From northern to eastern Japan, a vast region unfolds with many different landscapes.
Hokkaido is known for its snow and expansive natural scenery.
Tohoku is surrounded by mountains and sea, and its landscapes change with the seasons.
Kanto is home to Tokyo and many other cities.
Koshinetsu offers high mountains, lakes and abundant natural scenery.
What kinds of airports can be found across this region?
Using data from Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, we mapped passenger traffic at airports in Hokkaido, Tohoku, Kanto and Koshinetsu.
Why not explore the map and travel through the airports of northern and eastern Japan?
North and East Japan Airport Passenger Map (2019, 2021 & 2024)
Select an airport on the map to view its international, domestic and total passenger traffic, along with its 2024 recovery rate compared with 2019.
Choose “North & East Japan” with the region buttons to see the airports in this part of the country. You can also search by airport name.
Look for airports near cities you know or places you would like to visit.
Around 165 Million Passenger Movements in 2024
Airports in North and East Japan recorded 164,841,430 passenger movements in 2024, accounting for more than half of Japan’s nationwide total.
This is not a count of unique individuals. It is an annual total of arriving and departing passengers, so a round trip is counted twice and frequent travelers are counted each time they use an airport.
Zoom in on the map and compare individual airports as well as the regional total.
What I Noticed While Creating the Map
What struck me was how much airport size and location vary even within North and East Japan.
Some airports near major cities handle large flows of passengers, while smaller airports support regional travel.
The surroundings also differ greatly, from broad plains and mountain ranges to coastlines and large cities. The scenery seen from the plane on the way to a destination may become part of the journey itself.
As you explore, look beyond passenger numbers to each airport’s location and the transport links around it.
When you find an airport that interests you, compare how its passenger traffic changed in 2019, 2021 and 2024.
Why not use the map to discover the airports of North and East Japan?
Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Airport Management Status Reports (2019, 2021 and 2024)
* Figures cover the calendar years 2019, 2021 and 2024 (January–December).
* Passenger traffic is the total number of arriving and departing passengers.
* For airports shared with the Japan Self-Defense Forces, only civil aviation traffic is included.
* The recovery rate is calculated by dividing 2024 passenger traffic by 2019 passenger traffic.