Narita Adds 177 Arrival Kiosks at Terminals 1 and 2 on Sept. 24

Foreign visitors arriving at Narita Airport’s Terminals 1 and 2 will be able to complete immigration and customs steps at a single self service kiosk from September 24, 2026. Panasonic Connect says it has delivered 177 of the joint kiosks to the two terminals, which start full operation that day.

Panasonic Connect announced the installation on September 18. If Tokyo is your first stop, our guide to where to stay in Tokyo can help you plan the ride in from Narita once you are through arrivals.

One Machine for Two Arrival Steps

The kiosk combines two procedures that arriving visitors usually handle separately. According to Panasonic Connect, passengers place their passport on the machine and have their face verified by camera, and the system uses fingerprint detection to confirm the person at the kiosk is the passport holder. That identity check is what allows immigration and customs procedures to be completed in one step.

The kiosks are run by Japan’s Immigration Services Agency and the customs service of the Ministry of Finance, and were developed in coordination between the agencies, the company says. The English language Japanese travel site Traicy adds that the machines follow universal design principles, including access for wheelchair users, and use animated on screen guidance for first time users.

Already Running at Four Other Gateways

Narita’s Terminals 1 and 2 are the latest to get the system. Panasonic Connect says the joint kiosks have been introduced step by step since April 2025 at Haneda Airport, Narita Terminal 3, Kansai International Airport and Fukuoka Airport. Travelers who have landed at any of those recently may already have used one.

Traicy links the rollout to Japan’s goal of welcoming 60 million international visitors a year by 2030, with faster processing at arrival as part of handling that volume. Neither Panasonic Connect nor Traicy gives a figure for how much time the kiosks save per passenger.

Tips for Your Arrival at Narita

Check which terminal your airline uses at Narita, since the September 24 change applies to Terminals 1 and 2; Terminal 3 already had the kiosks. Keep your passport out and uncovered as you leave the aircraft, because the kiosk reads it directly and then checks your face against it.

Families traveling together should expect each traveler to be verified individually, since the check matches each face to its passport. Allow some extra time on your first visit while you learn the process.

Nothing changes before you fly. The kiosks do not replace a visa where one is required, and they do not change what you can bring into Japan; they change how the checks are carried out when you land.

Open Questions Before Your Trip

The Panasonic Connect release leaves several practical points unanswered. It does not say whether staffed immigration and customs counters remain open for travelers who prefer them or cannot use the machine, so expect officers to direct passengers on the day. It does not mention any pre registration step, so there is no published requirement to sign up before you fly in order to use the kiosk.

It also describes the kiosks as serving foreign nationals and says nothing about returning Japanese residents, and it gives no throughput or waiting time figures for Terminals 1 and 2. Until the airport or the agencies publish more, treat the kiosks as a new route through arrivals rather than a guaranteed shortcut, and keep your usual buffer before any onward train or domestic flight.