[JapanFan2017]

Hi, I have a misdemeanor on my record from January 2012 for a petty theft for something really stupid and dumb I did. I was wondering if this will show up at all when I enter Japan and go through immigration.

I already asked the embassy for help and they said they could not provide an accurate answer. Also from my understanding Japan only bars traveling with drug offenses or crimes that carry a year or more in jail, which my charge does not.

This is my second time visiting Japan. I visited in May of 2014 and I checked no on the embarkment card for the question involving have you ever been convicted of a crime. I had no issues entering but since then I read that Japan approved some sort of agreement with the USA to share all criminal fingerprint data to prevent and deter crime. Something that they did not have access to before.

My lawyer told me to continue to check no on the landing card because even though my charge does not constitute an offense which would deny entry, that by checking yes I am taking an unnecessary risk for an immigration officer who is having a bad day and who can technically deny me entry at their discretion. I just want peace of mind. Peace of mind that nothing bad will happen when I enter this country again because the costs associated with it are already laid out and I am losing sleep over it. Any advice or assurance would be greatly appreciated.