Cards for Japan

The best credit cards for a trip to Japan.

Japan is a Membership-Rewards market — ANA business class, Priority Pass at Narita and Haneda, and Park Hyatt Tokyo via Chase transfers.

Reviewed by destination.com editorial·Updated August 3, 2026·How we rate cards

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Japan travel favors the Membership Rewards ecosystem in a way few destinations do. ANA is one of the best transfer partners in points and miles — its round-the-world chart is unmatched, and business class from the U.S. West Coast books at 75,000 miles round-trip. Priority Pass has strong coverage at Narita and Haneda, and Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers to World of Hyatt unlock Park Hyatt Tokyo at 30,000 points a night versus $700+ cash.

No card is perfect for every trip to Japan, but the three below cover the main plays: earn on food and travel spend, get into lounges on the long flights, and stack Hyatt points for the property most people actually want to stay at.

Regional context: Japan is Star Alliance (ANA) and oneworld (Japan Airlines). Both alliances have strong transfer partners across the major U.S. issuers.

The three cards we'd take to Japan

Best for Japan

American Express Gold Card

MR → ANA at 1:1 · 4x on dining in Tokyo

Fee

$325/yr

Membership Rewards transfer 1:1 to ANA Mileage Club, one of the best long-haul business class programs on the planet. 4x on dining also earns aggressively on the trip itself.

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Pick #2

The Platinum Card from American Express

Priority Pass at all three major hubs · FHR at Tokyo luxury

Fee

$895/yr

Priority Pass at HND, NRT, and KIX is strong. FHR benefits at Aman Tokyo, Park Hyatt, and Mandarin Oriental Tokyo add real luxury value.

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Pick #3

Chase Sapphire Preferred

UR → Hyatt for Park Hyatt Tokyo at 30k/night

Fee

$95/yr

Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer to World of Hyatt at 1:1. Park Hyatt Tokyo at 30,000 points/night — a $700 room for $600 worth of transferable points.

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Sweet spots we'd target

ANA business class round-trip USA ↔ Japan: 75,000–90,000 miles (transferable from Amex MR)
Park Hyatt Tokyo: 30,000 World of Hyatt points/night (transferable from Chase UR)
Japan Airlines first class: 70,000 Alaska Mileage Plan miles one-way
Aman Tokyo via Amex FHR: room upgrades + $100 property credit

Tips for maximizing points in Japan

ANA award space to Japan opens 355 days out and books quickly — check availability before transferring points.
Japan Airlines partners with American AAdvantage (via oneworld) — book with AA miles or via Etihad transfer from Amex MR.
Japan is a cash economy for smaller purchases — foreign-fee-free card matters most at hotels and department stores.