Well done, Japanese customs officer, for asking questions that I feel like I should be getting more often!
In this post:
I’m rarely questioned at immigration & customs
I travel internationally a ton, often for the purposes of airline review trips, where I’m visiting a lot of countries in a short period of time. You’d think that this would look suspicious to immigration officers, yet I almost never get any sort of questioning.
Historically, I’ve always traveled with a backpack and carry-on bag, both because there are certain comforts I like traveling with, and because I figure that just traveling internationally with a small backpack would be too suspicious.
Yet for my past several trips, I’ve started just traveling with a backpack. This is convenient in terms of not having to worry about overhead bin space, and not having to lug a lot of stuff around. I assumed that this would arouse some suspicion at airports, but nope, for the most part, it hasn’t.
Like, I took a one night trip to Bolivia, I’m just traveling with a backpack, and you have no questions for me? Admittedly I’d be the dumbest smuggler on earth, and perhaps it would just be so obvious as to not be suspicious. But still, you’d think there would be questions.
I’m not trying to get into an argument about “wokeness” here, but I think it’s important to acknowledge that me being able to breeze through customs and immigration like this at least partly comes down to me being a white dude. I guarantee that if I were an obvious minority, I’d probably be stopped a lot more often.
My funny Japan customs experience
All of this brings me to my arrival in Japan. After flying Korean Air’s A321neo business class, I arrived at New Chitose Airport (CTS), and had to clear immigration and customs. I had no issues at immigration, but then I got to the customs officer.
In Japan, you fill out a customs form, and then each passenger has to go up to a customs officer who reviews the form. Every time I’ve entered Japan, they’ve just sent me on my way without asking anything. This guy looked at my form, and then looked at me, with a slightly confused look on his face.
The conversation then went something like this:
Officer: “Did you collect your luggage?”
Me: “Yes, I just have the backpack.”
Officer: “How long are you staying in Japan for?”
Me: “Just for one night. I fly to Tokyo Haneda tonight, and then to New York tomorrow.”
Officer: “Do you have any gold?”
Me: “No.”
Officer: “Do you have any illegal drugs?”
Me: “No.”
Officer: “Do you have any friends in Japan?”
Me: “Not really.”
Officer: “Is it okay if I search your bag?”
Me: “Of course!”
He then proceeded to search my bag. I’d say it was a reasonably thorough search, as he rummaged through every pocket of my bag. But it wasn’t one of those situations where they’re convinced you’re carrying something, and send your bag through an x-ray, search your body, etc.
After a minute, he simply said “thank you for waiting, so sorry, welcome to Japan.”
Bottom line
I don’t often get questioned at customs, even though logically, I feel like it would be appropriate. So that’s why I was kind of amused by my arrivals experience in Japan, whereby the officer started by outright asking me if I had gold or drugs. I can totally understand how traveling internationally with a small backpack looks suspicious, so I don’t blame him!
Given how rare this kind of questioning is for me, I figured it was an anecdote worth sharing.
And you even got a "so sorry"! Nice.
I was detained at YYZ for 45 minutes last month, as far as I can tell for wearing shorts and a T-shirt and carrying just a backpack for a 3-night visit. Also hadn't shaved in a few days.
They were absolutely not pleasant about it, in true Canadian border agent fashion. Full search and no effort to put things back in any sort of reasonable...
And you even got a "so sorry"! Nice.
I was detained at YYZ for 45 minutes last month, as far as I can tell for wearing shorts and a T-shirt and carrying just a backpack for a 3-night visit. Also hadn't shaved in a few days.
They were absolutely not pleasant about it, in true Canadian border agent fashion. Full search and no effort to put things back in any sort of reasonable manner. Kept asking me how I intended to pay for things in Canada and I had to show them my hotel reservation and checking/savings balances on my phone. And they definitely didn't give me a sorry afterwards. I get that Canada has a huge problem with people coming and staying illegally to work but they can at least be polite... like everyone else in the country.
Come back from Bangkok as a sole male traveler. If you are like me you will be taken to a customs room, have your bags searched and asked personal questions including about your family members. Versus the people that simply walk across the Southern border.
