I will be traveling to Japan again in the next few weeks and so I felt I had to finish a draft that I started last month about Narita Airport. Departing for Manila after a few days of meetings in Tokyo, I was able to take some photos around the airport’s Terminal 1. Narita was the first large international airport I have been to because my first foreign trip back in the 1990s was to Tokyo. I was impressed by what I saw as a huge terminal compared to what we had in Manila back then, the current NAIA Terminal 1. Following are photos taken during my recent trip to Japan. Note that there are no photos taken in the sensitive areas where the use of cameras are prohibited.

Airline check-in counters at Narita’s Terminal 1 North Wing

Artistic design of a column at the terminal helps lighten the environment inside the terminal

Passengers line up to check-in their luggage at the Delta counter

Passengers can check in at one of the many terminals or booths by using their passports and ticket information. If one has not yet selected a seat via online check-in, seats can be selected using the interface.

Airline and airport ground staff provide assistance to passengers.

Entrances/exits at the airport. Shown in the photo is a bus parked at the curbside just outside the terminal building.

The airport has a nice food court where passengers and well-wishers can have their meals prior to going through immigration control to the pre-departure area.

There are many shops at the terminal including those selling souvenirs.

Shops include those selling Japanese crafts and clothing. Traditional crafts like silkware, woodcrafts, papercraft, etc. are popular souvenir items.

Toys, especially those from anime characters, are very popular with the younger people and children. I myself bought a few souvenirs with characters from Miyazaki’s Totoro (Studio Ghibli) and, of course, Hello Kitty for my niece. There are also Disney and Nintendo themed toys and other items at these shops.

Information boards are strategically located around the terminal to guide passengers.

Counter at Gate 25 of Narita Terminal 1’s North Wing.

I have used only five airlines in my trips to Japan; four if one considers Delta’s acquisition of Northwest. These are Philippine Airlines, Northwest/Delta Airlines, Pakistan International Airlines (yes, it was a practical choice back in the 1990s when I was a student in Japan), and Japan Airlines. During a couple of trips within Japan, I took the domestic flights on All Nippon Airways (ANA). Perhaps I will try ANA in my next trip to Japan as the schedule for its flights are good (morning flight to Narita and evening flight to Manila) and the airline uses NAIA Terminal 3, which means its more convenient than the farther NAIA Terminals 1 or 2.

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