Narita Layover Page

[buadhai]

Those of you traveling to or from LOS via Narita might want to have a look at my Narita Layover Page

Corrections and suggestions happily solicited.

[PeaceBlondie]

Those of you traveling to or from LOS via Narita might want to have a look at my Narita Layover Page

Corrections and suggestions happily solicited.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yesterday, that page really helped me. I was facing an itinerary that meant staying at Narita from 1430 one day until 1100 the next day. I made the plans, thanks to knowing what I could do OUTSIDE the airport in the town of Narita.

Thanks, mgnewman.

[Boon Mee]

My layovers with NWA are typically 2 to 3 hours at the most but I know I'll get stuck at some point.

Good, helpful information there, mgnewman.

Cheers

[cdnvic]

Excellent resource mg, thanks! I'm gonna pin this one for a while to give others a chance to see it. Anyone have info about what to do in other layover airports? Singapore/Seoul/Taipei/etc?

cv

[Krub]

Those of you traveling to or from LOS via Narita might want to have a look at my Narita Layover Page

Corrections and suggestions happily solicited.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Wao Mgnewman

I have been living in Japan for the last 30 years in and out of its international airports regularly (I clocked more than 150.000 miles in 2004) but I have never seen such a detailed an informative page about transiting in Narita.

Great page. If I can be of help let me know.

regarding the denial of a shore pass for a Thai national was it your own experience ? I am worried as it clearly states that a transit visa will be granted if the layover is no more than 3 days and the air tickets for an onward destination is confirmed. As far sa I know it is iunusual but it should not happen. I will bring my Thai friend on his way to Europe through Narita and hope there will not be such a problem

Edited February 23, 2005 by Krub

[buadhai]

I'm retiring in a few weeks so won't be transiting through Narita as often as I have over the last few decades. I would like to keep this page up, but I will be depending more on travelers reports than on my own observations.

So, if anyone has additions, corrections or suggestions, please send me e-mail. There is a mailto link on the top of the page.

TIA

Krub - Thanks for your kind words.

The denial of the shore pass was my own experience with my girlfriend and it was quite horrific. They never gave us any reason for the denial and were quite cruel about the whole thing. Everything we showed them, including onward air tickets (business class), evidence of employment back on Saipan, etc., clearly showed that she was not an overstay risk. Still they denied our request for shore pass.

Good luck!

[PeaceBlondie]

Kudos to Mike Newman for all that info. Last Wednesday, I had about a seven hour layover and took the train into Narita (250 yen each way, nice train - Kneisi line). Pleasant little town, very impressive shrine. Decent McDonald's, too. Clean, cool in the mist, narrow streets, not a tourist town. A real refresher from staying in the airport.

The park behind the shrines is incredible - waterfalls, fountains, a grove of trees. I'm going back and spending the night!

[buadhai]

I'm glad you enjoyed Narita, PeaceBlondie. It is a very typical Japanese temple town and not really touristy at all.

And, you're right, the temple grounds are beautiful. I think that the park is one of the prettiest in Japan. Amazing that it is all man made.

If you do decide to stay overnight, the Kirinoya Inn is a good choice. It's not far from the temple, is a real Japanese-style inn and has some amazing antiques and artifacts inside.

[toddy]

Sometimes I get out of the airport in Japan on my way to Thailand and wish I wasn't going any further. Once I went for a look around Narita town and ended up living in Tokyo for two years but did eventually end up in LOS.

[Storekeeper]

Kudos to Mike Newman for all that info.  Last Wednesday,  I had about a seven hour layover and took the train into Narita (250 yen each way, nice train - Kneisi line).  Pleasant little town, very impressive shrine.  Decent McDonald's, too.  Clean, cool in the mist, narrow streets, not a tourist town.  A real refresher from staying in the airport.

The park behind the shrines is incredible - waterfalls, fountains, a grove of trees.  I'm going back and spending the night!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

PB,

You got a small taste of why it's so easy to consider delaying my retirement to Thailand as long as I can stay in Japan.

SK

[buadhai]

Sometimes I get out of the airport in Japan on my way to Thailand and wish I wasn't going any further. Once I went for a look around Narita town and ended up living in Tokyo for two years but did eventually end up in LOS.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Japan can be engaging, can't it?