That's weird. Whenever I return from BKK, I don't even need to pull out my passport, the facial recognition at Global Entry knows who I am, and I'm on my way. When I cross back in to South Texas (where I live) from Tamaulipas, I have to approach a CBP official, and even though I have SENTRI, there's still always a short line of questioning.
I must look super-dodgy! I've been asked and searched for drugs (they use that little fabric swab on the end of a stick to wipe my bags and my clothes each time) at Gatwick, Tenerife South and Stockholm airports in the last 18 months :(
The best way to annoy those customs people is by becoming overly helpful, like pointing out some pockets they might miss and asking them proactively if you should help them by opening some for them. Then give them an unwanted audio tour of the contents they're going through. Make sure it's in a happy, constructive and helpful but just too loud tone. In most cases they're done with me in under a minute.
(Yes,...
The best way to annoy those customs people is by becoming overly helpful, like pointing out some pockets they might miss and asking them proactively if you should help them by opening some for them. Then give them an unwanted audio tour of the contents they're going through. Make sure it's in a happy, constructive and helpful but just too loud tone. In most cases they're done with me in under a minute.
(Yes, I know they're just doing their jobs, but that doesn't make the experience less annoying, and in most cases I get the impression the annoyance goes both ways).
Great anecdote - that's something I always wonder with these review trips, the sort of questions you get at immigration and customs and what you say etc.
So, what you’re telling us is that your gold/ drug smuggling into Japan was successful.
Congratulations!
Why would only having a backpack be suspicious?
Quite the picture of unwavering Japanese precision, and I’m surprised it hasn’t happened to you more often.
As an aside, it seems Air India has ordered 85 more Airbus aircraft, and I think it’s pretty noteworthy for you to cover, especially after the passing of its leader Ratan Tata.
lmao what about this shows a picture of "unwavering Japanese precision"
I meant to say the by-the-book, methodical way the officer asked those questions.
I travelled to Narita from Singapore with only a backpack for a 2 night stay. I was shown a card and asked if I have any of the items listed ( gun, drugs etc)
I said no and the border officer asked " body touch ok?" He patted down my coat for about 3 seconds and then sent me on my way with a thank you!
I also travel lightly, usually a rollaboard and a backpack. I never had any issues except once at IAD, where there was a long line (around several backage carrousels) and it took me about 1 hour only to get to see the officer ... and then they searched my belonging thoroughly (like most other pax). I think that day they got a hint (or some intelligence), therefore it was much more thorough than usual.
Wondering if this is more of a standard question they're asking. I got asked if I had illegal drugs when I went in 2022, but they didn't search me. I was staying 3 weeks, and traveling with family. I breezed through alone and with friends twice in 2017 and twice in 2018, no questions or searches at all.
I will say though, my interactions with CBP have generally been good. I got searched coming back...
Wondering if this is more of a standard question they're asking. I got asked if I had illegal drugs when I went in 2022, but they didn't search me. I was staying 3 weeks, and traveling with family. I breezed through alone and with friends twice in 2017 and twice in 2018, no questions or searches at all.
I will say though, my interactions with CBP have generally been good. I got searched coming back from a work retreat in Cancun a couple years ago, but the agent was courteous. Not apologetic, but I don't expect them to be, they're doing their job. Coming back from Cancun with my fiance last month we chatted with our passport control agent for a few minutes, he used to be a COBOL programmer.
Hi.
Welcome Japan.
I reccomend you the Visit Japan Web(customs declaration form).
It's a very easy.
https://services.digital.go.jp/en/visit-japan-web/
You don't have to write down the customs declaration form.
Then you can pass through without quesiton and no waiting time the custom declare.
This is the best way!
Forgot about Visit Japan Web after the end of Pandemic. Gotta use that if my planned trip to Tokyo this winter actually happens. ありがとうございます!
I live in Japan and I find the old-school paper customs form to be easier than all the steps involved in using Visit Japan Web. You have to pre-register before the flight, mess around with a terminal in the baggage claim area, get a QR code, etc. etc. whereas with the paper form you just fill it in and hand it off, generally with a minimal line and usually with no questions. Sometimes the QR code line is actually very long.
