Immigration procedures in Japanese ports

[inmyfootsteps]

Wondering how long it takes to go through Japanese immigration everytime we dock into a Japanese port. I have heard that we need to go through a face to face everytime we leave and return to the ship. As well, I have heard that it can take upways to  a few hours , hence throwing a wrench into independent travel plans.

[bennybear]

 It took is over 2 hours when we returned from  Vladivostok to Japan.  But no immigration between Japanese ports.

[BruceMuzz]

Although nearly all things Japanese are famous for their efficiency, it seems that Japanese Immigration never got the memo. 

After dealing with them for the past 30+ years, they just get worse every year.

Over the past several years, cruising in Japan has really started to increase. Japan Immigration was - and is - completely unprepared for the increasing number of ships visiting Japan.

Local news stories have highlighted the shortage of Immigration Officers available for ship inspections, and the complete lack of effort to improve the situation.

 

Generally speaking, all ships arriving in Japan from another country, and all ships departing for another country are required to have face to face inspections with all passengers - including Japanese passengers.

Some Immigration Offices in Japan also require ships on domestic legs (Japanese port to Japanese port) also have face to face inspections. Unfortunately it is completely unpredictable as to which ones will do it and when.

 

On smaller ships, the number of Immigration Officers (usually 4 or 5) is not bad. The face to face inspection takes about an hour.

On larger ships, the number of officers is often the same, causing long delays for pax to get ashore. Ship tours are adjusted accordingly. For private tours, you are on your own.

 

Good luck.

[Floridiana]

Our last cruise around Japan was on Azamara, around 700 passengers in May 2019. It is true that the number of inspections  has increased since our first cruise in 2015. In 2015 we saw immigration only once in Hakata when we arrived from a South Korean port.

 

In 2019, we had to have our passports ready each time we left the ship. I remember immigration officers standing next to the ship staff who was scanning our cards. Each port would handle things a bit differently, but with the small number of passengers it went smoothly most of the time. I vaguely remember that it took the longest in Hakata.