For winter 2026-27, Niigata, Komatsu and Sendai have flights from Seoul, Toyama and Niigata from Taipei, and Sendai from Hong Kong. Which ski areas each airport serves.
Flying into a regional airport can save the trip through Tokyo if you are coming from Seoul, Taipei or Hong Kong. For winter 2026-27, Niigata has Korean Air flights from Seoul Incheon and Tigerair Taiwan flights from Taipei, Komatsu has daily Seoul flights plus Taipei, Shanghai and Hong Kong routes, Sendai has Hong Kong and Taiwan flights with a new Jeju Air Seoul route from January 8, 2027, and Toyama has China Airlines flights from Taipei. From Australia, Europe or North America you will still arrive in Tokyo, Osaka or Sapporo, so this guide is mainly for travelers from East Asia.
| Airport | International routes, winter 2026-27 | Nearby ski areas | Onward connection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niigata (KIJ) | Seoul Incheon (Korean Air), Taipei Taoyuan (Tigerair Taiwan, Mon and Fri) | Yuzawa, Naeba, Myoko | Joetsu Shinkansen from Niigata Station |
| Komatsu (KMQ) | Seoul (daily), Taipei, Shanghai, Hong Kong; Kaohsiung announced | Myoko, Lotte Arai, Hakuba | Hokuriku Shinkansen from Komatsu Station |
| Toyama (TOY) | Taipei (China Airlines, Mon and Thu) | Lotte Arai, Myoko, Hakuba | Hokuriku Shinkansen from Toyama Station |
| Sendai (SDJ) | Hong Kong (HK Express, Greater Bay Airlines), Taiwan (20 flights a week), Seoul Incheon (Jeju Air from Jan 8, 2027) | Zao Onsen | Bus or train via Sendai to Yamagata |
Sources: Niigata Airport Korean Air timetable, Niigata Airport Tigerair timetable, Toyama Airport, Sendai Airport HK Express notice, Sendai Airport Jeju Air release, Sendai Airport. Komatsu's route list comes from its website as of August 2026; the site was offline for maintenance when we checked in October, so confirm the winter schedule with the airline.
Niigata has two international routes for the 2026-27 winter timetable (October 25 to March 27). Korean Air's KE2197 leaves Incheon at 08:20 and lands at 10:25; Tigerair Taiwan's IT228 leaves Taipei at 13:55 on Mondays and Fridays and lands at 18:00 (Niigata Airport). From Niigata Station the Joetsu Shinkansen runs to Echigo-Yuzawa for Gala Yuzawa and buses to Naeba.
Both airports are on the Hokuriku Shinkansen corridor. Komatsu listed Seoul (daily since March 29, 2026), Taipei, Shanghai and Hong Kong, and announced a Kaohsiung route in June 2026. Toyama is down to one international route this winter: China Airlines from Taipei twice a week. Its Seoul route is suspended, and its Shanghai and Dalian routes were suspended until late October with no confirmed restart (Toyama Airport).
From either airport, take the bus to the Shinkansen station and ride east to Joetsumyoko for Myoko and Lotte Arai. For Hakuba, the usual route is the Shinkansen to Nagano and the express bus from there; our Hakuba access guide covers the options. Neither airport is close to Hakuba by road, and a direct drive means a long day on winter mountain roads.
HK Express flies from Hong Kong five times a week from October 25, 2026, and daily from December 3 to February 25, and Greater Bay Airlines adds three flights a week from December 17 (Sendai Airport). Jeju Air starts Incheon to Sendai on January 8, 2027, three times a week, subject to government approval (Jeju Air release).
Zao Onsen is in Yamagata Prefecture, on the other side of the mountains from Sendai. The usual route is to Yamagata by bus or train, then the bus to Zao Onsen; the resort's access page has a section on arriving via Sendai Airport.
Asahikawa, the closest airport to Furano, lists no scheduled international flights for this winter (Hokkaido Airports). Aomori's site lists Korean Air and EVA Air as airlines but showed no schedule when we checked. We could not confirm Hanamaki's winter international routes for Appi.
Public transport from a regional airport usually means an airport bus, a Shinkansen and a resort bus. A car can be simpler for groups, but winter driving in Niigata, Nagano and Yamagata means snow tires, chains on some roads and short daylight. Read renting a car for a Japan ski trip first. For flights from Southeast Asia, see budget airlines from Southeast Asia to Japan.
They are smaller, with fewer flights arriving at once, so immigration and baggage claim are usually quicker. Fewer flights also means fewer rebooking options if a flight is cancelled in a snowstorm.
We did not find a Busan route at these airports for this winter. See our Busan flight guide for routes via Fukuoka and other airports.