South Korean airlines restart flights to Japan's regional airports

South Korea's airlines are resuming service to regional airports in Japan, tapping demand from leisure travelers taking advantage of the weak yen to enjoy affordable golf and hot spring vacations. Korean Air Lines will resume service from Seoul to Kagoshima, Okayama and Niigata on Oct. 29, with three round trips each per week. Flights to larger cities like Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka and Nagoya also will be increased. Asiana Airlines resumed service between Seoul and Miyazaki on the island of Kyushu in September with three round trips weekly. The carrier will increase flights to Sendai in northern Japan starting Oct. 29. Low-cost carriers (LCC) also are boosting service to Japanese regional airports. Jeju Air has service connecting Seoul with Hiroshima, Shizuoka and hot spring hot spots Oita and Matsuyama, while T'way Air is flying to the Kyushu island city of Kumamoto and Jin Air has resumed service to Kitakyushu. Asiana LCC subsidiary Air Seoul plans to restart service Oct. 25 linking Seoul and Yonago, a city on the Sea of Japan coast, after increasing flights on its Seoul-Takamatsu route earlier this year. In 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic, 25 airports in Japan offered regular service to South Korea's Incheon International Airport. In addition to inbound South Korean tourists, demand came from Japanese tourists traveling to Western countries via Incheon. Venturing into rural areas during a visit to Japan has recently become popular among South Korean travelers, particularly among those who have visited major cities like Tokyo and Osaka multiple times.<br/>