Quote:
Originally Posted by Sangetsu
In all of my trips to Japan (several), I've never been questioned or detained by immigration or customs. I've never even had my bags looked at, I'm always quickly waved through with a polite bow.
A lot of how you are treated depends on how you are dressed when you arrive. If you are dressed wildly, have lots of facial hair or things like a pierced lip or eyebrow, you can pretty much be guaranteed a questioning by immigration and an inspection from customs. Never talk back to immigration or customs officials, just smile, and do as they ask.
I'm glad you enjoyed your trip though. Things for me are now reversed, I live in Japan, and now have to deal with immigration and customs in my home country, which I have always found to be worse than those in Japan.
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Hey Sangetsu,
My expereience with custom is also the same, i never had any problems at all, they didn't even check my bag or anything, simply walk out. And yes, myself too, not a one time thing, it seems that everytime I go to Japan, its a simple walk through
Yeah, I think a lot of people think that its common sense to "Never talk back to immigration or customs officials, just smile, and do as they ask.", but you will be suprise at the number of instances I've seen perfecly sober man/woman argue with custom officers "I am not removing my shoes" type of thing....
Talking of which, my last year experieince at the airport was worth a laugh, you know how in Terminal 2, you have to come out, go through custom, go down the stairs, claim baggage and then you check out thoruh custom again? There is this Korean guy that just got off the plane from Korea, snatched a purse, ran through the upper level custom, down the stairs and made an attempt to run through the second custom gate as well. 6 custom officers jumped him and pinned him on the ground. What was he thinking! He could have waited till he is outside first