Is Japan Really Giving Tourists Free Domestic Flights?

You've probably seen the headlines across your socials by now.
"Japan is giving away free flights to travellers this winter"
"UK and European travellers can now get free domestic flights in Japan"
"Japan offers free domestic flights for British tourists"

It sounds incredible, and it kinda is, but the real picture is more complicated than the clickbait suggests. Let's cut through the hype and look at what's actually happening from both sides of the story.

Where the Confusion Comes From (and why the Headlines Aren't Wrong)

Over the last few weeks, the same story has been popping up everywhere. Japan offering free domestic flights, especially for travellers coming from the UK and Europe. This is not TikTok hype or recycled travel rumours. Outlets like The Independent, Time Out and Euronews have all covered it, and they are pointing to real airline promotions, not speculation. So yes, there is something behind it. Where people get confused is what “free flights” actually means.

Japan is not letting tourists land and hop around the country on unlimited free flights. What is being offered is a specific airline deal where domestic flights are included when you book them the right way, and only under certain conditions. Once you understand that difference, the deal makes a lot more sense and you can decide whether it actually works for your trip or not.

The Reality: What ANA Is Actually Offering

This is where the story becomes clear. All Nippon Airways, Japan’s main airline, is running a seasonal promotion that allows some travellers to include up to two domestic flights inside Japan when they book their international flight with ANA. That is where the free flights headlines come from, but it only works if you do it properly.

If you are travelling from the UK or Europe and book your flight to Japan with ANA, you can add up to two internal flights to the same reservation without paying the base airfare for those domestic legs. You cannot add them later and you cannot book them once you land. They have to be included from the start. The booking window runs from 24 November 2025 to 31 January 2026 and it applies to economy class only.

You still pay taxes and fees on the domestic flights, so they are not completely free in the strictest sense, but the airfare itself is included. The domestic flights do not have to be flown during the booking window, and ANA’s network covers more than 40 destinations, which makes this genuinely useful if you want to get beyond the usual Tokyo and Kyoto route.

Why Japan and ANA Are Doing This

Japan is not short on tourists. It is short on tourists spreading out. Most visitors still follow the same route every time. Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, maybe Mount Fuji, then out. That puts pressure on a handful of cities while huge parts of the country barely see any tourism at all.

This promotion is a way to push people further. Into regional cities, quieter areas, and places that normally get skipped. From ANA’s point of view it fills seats. From Japan’s point of view it spreads money beyond the same crowded hotspots.

Why the Headlines Are Getting It Wrong

The headlines are not completely false, but they are missing the important part. Japan is not giving visitors unlimited free flights once they arrive, and this is not a government scheme. What is being offered is a specific airline promotion that only works when flights are booked together, in advance, and under certain conditions.