Narita Airport, Tokyo

Is there anything to do in Narita Airport? Will be transiting there for an hour.

Narita is great! You can eat very well -- some ramen maybe? Or take a shower. Or do some window shopping for electronics.

I always travel with kids, so I love the Sony play areas with free play stations.

I wish all airports are like Narita.

Narita is HUGE as well, 1 hour will fly and you may very well find yourself running to your gate!!

#2, Narita is quite possibly the smallest airport I've ever been in. Which Narita are you talking about?

#1 and #2 must be visiting a different Narita to the one I go through. Badly laid out, boring, and ridiculously far from the city, Narita is one of my least favourite Asian airports.

It does rate above Delhi and Mumbai airports, but that's not saying much.

Hong Kong, Singapore, Incheon and Kuala Lumpur are all far and away nicer airports to have stopovers in.

I am very glad not all airports are like Narita...

An hour is quite possibly just enough time to walk from your point of arrival to your point of departure, visit the bathroom and perhaps buy a drink. It isn't much time as you might have to go through security again. In fact, I think I always have to go through security again in Narita when transiting.

Just in case you have more time, check out the Narita Layover page.

It is not an interesting airport. Shopping isn't great. Food is expensive. It is, however, clean and modern which is more than can be said of the Manila airport and several others in Asia.

Ruth

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<hr>#1 and #2 must be visiting a different Narita to the one I go through. Badly laid out, boring, and ridiculously far from the city, Narita is one of my least favourite Asian airports. <hr></blockquote>

But we are talking about a stopover here, right? Not every airport has shower and day bed facilities, or has free baby nursing rooms and video game centers.

hey, thanks for all the info. Idea of a ramen is interesting. I love ramen. :)

With only an hour, you probably won't have enough time. International flights in NRT typically start boarding 40-50 minutes before departure time and as you will have to go through security on arrival, I would recommend heading straight to your departure gate.

You have to exit customs and security but Narita (both terminals) have areas on the roofs where you can buy a drink and watch all the planes take off and taxi around. Sounds boring but its actually very fascinating to watch all the workings of the airport.

Narita has been revamped.<BR>I have only been through terminal 2? (JAL/QANTAS terminal)<BR> recently. It has improved dramatically.

I've been through both Terminals several times in the last few months. It still doesn't have anything on Singapore or Hong Kong airports. In Hong Kong the train door opens and you are in the check-in area already- not like the multi-floor trek up to check-in at Narita. Other airports make great use of natural light and have huge windows. At Narita I feel like I am in a big egg carton.

I've been flying in and out of Narita for almost twenty years (back when your bus had to stop at checkpoints manned by police in armored personnel carriers when entering/leaving). Despite a lot of improvements over the years, it will always be "Narita Errport" (check out the history of the airport's construction).