What are Narita Airport and the meeting place like?
Narita International Airport (NRT), also known as Tokyo Narita Airport, is about 40 miles east of central Tokyo. Narita is Japan’s main international airport, handling about half of Japan’s international passenger traffic. The airport serves as the international hub of both Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways. KCP has been using Narita as our primary airport pick-up spot since our first US partner affiliation back in 1996.
KCP’s primary meeting point is Terminal 1 North Wing arrival lobby. We try and have KCP staff waiting there beginning 1–1:30 pm until the last group of the day joins us, usually around 4:30–5 pm. If you arrive in the North Wing of Terminal 1, you’ll easily make your way out to the meeting point. If you arrive in the South Wing of Terminal 1, please walk to the North Wing meeting point at the arrival lobby. Those arriving in Terminal 2 will likely take a free terminal connection bus to Terminal 1.
It takes about 1 hour to get to central Tokyo using Skyliner, Narita Express, or high-speed bus (see access map), including transfers. We budget 2 hours once we leave the airport, to get checked into students’ housing assignments. Staff leave the airport to take groups directly to their housing assignment periodically during the afternoon, with the final group leaving around 4:30pm–5pm.
Details about the meeting place, emergency contacts, course calendar, and housing (if arranged by KCP) are emailed to students 2–4 weeks prior to the program start date.
If a student arrives later than expected and misses the pickup, we have the student arrange to stay at a nearby hotel. This does occur sometimes, especially if there are last-minute flight delays. Eighteen-year-olds are allowed to reserve hotel rooms on their own.
