Terminal 3

Immigration first, trains second: all international flights hit T3

Every long-haul and regional international flight at Haneda uses Terminal 3, and there is no airside link to domestic T1 (JAL) or T2 (ANA). That means every international–domestic connection runs the same play: passport control, baggage claim in T3, customs, then a landside transfer to the domestic side and another security check. Build the buffer; for tight ANA or JAL connections, assume a solid 90 minutes door to door.

Layout: departures up top, trains underneath

T3 stacks vertically: departures on the 3rd floor, arrivals on the 2nd, and rail on the levels below. Keikyu Line platforms sit directly under the terminal, and the ticket machines and gates sit right opposite the Arrivals exit after customs, so you can be on a train toward Shinagawa or Hamamatsuchō in under 15 minutes from wheels‑down on a light-traffic day.

Getting between T3 and the domestic terminals

For transfers to T1/T2, regulars skip the curbside bus and use free Transit Boarding Tickets on Keikyu or Tokyo Monorail instead. You pick these up at T3 information counters, then ride one stop to the domestic complex in under 10 minutes, instead of sitting in bus queues that can easily chew up 20–30 minutes at peak.

Check-in, security, and airline split

All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines both run their international flights from T3, with ANA desks clustered toward the north side and JAL toward the south. Self-service kiosks and automated bag drops cut check‑in time to around 5–10 minutes off‑peak, but security and outbound passport control can still build to 30–40‑minute waits around late‑night departure banks.

Eating in T3: udon, tonkatsu, and a McDonald’s backup

Most sit‑down spots sit on the 4th-floor Edo Koji area landside. Setagaya serves ramen with bowls typically around ¥1,200–¥1,500; Soba Kanda does classic soba and tempura in the same price range. Tsurutontan Udon Noodle Brasserie portions are huge, with many travelers sharing a single oversized bowl for about ¥1,500–¥2,000. For fast food, McDonald’s on the departures level prices a basic set meal around ¥700–¥900, and Starbucks handles early‑morning caffeine from roughly 6:00 depending on the day.

More food airside: katsu and yakiniku before boarding

After security, options thin out but you still have a few decent picks. Katsukichi in the international departures area does proper tonkatsu teishoku, with pork cutlet sets usually in the ¥1,800–¥2,200 band. Yakiniku Champion offers grilled meat plates at slightly higher prices, closer to ¥2,500–¥3,000 per person. Late-night flyers complain that some kitchens close by around 21:00–22:00, so don’t count on a full meal right before a midnight departure.

Lounges: ANA and JAL plus a few extras

On the ANA side, the ANA Lounge and ANA Suite Lounge sit near the north‑side international gates; Suite is for ANA Diamond and long-haul first class, while the regular lounge covers Star Alliance business and status. JAL mirrors that with the JAL Sakura Lounge and JAL First Class Lounge toward the south. Third‑party options include the TIAT Lounge, TIAT Lounge Annex, the Cathay Pacific Lounge, and a Qantas Lounge, all opening roughly 3 hours before their main bank of flights.

Shopping: duty free plus anime and souvenirs

Fa‑So‑La Duty Free and Fa‑So‑La TAX FREE AKIHABARA cover the usual liquor, cosmetics, and electronics airside, with whisky often priced 10–20% under downtown. Tokyo Souvenir Shop and Hello Kitty Japan push character goods and snacks, while JAL PLAZA sells airline-branded merchandise. If you need last‑minute adaptors or cables, Tax Free Shop Laox near departures stocks them, often under ¥2,000 for basic items.

Lockers, luggage storage, and Haneda Airport Garden

Large coin lockers line the Bus Terminal level of T3 and Level 2 of the attached Haneda Airport Garden complex; big units typically run around ¥600–¥800 per day. The Omotenashi Center on Level 2 offers manned luggage storage for oversize gear or longer stays, handy if you’re using the connected onsen, which runs from 13:00–10:00 and closes 10:00–13:00 for cleaning.

What regulars do and what to watch out for

Frequent HND users time arrivals outside the late‑evening wave, when immigration lines in T3 can hit 30–60 minutes, erasing the "city airport" advantage over Narita. Many ANA and JAL passengers heading to domestic hops ask at T3 about the Domestic Transit Counter; in some cases staff issue your domestic boarding pass there, saving a detour to T1/T2 check‑in, but this is airline‑ and ticket‑dependent, so confirm before you land.

One last tip

If you’re landing in T3 and sleeping in central Tokyo, follow the signs to Keikyu or Tokyo Monorail directly under arrivals and skip the taxis; in normal traffic hours, you hit Shinagawa or Hamamatsuchō in about 15–20 minutes for under ¥500–¥700.