A Guide To Tokyo Narita International Airport

If you are taking flights into Tokyo from abroad, you will almost certainly land at Tokyo Narita International Airport. Only if your flights are within Japan will you see the Tokyo International Airport, known locally as the Haneda Airport. Although Tokyo Narita can be difficult for first time travel, with a bit of preparation, understanding where you need to go is easy.

Terminal 1

This terminal has a North Wing, a Central Building, a South Wing, and five satellites, organized by number. The five satellites are located around the central terminal area and hold all the gates within Terminal 1. Satellite 1 has gates 11-18, 2 has gates 21-25, 3 has 26-38, 4 has gates 41-47, and 5 has gates 51-58.

Terminal 1 has six floors in total: a basement with rail connections, the first floor which has the main baggage claim as well as customs for international passengers. The second floor has a number of amenities such as showers, money exchanges, and a post office, as well as immigration services. The third floor is where all of the gates are. Connecting flights will take off from here, and travelers arriving in Terminal 1 will arrive on the third floor. The fourth floor is dedicated to check in and shops/restaurants. The fifth floor is largely cosmetic, with an observation deck and a smoking area.

Terminal 2

Terminal 2 has a satellite, but this satellite is disjoint from the main terminal. Both are linear and connected by a shuttle system. This terminal is mostly dominated by Japan Airlines, although some airlines that commonly transfer to Japan Airlines are now moving to this terminal to ease connections. This terminal is organized fairly well, with check-in, departures, and immigration all on the second floor. Baggage and customs are easily accessible on the first floor. There are restaurants and other comforts throughout.

Getting There

Tokyo Narita can be incredibly confusing. Luckily, the airport is well designed for international travel. Signs are generally posted in Japanese and English at least, and many signs are in more languages than that. As a business traveler landing permanently in Tokyo, you are unlikely to experience the pressure of switching between terminals for a connection. You have the ability to follow signs leading either to a train into the city, or toward the other transit facilities. Be aware that getting from Tokyo Narita into downtown Tokyo is not a fast process -- at best, you're looking at an hour of pure travel time, not including clearing immigration and customs.