This Airport Guide introduces the landside departures zone – covering the area before outbound security and immigration – at Terminal 3 (T3) of Narita International Airport (NRT). This dedicated budget terminal houses many, but not all, of the low-cost carriers that serve NRT.
NOTE: This article offers general guidance and is not intended to be a definitive resource. The facilities and procedures discussed here are subject to change without prior notice.
This post features the landside area at Terminal 3 (T3) of Narita International Airport (IATA code: NRT) – one of the two major airports serving the city of Tōkyō, Japan. For our purposes, “landside” means everything before border control and outbound security.
Click here to learn more about T3’s airside area; i.e., the zone that includes outbound security, passport control, and the departures lounge beyond (up to the boarding gates).
CONTENTS
GETTING THERE
Rail transport (via T2)
Although T3 is served directly by public bus services – more details available here – we will focus on arriving at the airport by train. Click here for general information on travelling between central Tōkyō and NRT.
The main public transport hub for NRT T3 is Narita Airport Terminal 2·3 Station, which is served by both JR East and Keisei Electric Railway. Express and regular train services of both companies connect central Tōkyō to NRT in as little as under an hour.
The catch: the station is physically located underneath Terminal 2 (T2), not T3. Fortunately, the gap between terminals is easily traversed as we’ll see next.
Transferring from NRT T2 to T3
There are two ways of reaching T3 from T2: on foot or by shuttle bus. Whichever method one chooses, the first step (after disembarking from the train) is to follow the signs pointing towards T3.
The path takes us from the depths of T2 and onto the pavement outside, where a wide blue stripe leads towards our destination more than 400 metres away. (The red lane running alongside it is meant for travellers walking in the other direction; i.e., from T3 to T2.)
Coming up to the 280 metre mark, we’ll arrive at a fork in the road. Veer right and head up the escalators or into the lifts to continue the journey on foot…
…or keep straight and follow the sign reading “Terminal Shuttle Bus”.
This brings us to a stop where we can hop aboard a free shuttle bus that will take us to T3 in mere minutes. Further details about the service are available here.
After disembarking at T3, one simply needs to follow the signs pointing up to the floor above in order to reach the departures lobby.
The following video – NOT BY ME! – shows what the journey from the T2 railway station to the T3 building looks like if undertaken entirely on foot.
DEPARTURES LOBBY
Check-in hall
Bare-bones industrial look aside, the check-in hall at T3 has all of the features one might expect to encounter in other airport terminals.
Many counters are of the typical staffed variety, fitted with service desks and weighing platforms. The latter are of particular importance in this context given that low-cost carriers (LCCs) tend to enforce baggage limits with exceptional stringency.
There are also self-check-in stands and bag drop kiosks in the hall, though these appear to be intended mainly for domestic flights.
Dining and shopping
Not surprisingly, there are relatively few options for eating, drinking, and retail at this small LCC-orientated terminal.
All but one of T3’s dining establishments are located before outbound passport control, clustered together around an open-plan food court. There are also several shops nearby.
The following video – NOT BY ME! – offers a good preview of what’s available in T3’s food court.
Detailed information about T3’s stores and restaurants can be accessed here.
Once you’re ready to proceed, head for security and outbound immigration. This part of the terminal is covered in a separate Airport Guide for T3’s airside zone.
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Within striking distance 
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