

For more information on other, shorter duration visas, click here: 144-hour and 72-hour visa-free transit.

Sample Costs for Traveling in China

Meal for 1 person – inexpensive restaurant Meal for 2 people - mid-range restaurant McDonalds (per person) Domestic Beer (500ml) Bottled water (550ml)
200-600JPY
(2-6USD)
1500-4000JPY
(15-40USD)
500-800JPY
(5-8 USD)
200-300JPY
(2-3 USD)
50-200JPY (0.5-2 USD)
Milk (250ml) Banana (per kilo) Apple (per kilo) Flag-Down fare for taxis
100-200JPY
(1-2 USD)
100-200JPY
(1-2 USD)
200-500JPY
(2-5 USD)
200-300JPY
(2-3USD)