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⚡ 30-Second Answer: First 30 min after Japan airport arrival = ①immigration QR ②baggage ③airport ATM for ¥5-10K (mid -0.5%) ④load Suica/PASMO with ¥3K ⑤limousine bus or train to city. Avoid airport exchange counters at all costs (mid -3.5-5%), konbini ATM is cheapest. Late-night arrivals are limited — plan ahead.
Quick Reference
Value
First 30 min
Immigration→ATM→Suica→train
Airport ATM
Konbini ATM mid -0.5%
Avoid
Airport exchange counters
Suica top-up
¥3,000
To city
Limousine bus or train
Last verified
June 2026
A guide for wrapping up everything between landing, immigration, baggage claim, and the exit door in under 30 minutes. Most tourists trip on the same three things at the airport: "exchange," "Wi-Fi," and "adding Suica/Pasmo." If you prepped in advance, all three are either unnecessary or take 1-2 minutes. This article maps out the ATMs, convenience stores, and Wi-Fi spots at the five major airports in the order you'll hit them on arrival.
TL;DR — the 30-minute timeline
Elapsed
What to do
0-5 min
Airplane mode OFF (eSIM auto-connects)
5-15 min
Immigration + baggage claim
15-20 min
Withdraw ¥10,000-20,000 at a Seven Bank ATM
20-25 min
Add Suica/Pasmo to Apple Wallet (¥1,500 charge)
25-30 min
Buy your train or bus ticket to the city
→ Skip the exchange counters (mid-market -7 to -10%), skip airport Wi-Fi (if you have eSIM).
1. Narita International Airport (NRT)
ATM locations
Terminal
Location
Hours
T1 Central Building 1F
Seven Bank ATM (arrival lobby)
24h
T1 North Wing B1
Seven / Lawson Bank (inside convenience store)
24h
T2 1F Central
Seven Bank (arrival lobby)
24h
T3 (LCC) 1F
Seven Bank
6:00-23:00
Convenience stores
T1 Central Building B1: 7-Eleven (24h)
T2 1F: FamilyMart / Lawson (24h)
T3: 7-Eleven (5:00-23:00)
Fares into the city
N'EX (Narita Express): ¥3,070 (tap through with Suica)
Keisei Skyliner: ¥2,580
Keisei Main Line (local): ¥1,050 (takes 1.5x as long)
A correction worth being loud about: the virtual card in Apple
Wallet cannot withdraw cash at any Japanese ATM. The "Smartphone"/QR
menu on Seven Bank machines serves Japanese domestic apps only (PayPay
etc.). Cash requires the physical card — order it 1-2 weeks before
your trip. The virtual card's job at the airport is Apple Pay shopping
and the Suica top-up.
Pay the initial charge (¥1,000 or ¥3,000) with Apple Pay
Done (2-3 minutes)
Dramatically faster than buying a physical card at a machine. No ¥500 deposit either.
⚠️ Travel hack: overseas VISA cards often fail when charging Suica. Topping up a Suica inside Apple Wallet with a foreign-issued VISA card frequently errors out (gets declined). Use a Mastercard (Wise, Revolut, etc.) or AMEX to top up instead. If VISA is all you have, charge the Suica physically at a pink ticket machine in the station using the cash you just withdrew from the ATM.
Suica can't be added on non-Japan-market handsets (FeliCa restriction). Buy a physical Suica/Pasmo.
If you're buying a physical Suica/Pasmo
JR Midori-no-Madoguchi window or ticket machine
¥500 deposit required (refundable on return)
Initial charge ¥1,000-3,000
8. Airport gotchas
Gotcha 1: the exchange counter trap
T1/T2/T3 at every airport have exchange counters (Travelex etc.) advertising "Best rate" — but they're mid-market -7 to -10%. A ¥10,000 exchange costs you ¥700-1,000. An ATM withdrawal is -0.5%.
¥4,500-6,000 for a week. 2-3x what an eSIM (Airalo / Holafly) costs. Buying in advance is the move.
Gotcha 3: "no card reader" taxis
Especially on late-night flights heading to the suburbs, a ride-hail app (GO / Uber) is more reliable.
Gotcha 4: vending machines that won't take ¥10,000 notes
ATM only spits out ¥10,000 bills → you can't buy a drink from a vending machine. Pick the ¥1,000 bill option at the ATM, or break the note at a convenience store.
Q: Can I activate the eSIM later on the airport Wi-Fi?
A: Yes. But airport Wi-Fi is slow and flaky, so download the eSIM profile before departure, finish setup on the plane (in airplane mode), and turn airplane mode off after landing — that's the clean path.
Q: I forgot my bank card's PIN
A: Reissuing overseas takes time — and note the virtual card can't pull ATM cash. Survive cashless on Wise / Revolut virtual + Apple Wallet + Suica (covers konbini, trains, most restaurants), exchange foreign banknotes at a street counter for the cash-only spots, and have the replacement card sent to your hotel if your stay is long enough.
Q: The ATM says "Card not accepted"
A: Three causes:
Magnetic stripe not reading → try a different ATM
Overseas use OFF → flip it on in your card issuer's app
Q: The landing card asks for "funds on hand" — what do I write?
A: Cash on you + your travel card budget combined. Example: ¥5,000 cash + ¥150,000 equivalent on Wise = USD 1,000. A rough number is fine.
Q: Late-night LCC into KIX — is the ATM open?
A: Yes — the Seven Bank ATM at T2 (LCC) runs 24 hours, so you can withdraw right in the arrivals lobby even on a late-night or early-morning flight (no need to walk over to T1).
Q: From Fukuoka Airport to a Hakata hotel — can I just tap through with Suica?
A: Yes. Tap at the subway gate. If you added Suica to Apple Wallet before departure, it's seamless.