But, yesterday we were having lunch at Fuji in The Mall here in Korat. We had a tonkatsu set which included a cup of coffee and a fruit plate for dessert. Paying the bill I realized that my entire meal cost less than a cup of coffee in Japan. (110 baht vs. 3 or 400 yen?)

I guess that's one of the reasons I retired to LOS rather than Japan!

[sendbaht]

"I'm retiring in a few weeks so won't be transiting through Narita as often as I have over the last few decades. I would like to keep this page up, but I will be depending more on travelers reports than on my own observations"

Have a great retirement and enjoy!

Like most of you it's only a 2 to 3 hour wait. One time though I did get stuck and just stayed in a hotel provided from NWA. Just went to the hotel bar had a few and wode up with a slite handover.

Thanks for the web site.

Sendbaht

[Rinrada]

I been stuck here a number of times but without putting up any sort of a fight.

On one occasion a couple of years ago due to bad weather I missed my China Air connection to Bangkok and althought they tried to get me on another (KLM) it didnt happen so I spent 2 nights in a very smart Airport hotel...o dear..(all paid for by airline)and ..about 30 minutes by train to the ...err....art gallerys of Amsterdam

Noticed on my last visit that there seems to be quite a number of Thai bars springing up mostly around the canal areas so if you are really looking forward to you trip to LOS you could do worse than start here.

I saw mouse...where?....... there on the stair

http://www.amsterdam-ams.airports-guides.com/

[PeaceBlondie]

I did spend the night at the Kiniroya Hotel. It was a nice walk in the afternoon, and they very nicely drove me back downtown in the morning without me asking. Yes, that must be a very traditional, Japanese old style guesthouse. Charming, to say the least. And I had time to eat breakfast at McDonalds before taking the train back to the airport. As their substitute emperor said regarding the Philipines, "I shall return."

[Sasquatch Pilaf]

Is the link just down right now or does it no longer work?

Edited June 14, 2005 by Sasquatch Pilaf

[Nickerelastic]

Both links are up and working.

[Gazza]

I'm retiring in a few weeks so won't be transiting through Narita as often as I have over the last few decades. I would like to keep this page up, but I will be depending more on travelers reports than on my own observations.

So, if anyone has additions, corrections or suggestions, please send me e-mail. There is a mailto link on the top of the page.

TIA

Krub - Thanks for your kind words. 

The denial of the shore pass was my own experience with my girlfriend and it was quite horrific. They never gave us any reason for the denial and were quite cruel about the whole thing. Everything we showed them, including onward air tickets (business class), evidence of employment back on Saipan, etc., clearly showed that she was not an overstay risk. Still they denied our request for shore pass.

Good luck!

mg, the first time that I took my family to Saipan my wife was refused entry into Japan and we all had to stay in a 'secured' hotel, which basically was an ordinary hotel but we had a security officer sitting outside our room. Even though we had booked hotel rooms in Saipan and my wife had three unused and expired visas, 2 British and 1 Japanese.

Didn't bother me too much at the time until I discovered that NWA would've given us free meals and accomodation.

Coming back from Saipan our passports and tickets were scrutinised and we were eventually we were all allowed in after about a 45 min wait. I didn't like the thought of spending approx 20 hrs in a secured hotel and was glad for the kids that we were able to spend the following day at Ueno zoo instead of a hotel room with no coat hangers, locked windows and only Jap channels on TV.

I've known many teachers in the past who used the Saipan run to get Thai girls into Japan and can understand the Japanese immigration reluctance to allow any Thai onto their soil. But when my wife who has my surname on all her documents, has unused visas for Britain as well as Japan, has stamps from other SE Asian countries, is standing next to two of our three children and her husband who has a faxed confirmation of a meeting with a person from the Saipan Chamber of Commerce, then it gives you an idea of how tough they can be with their regulations.

Later trips however seemed to go smoothly and never had any problems. Probably getting those first Japanese entry and departure stamps helped pave the way for later trouble free entries.

Edited June 17, 2005 by Gazza

[buadhai]

A New York Times reporter e-mailed me about my Narita Layover Page.

They're doing a story about useful airport layover pages and want to contact people who have used such a page to enhance their layover experience.

So, if any of you have used my layover page and wouldn't mind corresponding with a NY Times reporter, please PM me your name and e-mail address and I'll pass it along.

TIA