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Lufthansa Group is boosting its Japan network for 2027, bringing back its Frankfurt-Nagoya route and adding a daily service between Frankfurt and Tokyo-Narita in response to a “strong increase in demand”.
The group’s airlines – including Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, SWISS and ITA Airways – will offer up to 50 flights per week next summer to four Japanese airports: Tokyo-Haneda, Tokyo-Narita, Osaka and Nagoya.
The expansion follows a record year in 2025 for international arrivals in Japan, with the country welcoming 42.7 million overseas visitors, up 15.8% on 2024, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO).
Visitor arrivals from several European markets have continued to grow in 2026. Japan recorded 27.6 million international visitor arrivals between January and August, down 2.7% compared with the same period in 2025.
However, arrivals from Germany rose 5.6% to 281,500, while arrivals from the UK increased 5.8% to 364,800. France, Italy and Spain also recorded growth.
Frankfurt-Nagoya flights return in March
Lufthansa’s seasonal Frankfurt-Nagoya service will resume on 29 March 2027, operating three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Outbound flights will leave Frankfurt at 2:10 pm and arrive in Nagoya at 9:35 am the following morning. Return services will depart Nagoya at 11:30 am and land in Frankfurt at 6:30 pm. All times are local.
Nagoya, in Aichi Prefecture, is one of Japan’s major industrial centres, with strong links to the automotive sector. For holidaymakers, the city also offers samurai history and a gateway to destinations including Kyoto.
Passengers travelling from Nagoya will be able to connect through Frankfurt to destinations across Europe and South America.
Daily service to Tokyo-Narita
A daily seasonal service between Frankfurt and Tokyo-Narita will begin on 28 March 2027, complementing Lufthansa’s existing daily flights to Tokyo-Haneda from Frankfurt and Munich.
The new Narita service will depart Frankfurt at 1:45 pm, arriving at 9:30 am the next day. Return flights will leave Narita at 11:20 am and reach Frankfurt at 6:40 pm.
Both the Nagoya and Narita routes will use Boeing 787-9 aircraft equipped with Lufthansa’s Allegris cabins, offering 28 business class seats, 28 premium economy seats and 231 economy seats.
“Japan is a key market for the Lufthansa Group, and we are pleased to further strengthen our presence with additional capacity and the resumption of flights to Nagoya,” says Dieter Vranckx, the group’s chief commercial officer.
“Together with our expanded Tokyo services, these investments provide our customers with more travel options and support the continued diversification of our intercontinental network.”
SWISS will also increase its Japan services, offering up to seven weekly flights between Zurich and Tokyo-Narita during summer 2027.