Departure and Arrivals
DEPARTURES
If you’ve traveled internationally before, you’ll be familiar with the process on the Australian end of the trip, so feel free to skip forward to ‘Arrivals’ to get all the tips and tricks specific to Arrivals in Japan.
It’s usually recommended to arrive to the airport 3 hours prior to the departure time of your flight to ensure you have enough time to check-in and pass through security, customs and immigration checkpoints. If you’re travelling with young children, give yourself a little longer as children cannot use many of the automated systems designed to fast track your transit through departures. Always make sure to check the recommendations of the airline you’re traveling with prior to departure to ensure your information is up to date and you’re aware of any potential delays requiring you allow for extra time at the airport.
ONLINE CHECK-IN
Online check-in for your flight will usually open 24 hours prior to your departure time. In order to check-in online, you’ll be required to input the passport details, full names, dates of birth etc. of all passengers listed on your booking, so ensure you have them all on hand before you start the online check-in process. If you’d prefer however, you can check-in once you arrive at the airport instead.
IN PERSON CHECK-IN / BAGGAGE DROP
Even if you’ve completed online check-in, for international flights you’ll still need to check your bags at the check-in counter. If you’ve already completed your check-in online, ensure you have your boarding passes and passports handy as you approach the counter, if not, just passports to enable staff to check you in before proceeding. Ensure that everyone flying is present, even the kids, and ensure you have all your items with you at the counter, even those that aren’t travelling as checked luggage as they all need to be cleared by staff to be taken aboard the plane.
SECURITY AND CUSTOMS
Security and Customs procedures differ depending on the airport, so ensure you follow staffs instructions as you pass through, but typically you’ll be required to remove items like electronics, and liquids, from your carry-on for screening, and jackets, belts and sometimes shoes if you’re wearing tall sneakers like hi-tops or boots before passing through the scanners yourself.
BOARDING
Boarding will typically begin between 20 to 50 minutes prior to the departure time of your flight, however the gates will close roughly 15 minutes prior to departure as well, so ensure you don’t leave it too long to get to gate, as there’s plenty to be distracted by between the Duty-Free Shopping and Cafes and Restaurants. Your boarding gate will be printed on your boarding pass, however, keep an eye on the flight details to ensure the gate doesn’t change.
ARRIVALS
It's crucial to have all necessary documentation prepared prior to arriving to ensure a smooth transit through Immigration and Customs, but at Japanese airports there’s more than one way to do it.
VISIT JAPAN WEB APP
Originally created as an app to track entry into Japan during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Visit Japan Web App is a valuable tool, even to the post-covid traveler. Within this app you can input all your arrival information and customs declarations prior to arriving, replacing the paper disembarkation card and customs declaration usually required to be filled out on the plane or at the airport upon disembarking. Simply fill in all your details, submit them, and the app will supply you with QR codes of which are to be scanned at the terminals through arrivals.
Note: As you likely won’t have internet access when you first land, ensure you take a screenshot of your QR codes so you have easy access to them. Alternatively, if you’re worried about your phone battery lasting the trip, you can also print them off.
GOOD OLD PEN AND PAPER
You can still utilize the traditional method of pen and paper if you’d prefer. Your Immigration Information, or Disembarkation Card and Customs forms are typically handed out on your flight as you’re nearing your destination, so ensure you travel with a pen in your carry on so as you can fill in your paperwork before landing, to save you time in the airport. Should you not receive one on the plane, you will find them available to you in the immigration checkpoint,
Note: Ensure that you have all the details if your first hotel stay such as name, address and phone number on hand, preferably in a way that is accessible without internet for your Immigration Card.
DISEMBARK
Once you’ve disembarked, follow signs through the airport pointing towards ‘Arrivals’
IMMIGRATION
At immigration, you’ll be directed towards a line to proceed through by Immigration staff, if you’re, travelling with young children, elderly travelers, or individuals with disabilities you will be directed towards the priority lines, known as "fast lanes,". Here officers will review your passport, visa (if applicable), and it’s here that you’ll scan your Immigration QR code or hand over your Immigration card. They may ask questions about your travel plans, accommodation, and duration of stay, and afterward, you’ll receive a temporary visitor stamp or visa for the approved duration of stay. You’ll then be asked to continue through the gates, to baggage claim.
Please note: There is no photography allowed inside, therefore you will not be able to utilize the photo translation features on your translation apps. Should you require assistance translating anything, please ask for help instead, most airport staff will speak English.
BAGGAGE CLAIM
As you enter into the baggage claim area, you’ll find screens listing flight numbers, and their corresponding baggage carousel numbers. Continue to your flights carousel, and grab your bags as they come around. Should you have needed to check anything in oversized baggage, there is typically a separate oversized baggage claim of which you’ll need to make your way to after collecting the rest of your bags.
CUSTOMS
If you’re using the Visit Japan Web App, you can use the electronic declaration terminals, which can be found just past the baggage carousels, before the customs lines. You simply need to place your passport and Customs Declaration QR Code face-down on the terminal scanner, the cameras will verify your identity, then confirm that all your details and declarations are correct. The terminal will then ask you to go to either the e-Gate or customs inspection desk depending on the declarations you’ve made.
For pen and paper declaration cards, simply head to the gate that represents what you’ve declared, if you’ve ticked ‘yes’ for anything, head to the red channel for an inspection, if not, the green channel is for those who have no goods subject to duty and/or tax and goods not prohibited or restricted for import.
BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE AIRPORT
GET YOUR SUICA OR PASMO IC Cards
Your IC Cards are like our Australian Myki cards, and they allow you to tap on and tap off of public transport with ease. Since the international semiconductor card chip shortage, these are available for purchase at airports and major train stations, so it’s best to grab one while you’re still in the airport. Head to either the JR East Travel Center, or the train ticket machines, just look for the machine (or machines, but there’s typically only one) with an IC Card logo above it. To read more about IC Cards, how to use them, and the different options available, click here.
PURCHASE A SIM CARD OR POCKET WI-FI
If you don’t have the option to, or have opted not to utilize the data roaming feature on your Australian sim, then international SIM cards or pocket Wi-Fi device are invaluable.
If opting for an international SIM, there are international SIM cards available online that can be purchased prior to your trip and installed in your phone yourself before you land in Japan. The problem you can run into however, it that with many phones, setting need to be changed in order for the SIM to work properly, for this reason, I recommend purchasing one at the airport instead as staff will set it up in your phone for you. Most of the international SIMS available at the airport are designed for tourists, and therefore are data services only, however with the use of apps which allow your to make calls using the internet, this doesn’t limit you when communicating with the rest of your group, or loved ones back home.
On the other hand, if you’re traveling in a larger group and not planning on separating at any point in time, pocket Wi-Fi devices offer internet access by creating a portable Wi-Fi hotspot that can connect multiple devices simultaneously. As you can all share this connection, it may work out cheaper, however should you split off to different restaurants for lunch, or head to different cities for the day, some of your group may have to rely on public wi-fi where you can, or go without an internet connection all together, which will limit your ability to communicate and possibly effect apps you’re using for translation and navigating. We’ve also heard from the experience of others that it’s a common problem for the battery to run low relatively fast on the Pocket Wi-Fi devices when multiple people are connected and using it all day long. For these reasons, the individual SIMs is my recommendation, however researching and comparing the options available at your Arrival Airport beforehand will help in choosing the most suitable option for your travel needs.
