Originally Posted by
pwynn
Aloha, I'm looking to book a flight from HNL to BKK via Narita on JAL. HNL flight arrives into NRT at 4:25 PM and departs technically the next day at 12:05 AM. About a 5 hour layover but the language on the JAL and the airport website says:
Customers Connecting in Japan between International Flights
Travelers who are not entering Japan and transferring directly to a third country by transit, are not required to submit any documents and undergo inspections in Japan. Nonetheless, travelers are still subject to the travel/entry restrictions and requirements of their final destination.
However, the following cases require entry into Japan. Please be informed that foreign nationals arriving from prohibited countries will not be allowed to enter Japan.
- Transferring between Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport) and Narita International Airport
- Travelers with a connecting flight out of Narita International Airport the following day
Does this mean a transit passenger would not be permitted since the departing flight is at 12:05 AM? Not sure how strict Japan is on 5 minutes.
Mahalo! P
Boarding for your flight would be before midnight when the international terminal closes (which happens right at midnight), so you'll be on your plane and I think you should be good. Basically, once the terminal closes for the night, nobody is allowed to be in the international terminal until it opens the next morning, so your only choice is to be on a flight at that time or enter Japan, which you can't do. So that flight is still considered the same day as your arrival. If there's an issue with the flight, then it won't just be you stuck there waiting for another flight, but everyone else on the plane who can't enter Japan.
CPH-Flyer is the transit expert, though so I'm sure he'll respond if there's any other considerations you need to take in to account.