Making the most of your time in Tokyo – Narita Airport

I don’t usually find shopping or dining at airports interesting. There usually are mostly high-end designer brands, and other shops and cafes are completely over priced. Narita airport (Tokyo, Japan), however, is an exception. Narita has a variety of shops and restaurants and unlike many other airports there are no rip-off airport prices. If somethings costs ¥1000 outside the airport, it will be ¥1000 at the airport also (give or take). Many shops do sales, again like normal shops outside the airport and I once bought a T-shirt at Uniqlo for ¥500.

A wide range of shops and price tags means visitors with different needs and financial situations can enjoy shopping and dinning at Narita. Terminal 1, which is the largest, has around 80 shops and 30 restaurants and cafes – all before security. There are good Japanese souvenir shops, well-known brands such as Uniqlo or Muji, mini supermarkets where you can get a snack for ¥100, and many other unique and interesting shops.

It is fun and convenient for everyone. Really ideal for final souvenir shopping and if you want to bring home some fresh Japanese sweets which tend to have a short ‘eat by’ date, this is a good place to purchase them.

When I fly back from Narita, I try to arrive earlier and give myself at least an extra hour. Many shops open super early at around 7AM which is great. I love the fact that I can enjoy my time in Japan literally until the very last minute!

Narita airport is huge and consist of 3 terminals. It is possible to move between the terminals by free shuttle buses, but do check beforehand which terminal you are flying into/from and what shops and restaurants are available in the terminal. A full and detailed list can be found in the airport website. Also bear in mind that Narita airport is quite far away from Tokyo. It is actually in Chiba prefecture about 60km outside of Tokyo. There are several different ways of getting to/from Narita airport from/to Tokyo; prices start from around ¥1000 and travel time with cheaper options is around 90 minutes.

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