Layover at Tokyo Narita airport: can I travel outside, and what kind of visa would I need?
I am travelling from Singapore to San Francisco and the airline has a layover of 7.5 hours at Tokyo Airport (NRT). I am wondering if I would be allowed to go out to experience the city for a while in some form a visitor visa.
I know Singapore has such facilities, but does anyone know if I can do it in Tokyo? Any suggestions or pointers are welcome. Note - I do not have a visa for Japan yet, but I am hoping that 1 day visitor visa could be possible at airport.
Best Answer
I'm not sure about the visa part, but about the time:
By the cheapest train I seem to recall Narita airport is about two hours from Tokyo. Also you might well have to be back at the airport at least one hour before boarding, and quite possibly more. And the train system in Japan is notoriously complex. It will be very easy to get a bit lost and miss your flight in Tokyo (I've done it once) and it will be very expensive to just take a taxi the whole way to the airport from Tokyo. You might consider renting a car, but you'll have to make sure you've prepared in advance because even with English on all road signs, Japanese place names etc can be a bit bewildering when you're not used to it.
If you just want to dip into Japanese culture though, don't worry because Narita has quite a bit to offer for an airport city. It's very compact, hard to get lost in, and close to the airport so even if you have to take a taxi it won't be too expensive. It's a fairly typical little Japanese city with lots of small shops, food, parks, a calligraphy museum, and a temple that is at least a thousand years old.
My first two times in Japan I had only 24 hours in Narita between flights and I enjoyed it very much.
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Do I need a visa if I have a layover in Japan?
If you would normally need a visa to enter for Japan, you can transit without a visa only if: You have a confirmed onward ticket within the same calendar day. You stay within the international transit area of the airport. You have the necessary documents needed for the next country of destination.Is transit visa required for Narita?
No visa required for all nationalities if you are transiting through Japan within the same airport without leaving the secured area. If you are visiting someone in Japan, or if your main purpose is for sightseeing or business, you need a Temporary Visitor's Visa regardless of the length of your stay.Does Japan allow international transit passengers?
Travelers connecting to an international flightTravelers who are not entering Japan and transferring directly to a third country by transit, are not required to submit any documents and undergo PCR tests. However, the following cases require entry into Japan.Is Narita Airport allowing transit passengers?
If you are arriving at Narita Airport from overseas and transiting to a domestic flight, you must temporarily enter Japan and step inside the public area. Therefore, you will undergo an additional security screening before you board your domestic flight.TOKYO NARITA Airport INTERNATIONAL TRANSFER during COVID-19
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Answer 2
Many visitors in your situation find their time in Tokyo quite disappointing. Tokyo is far from Narita*, confusing, and crowded. The best sights in Tokyo are the temples, but there is a superb temple complex in Narita city. Stay in Narita.
*This should improve when the new train line is completed.
Answer 3
Don't even try it! Far better to relax in the airport or visit the charming city of Narita.
As others have posted, Natita is only a stop away from the airport and provides an entertaining way to spend a few hours and ten or twenty thousand yen.
Go to Tokyo only when you have a few days to stay there. On a short transit layover like this, you'll spend all of your time queuing and traveling and will end up exhausted and frustrated.
Remember that an hour prior to departure is the time when your flight will be preparing to board. Not the time you should be arriving back at the airport.
I know the original post was several years ago, but since Internet forums live on forever, and this question will be asked again and again, I'm posting this answer for posterity
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