Milan does December in shades of fog. Fifteen hours later you could be under the neon in Shinjuku with a bowl of ramen that costs less than a coffee and a cornetto. Air China flies Milan to Tokyo or Osaka, one stop, from €524 return.
✈️ The deal
- From: Milan, Italy
- To: Tokyo or Osaka, Japan
- Airline: Air China
- Stops: 1 stop
- Price: €524–€599 return
- When: November 2026 to January 2027
Example dates:
Milan to Tokyo:
04/11/2026 – 19/11/2026
01/12/2026 – 16/12/2026
08/12/2026 – 16/12/2026
06/01/2027 – 21/01/2027
Check Tokyo availability here →
Milan to Osaka:
08/12/2026 – 18/12/2026
06/01/2027 – 20/01/2027
13/01/2027 – 26/01/2027
15/01/2027 – 26/01/2027
Check Osaka availability here →
Check dates on Kiwi
💰 How far does your money go?
Japan is cheaper than you have been told. A serious bowl of ramen is €6. A full meal from a konbini, and they are genuinely good, is €4.50. A can of Asahi from the same fridge is under €2. Conveyor-belt sushi runs about €12 for a proper sit-down. A yakiniku dinner with a beer comes to roughly €20, less than a Saturday aperitivo in Brera.
☀️ The weather
Japanese winter is cold and bright. Tokyo in November sits at 16°C by day, dropping to 13°C late in the month, with clear skies and almost no rain. December brings highs of 12°C and nights near 4°C. January is the coldest, 10°C in the afternoon and close to 0°C at dawn. Osaka runs a degree or two milder. Pack a proper coat and expect sun.
🏨 Where to stay
Tokyo for the scale and the neon, Osaka for the food and the shorter walks.
Hotel Gracery Shinjuku — 8.3/10 · From €110/night Right on Kabukicho with a Godzilla head on the terrace, two minutes from Shinjuku station.
Cross Hotel Osaka — 8.6/10 · From €130/night On Dotonbori's doorstep, so the neon and the street food are downstairs.
Conrad Osaka — 9.2/10 · From €370/night Floors 33 to 40 of a tower, bay views and one of the best hotel breakfasts in Japan.
🎯 What to do
A country that runs on trains and does everything properly.
Senso-ji and Asakusa, Tokyo: The city's oldest temple, a lantern-lined market street and the best people-watching in Tokyo. Go early or after dark.
Shinjuku after dark: The tiny bars of Golden Gai and the yakitori under the tracks at Omoide Yokocho. This is the Tokyo you came for.
Dotonbori, Osaka: Neon, canal and street food, takoyaki, okonomiyaki, kushikatsu, until very late. Osaka's living room.
teamLab digital art museum, Tokyo: Room after room of immersive light installations. Book a slot before you fly, it sells out.
🗺️ Where to go from here
Tokyo and Osaka are both hubs, not final stops.
Kyoto: The old capital, temples and geisha districts. 15 minutes from Osaka, 2 hours 15 from Tokyo by shinkansen.
Nara: Bowing deer, a giant bronze Buddha and one big park. 45 minutes from Osaka.
Hakone: Hot springs and Mount Fuji views across a lake. 85 minutes from Tokyo.
Hiroshima and Miyajima: The Peace Park and the floating torii gate. 90 minutes from Osaka by shinkansen.
Nikko: Ornate shrines in cedar forest and mountain onsen. 2 hours from Tokyo.
Flights to Japan from Milan under €600 do not hang around. Pick Tokyo or Osaka and book the fortnight.
Get every flight deal we find, on your favourite app.
Pick how you want to hear from us — or all three. Free, no spam.
