Narita International Airport (成田国際空港, Narita Kokusai Kūkō?) (IATA: NRT, ICAO: RJAA) is an international airport located in Narita, Chiba, Japan, in the eastern portion of the Greater Tokyo Area. It is located 60 kilometers from downtown Tokyo.
Narita handles the majority of international passenger traffic to and from Japan, and is also a major connecting point for air traffic between Asia and the Americas. The airport handled 35,478,146 passengers in 2007. It is the second-busiest passenger airport in Japan,busiest air freight hub in Japan, and eighth-busiest air freight hub in the world.It serves as the main international hub of Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways. It also serves as a hub for the Delta Air Lines subsidiary Northwest Airlines. Under Japanese law, it is classified as a first class airport.
The airport was known as New Tokyo International Airport (新東京国際空港 Shin-Tōkyō Kokusai Kūkō) until 2004. Tokyo is the source of much of Narita Airport’s traffic.
Narita was known as “Tokyo Narita” even before it was officially renamed to differentiate it from the original Tokyo International, which is also known as “Tokyo Haneda”, after its original name, Haneda Airfield
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator Narita International Airport Corporation (NAA)
Serves Tokyo
Location Narita, Chiba, Japan
Elevation AMSL 141 ft / 43 m
Coordinates 35°45′53″N 140°23′11″E / 35.76472°N 140.38639°E / 35.76472; 140.38639
Website http://www.narita-airport.jp
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
16R/34L 13,123 4,000 Asphalt
16L/34R      7,152    
(to extend to 8,202) 2,180
(to extend to 2,500 pending government approval) Asphalt
Statistics (2007/2008)
Number of passengers 35,478,146 (2007)
Total cargo (metric tonnes) 2,099,349 (2008)
History
The construction and expansion of Narita Airport in Japanese history led to one of the most infamous (and violent) conflicts between the Japanese government and the Japanese population, its bitterness still reflected in prominent cane-armed police at the airport. This conflict perhaps reflects the centrality of land-ownership tradition in Japan. The conflict was a major factor in deciding to build the new Osaka and Nagoya airports (Kansai and Chūbu respectively) offshore on reclaimed land, instead of again trying to expropriate land in heavily populated areas.
Terminals and airlines
Narita Airport has two separate terminals with separate underground train stations. Connection between the terminals is by shuttle bus (buses are available both inside and outside the security area) and trains; there is no pedestrian connection.
Ground transportation
Rail
The airport was originally planned to be served by the Narita Shinkansen, construction of which was started in 1974, but the same expropriation issues afflicting the airport also hit the new line and the plan was eventually officially abandoned in 1987. Direct train service to the terminal, on ordinary trains using a short spur track from previous right of way, thus only started in 1990, twelve years after the airport opened.
At present, Narita Airport has two rail connections, operated by Keisei Electric Railway and JR East. A third line, the Narita Rapid Railway, is currently under construction and scheduled for completion in 2010. Trains to and from Narita stop at Narita Airport Station (成田空港駅 Narita-kūkō-eki) in Terminal 1 and Airport Terminal 2 Station (空港第２ビル駅 Kūkō-daini-biru-eki) in Terminal 2.
JR East
Narita Express trainThe most expensive train (and one of the fastest) to the airport is the Narita Express. Journey times between the airport and Tokyo Station in Chiyoda, Tokyo vary from 53 minutes to 70 minutes depending on the time of departure. The price from the airport to Tokyo station is 3,140 yen in ordinary class.
All Narita Express trains serve Narita Airport Terminal 1, Narita Airport Terminal 2 and Tokyo Station. Some trains also make additional stops between the airport and Tokyo – at Narita or at Chiba Station.
