Is Narita worth visiting?

If we get to the airport around 1530 is there enough time to visit Narita before checking in for our flight around 1900?

You might want to stay in the airport. 3.5 hours is too short time to get out of the airport to sightsee in Narita City.

Clearing all arrival formalities takes 30 minutes to 1 hour, then you must check in for the next flight by one hour before the scheduled time. Even if you're checked in all the way to your final destination it sounds pretty hectic.
http://www.mgnewman.com/narita/index.html

if you have the time it is worth it.

it is not far from the airport and not far from the station. the walk from the station to naritasan is nice-old style shops. naritasan is one of the nicer temples and parks

If there's not enough time for Narita does anyone have any other suggestions for killing 4 hours?

Study Mike Newman's Narita Layover Page (URL above) carefully.

Check in for your flight first, so that's done and you know when you need to be back.

If you have heavy bags, check them or put them in a coin locker. Go to the nearest information desk and ask them where the Keisei train to Naritasan is.

I've done this, and in my experience it's a lot more interesting than killing 4 hours in the airport shops and observation deck (which I've also done).

Have fun!

Sorry, you have 4.5 hours between arrival and check in for the next flight. (I didn't see the original post very carefully when I was writing the last reply. I should have opened another window...)

In that case, making a short trip to Narita City comes to be feasible, depending on how quickly you clear the arrival formalities and the incoming flight's punctuality, though you still need to be rushed.

Many apologies again.

I have just spoken to Qantas and they said once our bags are checked in that we cannot leave the airport. Luggage storage is the other option depending on cost and if we have any yen left!!

I have just spoken to Qantas and they said once our bags are checked in that we cannot leave the airport.

1. How are they going to know if you leave the airport or not?

2. If that was the case, we should not have been able to have left the airport for Narita when our bags were checked through to Dallas from Okinawa.

3. It's only an 8 minute trip from the airport to Keisei Narita station. I think we ended up with only 3 hours to spend there, but had a great time. In fact, we thought so much of the area that we decided to make a day trip there a couple of months ago on our last trip.

It sure beats hanging around the airport. Go for it!!

I have just spoken to Qantas and they said once our bags are checked in that we cannot leave the airport.
1. How are they going to know if you leave the airport or not?

2. If that was the case, we should not have been able to have left the airport for Narita when our bags were checked through to Dallas from Okinawa.

1. from memory when you check in at Narita you clear immigration, hence unable to leave : could be wrong though
2. you may have still been "domestic" from Okinawa to Narita, and not through immigration until given the boarding pass for Narita to Dallas eg we were able to leave LAX after checking bags from SEATAC in Seattle through to Melbourne in Australia, but could not leave LAX once checked in with Qantas as our US tourist visa was removed from our passport

4.5 hours isn't all that long: it took us quite a while to check in for Qantas in March..very long queues. May be different now with less people travelling of course. There is not bad food available: we needed a meal as we'd come by train from Kyoto; once through security to airside, there is a nice bar area overlooking the night lights: quite pretty. Also the duty free and shopping was fun: in other words, just chill out and relax: especially if you've been on the go in Japan for a while

checking in early also gives you a much better chance of an exit row seat:, as they actually have to "eyeball" you to assess ability to assist in an emergency etc worked a treat for us on occasions

{qs]1. from memory when you check in at Narita you clear immigration, hence unable to leave : could be wrong though

We were just there in October and checked in outside any immigration. The only way they would have problems would be if they were coming in to the same terminal from another country and did not go through customs. Domestic flights into Narita come into a different section of the terminal (at least at Terminal 1). It may be different at Terminal 2 (never have been through it).

2. you may have still been "domestic" from Okinawa to Narita, and not through immigration until given the boarding pass for Narita to Dallas eg we were able to leave LAX after checking bags from SEATAC in Seattle through to Melbourne in Australia, but could not leave LAX once checked in with Qantas as our US tourist visa was removed from our passport

Even after you get your boarding pass, you still have to go through security, passport control, etc. You can leave the terminal after getting your boarding pass and checking your luggage as this part of the terminal is outside the immigration process.

Hope this makes sense. Go here for clarification: http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/guide/step/t2_dep/index.html

Looks like Qantas uses Terminal 2. Since you didn't mention whether you were coming into Narita from an international or domestic location, it's hard to tell what your situation is.

look like this:

1. from memory when you check in at Narita you clear immigration, hence unable to leave : could be wrong though

We were just there in October and checked in outside any immigration. The only way they would have problems would be if they were coming in to the same terminal from another country and did not go through customs. Domestic flights into Narita come into a different section of the terminal (at least at Terminal 1). It may be different at Terminal 2 (never have been through it).

2. you may have still been "domestic" from Okinawa to Narita, and not through immigration until given the boarding pass for Narita to Dallas eg we were able to leave LAX after checking bags from SEATAC in Seattle through to Melbourne in Australia, but could not leave LAX once checked in with Qantas as our US tourist visa was removed from our passport

Even after you get your boarding pass, you still have to go through security, passport control, etc. You can leave the terminal after getting your boarding pass and checking your luggage as this part of the terminal is outside the immigration process.

Hope this makes sense. Go here for clarification: http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/guide/step/t2_dep/index.html

Looks like Qantas uses Terminal 2. Since you didn't mention whether you were coming into Narita from an international or domestic location, it's hard to tell what your situation is.