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Julian Ryall

Notices in Chinese and English are being posted at Narita International Airport warning travellers not to buy so many items in duty-free shops amid a spate of passengers delaying flights because of excess hand-carry shopping.
Operators of the 300 shops at the airport, to the west of Tokyo, are delighted at the recent upsurge in foreign tourists to Japan, thanks in large part to the weakness of the yen.
But airlines are reporting that as many as 30 per cent of flights to destinations in China are being delayed, as passengers and flight crew struggle to cram purchases in overhead luggage bins and under seats.
An official of the airport said that they were being more strict about the observation of limits on carry-on luggage.
The official declined to identify any particular nationality as causing a problem, however.

Anyone carrying luggage that is larger than the permitted size to fit in overhead storage compartments is being required to check their purchases into a cargo container, a process that takes time and is causing flights to be delayed.
As well as souvenirs such as food, perfumes, tobacco and brand-name jewellery and clothing, Chinese tourists are reportedly spending their left-over yen in the electronics shops at the airport. Bulky rice cookers are apparently popular, as well as heated toilet seats.
The impressive array of goods available in the airport is also encouraging travellers not to bother doing their shopping in Tokyo, instead hitting airport shops to avoid having to cart their buys so far.
Earlier this month, one sightseeing couple joined a long line of travellers at Narita airport's Terminal 1 after finishing embarkation procedures with two carts loaded with mountains of shopping bags.
"I got accessory bags for myself and stuff like chocolate to give to friends for a total of 30,000 yuan," the woman of 30 said.
Another woman who had come from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province in southwest China, had purchased about 20 boxes of cookies and other treats to hand out to friends.
Several airlines had spoken to Narita airport about delays due to the amount of carry-on baggage on China-bound flights.
Additional reporting by Kyodo


Shoppers at Japan's Narita airport urged not to overdo it in duty free stores following flight delays

A duty-free store clerk serves customers at Narita airport near Tokyo. Photo: Kyodo

A man in a duty-free souvenir store at Narita airport near Tokyo affixes a sticker aimed at preventing travellers from exceeding carry-on baggage restrictions. Photo: Kyodo

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