Trip planning

Japan arrival checklist: from landing to your hotel

The first two hours after landing in Japan go much more smoothly when you handle them in order: clear immigration and customs, get online in the arrival hall, set up your transit card and cash backup, and confirm the route to your first hotel before boarding a train or bus.

This guide focuses only on the workflow from the airplane cabin to your accommodation. For visas, medication rules and what to pack before you fly, use our printable Japan travel checklist and international pre-departure timeline.

The arrival sequence at a glance

Airport terminals can feel busy after a long flight. Doing tasks in the terminal where the counters and machines sit avoids backtracking after you pass the ticket gates.

1. Before landing: keep arrival details offline

Airport Wi-Fi is not always reachable while walking through immigration corridors, so keep your arrival information available offline before the plane lands.

• First-night accommodation details. Save the hotel’s name, full address and telephone number in both English and Japanese where you can open them without mobile data.
• Visit Japan Web or paper forms. Japan’s Digital Agency provides Visit Japan Web so travelers can register immigration and customs information in advance and display a QR code on arrival; see the official step-by-step guide for how it works. Visit Japan Web is an arrival procedure service, not a visa, and each traveler needs their own registration.
• Paper forms remain an option. If you did not register online or your phone battery runs low, Japan’s National Tourism Organization (JNTO) notes on its customs and duty guide that paper declaration forms are available on the plane and in the arrival area.

2. In the arrival hall: get connected and carry yen cash

Once you pass through the customs doors into the public arrival lobby, pause for ten minutes to set up mobile connectivity and cash before heading down to the train station.

• Test your mobile connection first. Turn on your travel eSIM or international roaming, or pick up your pre-booked SIM card or pocket Wi-Fi at the airport counter while airport staff and terminal Wi-Fi are still right beside you.
• Keep a backup of physical yen notes and coins. Card and contactless acceptance has grown across major cities, but JNTO’s guide to cashless payments in Japan advises travelers to carry cash as well for smaller restaurants, local buses, lockers, rural areas and temple admission fees. Airport ATMs and currency exchange counters sit in the arrival lobby.
• Check your battery and plug adapter. If your phone is low after the flight, Japan uses Type A two-flat-pin outlets at 100 volts (50 Hz in eastern Japan including Tokyo, 60 Hz in western Japan including Osaka and Kyoto). Keep your cable and power bank in your cabin bag so you can recharge during the transfer.

3. At the station: set up your IC card and airport transfer

Follow the terminal signs to the railway station or airport bus counters. Separate local tap-and-go transit from reserved airport express tickets.

• Set up a transit IC card on iPhone or at a machine. Apple explains on its Japan transit card support page how to add and top up a Suica, PASMO or ICOCA card in Apple Wallet on a compatible iPhone or Apple Watch. JR East also offers the Welcome Suica Mobile app. If you prefer a physical card or travel with children who need child-fare cards, check the station ticket office or vending machines at the airport.
• Check whether your airport train needs a separate express ticket. An IC card covers base fares on commuter lines, but dedicated airport limited express trains (such as the Narita Express, Keisei Skyliner or Haruka) require an express or reserved-seat ticket in addition to the base fare.
• Match the transfer to your luggage and arrival hour. If you are traveling with multiple large suitcases, arriving late at night, or staying far from a major rail hub, compare an airport limousine bus or fixed-fare taxi against multiple subway transfers.

4. From the station to your hotel check-in

Large Japanese stations often have dozens of exits across several underground levels. Taking a moment on the platform to check the exit number saves carrying luggage up the wrong stairs.

• Look up the exact station exit and elevator. Check the yellow exit directory boards inside the station for the exit closest to your hotel and the symbol for elevator access before tapping out of the fare gates.
• If you arrive before check-in time. Most Japanese hotels check guests in during the afternoon, but almost all will hold luggage at the front desk earlier in the day so you can start exploring unencumbered.
• Keep your first afternoon light. Choose one neighborhood near your hotel for a meal, a short walk and an early night. If you are starting in the capital, our four-day Tokyo itinerary groups each day by area so you can ease into the trip.

Official sources and scope

Checked on 2026-10-29: Visit Japan Web and the Visit Japan Web instruction guide (Japan Digital Agency), JNTO customs and duty guidance, JNTO cashless payments in Japan, JNTO plugs and electricity, Apple Support: Suica, PASMO or ICOCA on iPhone and Apple Watch, and JR East Welcome Suica Mobile. Terminal counters, card availability and transport schedules change; verify current arrangements with your airport and transport operator before travel.

Written by go ka, the developer of BeforeGo. This checklist is for personal travel organization and does not replace official immigration, customs, airline or transport operator instructions.