Basically, you can purchase duty-free items within the restricted area after completing the Immigration departure inspection. Narita Airport has three passenger terminals, Terminal 1, Terminal 2, and Terminal 3, and each has duty-free shops. Recently duty-free shops have also opened in the arrival lobby.

At Narita Airport, which is serviced by many airlines, there are many duty-free shops. However, the shops vary from terminal to terminal, so it is better to check which ones are where in advance.

● Terminal 1
A unique feature of Terminal 1 is its layout: between the North Wing and South Wing is the Central Building in which there many kinds of shops in an area called Narita Nakamise.

● Terminal 2
Here is located the duty-free brand mall Narita Fifth Avenue, the largest store area of its kind in any Japanese airport, a place where you can enjoy shopping in a sophisticated atmosphere

● Terminal 3
There are also duty-free shops in Terminal 3 which opened in 2015 exclusively for LCC.

Since 2017, it has become possible to do duty-free shopping when arriving in Japan at Narita Airport. There are Fa-So-La duty-free shops in all of the terminals. Anyone, Japanese or foreigner, can use them when arriving on an international flight. They carry a large selection of liquors, cigarettes, and perfumes and are eager to welcome you. However, only foreign liquor products are offered in the duty-free shops in the arrival areas.

Unfortunately, you cannot go to duty-free shops other than those in the terminal you use. Also, it is not possible to make a purchase without going to a store, so, for example, if you use an international flight in Terminal 1, it is impossible for you to purchase items in the duty-free stores of Terminal 2.

The terminals in Narita Airport differ according to the airlines using them. You can think of their distribution as being roughly based on their alliances.

In Terminal 1 are the Star Alliance to which ANA belongs and the SkyTeam which includes airlines such as Delta; the One World Alliance, to which JAL belongs, is in Terminal 2; and in Terminal 3 are the low-cost carriers (LCC).

A shuttle bus, which only transit passengers can use, goes between the terminals in the restricted areas after passengers have gone through Immigration departure procedures.

Each duty-free shop offers a service that allows you to reserve the desired product on the internet in advance. This service is available to anyone who will board an international flight from Narita Airport.

Depending on the site, reservations can generally be made one month to two days before departure. If you make a reservation, the products you ordered will be put together in a shopping bag which you can pick up at the shop on the day of your departure.

The delivery location may differ depending on the product, so make sure to confirm that when making a reservation. In addition, please be aware that you cannot receive products at stores that are not in the terminal you will use.

The Japan Duty Free GINZA at the Ginza Mitsukoshi Department store, the Lotte Duty Free Shop at Tokyu Plaza Ginza, and the Takashimaya Duty Free Shop SHILLA & ANA at Takashimaya Times Square are so-called airport-type duty-free shops. Although these stores are located in the city, tax-exempt purchases are permitted just as at a duty-free store at the airport.

However, purchased products cannot be received in these shops. The condition is that the person who made the purchase must pick it up at the designated delivery counter in Narita Airport after having completed Immigration departure procedures. Be aware that if you do not go to the counter at least one hour before your departure time, you may not be able to receive your purchase.

If you want to leisurely choose a product without worrying about the departure time, you may want to enjoy shopping at an airport-type duty-free shop.

The weight, size, and number of pieces of baggage that can be carried on board are limited for safety reasons. This of course also applies to duty-free items purchased and items received after passing through the Immigration departure procedure. If you exceed the limit, you will need to check those items with your airline as checked baggage.

In that case, you will have to return to the check-in counter and go through the procedure again. Be aware that you will not be able to have baggage checked in if you if you fail to meet the check-in deadline.

When you board an aircraft, for security reasons, you are restricted from bringing in more than 100ml (g) of liquid. However, for liquid materials purchased at a duty-free shop after having completed Immigration departure procedures, it is possible to carry the purchase into the plane even if it exceeds 100 ml (g), as long as it is enclosed in a tamper-proof bag called STEBs that has been prepared at the duty-free shop. However, some countries do not have STEBs, so please check with your destination country or airline in advance to prevent problems.