Landing in an international airport

My character, Danny Koufman, is landing in Tokyo's Narita International Airport to visit his father. What does he do once he lands? How does his father pick him up?


Cheers, The Wanderer.

Don't know how it's done in japan...but generally you get of the plain. Grab your bags off the belt, go through customes, then you are picked up.

In the US, you have to go through Immigration, pick up your bags, clear customs, then it depends on your airport if you just go out into the lobby or a step further.

I am guessing Japan is similar.

But I am sure there is something on a travel site about 'what to expect when in Japan'

Found a few resources.

This website is set up by the Japanese consulate in the US offering information about customs procedures landing in Japan.

And here is a forum on Tripadvisor (which, off-topic, I'd recommend if you're travelling) about landing in the Narita airport. Part of it is about cabs and stuff, but part of it is about the actual customs procedures.

From my experience, though I've never flown to Japan, most countries, when you get off the plane you go through customs, declare things, give them your entrance forms (which you would have been given on the plane and probably filled out then), get your passport and whatever visas are necessary stamped. Then you go collect your baggage and run it through a scanner. Outside of all of this is where people can wait to pick you up. Procedure may be different if Danny is a minor, I've only traveled alone since I've been an adult.

On my way to and from Beijing a few years ago I flew through Narita. On my way back home I went into the airport proper for a few hours during my layover to meet a friend who lived in Tokyo. Therefore I had to pass through customs even though I was never going to leave the airport. Customs took awhile since they were adamant about needing to know the name and address of the person I was visiting. They didn't seem to understand that I was just meeting a friend for sushi while waiting for my next flight but I think I finally gave them her name and said Narita Airport for the address. They didn't ask to see my bags or anything.

One other interesting thing about Narita - you take shuttle buses between terminals and after flying internationally and being jet lagged these can feel like they take forever. They probably depart on a very regular basis and are very organized and move quickly, but the wait felt interminable.

I've landed in Narita. You get off the plane, go through baggage check, customs and immigration just like with any international airport in any country. His father would need to meet him at the exit for international passengers.

I seem to remember I had a form to fill in (most countries require a simple form). Joined the queue at passport control. Form was checked. Passport was stamped. collected my bag from the carousel. The customs official wanted to check my bag.

One thing that happens a lot in Japan is that customer facing employees will often bow politely. The customs official did so before asking to look in my bag. I don't think he actually asked in English but gestured that that's what he wanted to do.

One thing I did notice was that it was all very polite and efficient as befits the Japanese stereotype. After you get past customs, there's a concourse area like any other airport, with people holding signs, and other people meeting friends and family.

You have to add some conflict to his arrival.

Perhaps Danny Koufman searches the overhead bin for his attache case and finds his only known photograph of his father is missing. When he asks the flight attendant to help find the photo, the equivalent of an air marshall gets between them. The air marshall says the photo of his father was lifted by security at his departing airport. It seems Danny's father (at least the one in the picture) is a suspected of stealing a coveted sake recipe from its rightful owner in the waning days of world war II and has been an industrial fugitive until the photo surfaced in Danny's attach case.

Danny steps off the plane and onto the causeway, where ninjas, dressed as baggage handlers, confront him. The air marshall emerges and fights the baggage handlers to thier death. As the marshall lies dying, he hands Danny the photograph of his father and says, "May the photo be with you, Danny, but you must find your brother, Luke, first."

Danny pockets the photo and runs up the ramp. Despite lines that are fifty people deep, he is guided to an immigration desk with nobody in it. He looks through the paned glass and measures the immigration agent on the other side. The name tag on the agent's vest reads, "Luke Koufman." He passes his passport through a hole in the glass partition. Luke opens the passport and gazes intently on the photograph and then at the name. Tears form in his eyes as he looks through the glass at Danny, his long lost brother. From beneath the counter, Luke finds a folded piece of paper and inserts it into Danny's passport.

Glass shatters and Luke falls forward, his lips protruding from the hole in the plexiglass that separates him from his brother. Danny sees blood oozing out of his brother's back and leans over to listen to his brother's dying last words. Luke whispers through the hole in the glass, "Mom always liked me better. Give the note to your father at the top of the ramp. Do you have any fresh fruit of vegetables?" Luke dies before Danny can answer the question.

Danny grabs his passport from his brother's grip and runs up a series of ramps. He slows only to listen to the hurried footsteps behind him on the maze of ramps. At the top of the last ramp, a speaker comes to life, blaring, "Domo arigato, Mister Roboto". Danny unfolds the note that his dying brother wedged into his passport.

Danny takes measure of the people surrounding the landing. He is free to move in any direction he wants, but people of all shapes and sizes are waiting behind ropes. Finding his father in the mass of people would be difficult. Most are craning to see who emerges from the ramp. Some carry signs. Some are dressed as chauffers. But one stands alone. Danny holds the photograph at eye level and compares the man in the photo to the man standing alone. It is his father.

Danny flings out his arms and walks briskly towards the man. He yells, "Father, it is I, Danny."

"Did you see Luke?"

"Yes, father." A tear forms in Danny's eyes.

"Did he pass you a note?"

"Yes father, is it the secret recipe?" Danny passes the note to his father.

"Read it to me, son."

"A gallon of milk, and a loaf of bread, and a bottle of sake. Don't forget. Love, Mom."

"Welcome to Japan, Danny, let's go shopping."

Oh, and they take finger prints as you show your passport (I don't think anyone mentioned that). Otherwise, it's just like any other big airport. I've gone through Narita twice and both times the people addressing me spoke English and I had no trouble. First time I had to open my suitcase, and the guy was very polite as he quickly went through it. The second time I'd already unlocked my suitcase (it was quite a fumble first time) and then of course I could walk straight on. ;P

They took my toothpaste--thought neither Korea or the US cared, Japan did. Very quick and respectful though. I was kinda dazed through it. (First time it was said, I didn't understand which language it was in.)