Originally Posted by bp888
Funny thing about Japanese airports is that they seem to be the exact opposite of the super-efficient Japanese people. Check-ins are chaotic. Transits and transfers, especially inter-terminal, are a maze. Immigration lines are long.
I'll concur on the immigration, and add in excessively nosy Customs types and the weird "X-ray before checkin" thing mentioned above (which fortunately doesn't apply to carry-on), but other than that I've never had a problem with Japanese airports -- and off the top of my head I've been to CTS, SDJ, NRT, HND, NGO, KIX, OKA, ISG and OGN. Check-in is usually fast (especially if you use the machines), boarding at the gate is very efficient, elite status is well respected, bags come out fast with the handle already turned towards your hand, connections to onward transport are smooth, no irritating touts...
For domestic flights you can check in under 30 minutes before departure, and I've seen a Jumbo get loaded from zero to full and push back in under 15 minutes. Could I make the wild guess that your complaint is mostly directed at Narita, which probably is the worst of Japan's airports, especially during crush seasons like Golden Week?