After Tokyo Station (when coming from Narita), some trains split into two. One part continues on the Yokosuka Line to Kanagawa Prefecture, stopping at Yokohama Station in Yokohama (90 minutes), Totsuka Station (also in Yokohama, 105 minutes), and Ōfuna Station in Kamakura (110 minutes). One part takes the Yamanote Line to Shinjuku Station in Shinjuku and Shibuya (80 minutes). The other part then either takes the Chūō Main Line, continuing in Tokyo and serving Tachikawa Station in Tachikawa (105 minutes), Hachioji Station in Hachioji (115 minutes) and Takao Station in Hachioji (2 hours), or takes the Saikyo Line to Ōmiya Station in Saitama, Saitama Prefecture (2 hours and 15 minutes).
All seating on the Narita Express trains is reserved. The assigned seat number and car number are indicated on the tickets. Tickets can be purchased from agents in the arrivals hall of each terminal and from automatic ticket vending machines.
JR also offers rapid service Kaisoku Airport Narita trains to Tokyo Station, which take 90 minutes but cost less than the Narita Express. These trains stop at several stations on the Narita Line and Sobu Line en route to Tokyo. Most continue on to stops on the Yokosuka Line, going as far as Kurihama Station in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture.
Keisei
Skyliner trainKeisei’s Skyliner limited express travels to Nippori Station in 51 minutes – and Keisei Ueno Station in 56 minutes. The journey between Narita Airport and Nippori has the shortest time of any transportation link between the airport and central Tokyo. However, for travellers whose final destination is in the South of Tokyo or near Tokyo station, it can be quicker to take the Narita Express than to take the Skyliner and then make a connection at Nippori or Ueno. The price of the Skyliner from Narita Airport to Keisei Ueno Station is 1,920 yen (1,000 for base ticket + 920 yen extra for express).
As with the Narita Express, all seating on Skyliner trains is reserved. Seat allocations are indicated on the tickets, which can be purchased from agents in the airport terminal.
Regular Keisei trains cost about half as much as the Skyliner and are the cheapest rail connection to the airport, although they make many stops, are slow and are often crowded.
Keisei also offers connecting and through service from Narita Airport to Haneda Airport, a cooperative service with the Toei Asakusa Line and Keihin Kyuko Railway. There are between six and eight daily direct trains from Haneda to Narita, taking about two hours, with one daily direct service from Narita to Haneda (rather leaving Narita at either 6:07 or 7:30 in the morning). In other cases, a transfer of trains must take place at a station along the Keisei line. Trains running through to the Asakusa Line make stops at several subway stations in central Tokyo, including Asakusa, Nihombashi and Shinagawa, making them convenient for some travellers.
Airport Rapid Limited (エアポート快特, Eapōto Kaitoku?) trains, which make limited stops on the Asakusa and Keikyu lines, are denoted on signboards by an aircraft icon.
Keisei and Shibayama Railway trains also serve Higashi-Narita Station, located between the two terminals, but this station is currently only useful to travellers moving between the airport and neighborhoods convenient to Shibayama Chiyoda Station immediately east of the airport.
Bus
There are regular bus services to regional transport hubs, although these are often slower than the trains because of traffic jams. Many bus companies operate to and from the airport, charging fares from 3,000 yen for central Tokyo to 4,000 yen for outer suburbs. Operators include:
Airport Limousine to center-city stations including Yokohama City Air Terminal, Tokyo City Air Terminal, Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport) and major hotels
Keisei Bus to suburban transport hubs
Chiba Kotsu to Saitama, Yamanashi and Fukushima
There is also overnight bus service to Kyoto and Osaka (operated by Chiba Kotsu), which takes about 12 hours and costs 9,000 to 10,000 yen.
Buses also travel to nearby military bases. Such bases include Yokosuka Navy Base and Yokota Air Base.
Taxi
Taxi service is available, although it is usually prohibitively expensive for single travellers because of the great distance from the airport to the city. Fares are based on a zone system; trips to central Tokyo range from 14,000 to 20,000 yen (plus around 1,450 yen for expressway tolls, also late night/early morning surcharges). Shared ride services no longer operate from Narita.
The main road link to Narita Airport is the Higashi-Kanto Expressway, which connects to the Shuto Expressway network at Funabashi, Chiba.

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