Thanks, @Ben, for acknowledging that race indeed plays a role in how "security" is enforced. I'll never forget a flight from CDG to ZRH. Right in the baggage claim area there was an officer smiling and waving goodbye to "all" passengers. I thought "OK, it seems they're just saying hello to that guy and heading straight to the exit". Well, as soon as I was approaching I did as "everybody else", waved hello to the...
Thanks, @Ben, for acknowledging that race indeed plays a role in how "security" is enforced. I'll never forget a flight from CDG to ZRH. Right in the baggage claim area there was an officer smiling and waving goodbye to "all" passengers. I thought "OK, it seems they're just saying hello to that guy and heading straight to the exit". Well, as soon as I was approaching I did as "everybody else", waved hello to the guy, to which he replied in German "you come here". What followed was lots of questioning and an EXTENSIVE search. Guess how many passengers on that flight (regional aircraft) went through that? 2, me and a Black passenger. The others (all white, of course) just waltzed their way through baggage claim with a smile on their faces.
They are playing the statistical odds.
"I think it’s important to acknowledge that me being able to breeze through customs and immigration like this at least partly comes down to me being a white dude. I guarantee that if I were an obvious minority, I’d probably be stopped a lot more often."
Your passport privilege also helps out with that, whether using your German or US passports.
A white person traveling with a Serbian passport or Brazilian passports, as examples, might be a bit more suspicious.
I believe this is much closer to the truth than simply racial profiling. It's naive to think that customs officials pick people just based on how suspicious they look when waltzing through the customs area. Rather, they have a preselected list of names (and pictures) of people that they are looking for. Someone could get picked off the flight manifest or flagged when going through immigration based on their nationality, flight origin, previous travel patterns...
I believe this is much closer to the truth than simply racial profiling. It's naive to think that customs officials pick people just based on how suspicious they look when waltzing through the customs area. Rather, they have a preselected list of names (and pictures) of people that they are looking for. Someone could get picked off the flight manifest or flagged when going through immigration based on their nationality, flight origin, previous travel patterns and such. Many countries participate in international police cooperation and their officials may be tipped off in advance of an inbound passenger.
Japan is just wonderful in about everything, even Customs.
As told before I travel about the same average as you, but only for Business, so I have lot of Lay Overs of just one night or even less. To give you an example, one of my most frequent Routes are ZRH-GRU-ZRH, LX departs ZRH late evening and arrives at GRU at around 05:00h. I get out at GRU but the plane continues to EZE...
Japan is just wonderful in about everything, even Customs.
As told before I travel about the same average as you, but only for Business, so I have lot of Lay Overs of just one night or even less. To give you an example, one of my most frequent Routes are ZRH-GRU-ZRH, LX departs ZRH late evening and arrives at GRU at around 05:00h. I get out at GRU but the plane continues to EZE (not sure if this is a Fifth Freedom) and returns and then make it on at evening the Sector back GRU-ZRH. Most of the times I stay there for a night or so but last month I was in a hurry and decided to take the same flight back to ZRH a couple of hours later.
I have to admit, once I'm tired (which was the case) I like cooperation.
When I deplaned in the morning, a guy at GRU-Customs asked me, "why are you already flying back this evening"? (For those not familiar, Customs at GRU -besides others, can be a pain in the as#.
Without thinking I asked him; "Don't you go home when you finish your job here"?
Well, it took me 4h untill I was able to leave the airport.
Side note, the guy still recognises me everytime we meet.
Not sure if the officer had a reasonable suspicion and asking if you have a gold or a drug straight seems weird, but it seems like he/she handled the situation quite well afterwards (certainly better than what CBP would do).
What’s wrong with carrying gold?
Whenever you're in Japan, always make an effort to visit the airport's observation deck and aviation-themed gift shop if available. Japan's airports are the best that has avgeeks in mind in my opinion. From what I recall, Narita's Terminal 1 even has a 90s like simulator which was fun and makes you feel like a kid again aside from the gift shop.
Exactly, it's hard to find an airport in Japan without an observation deck.
Admittedly Japan is the best place to be a transport geek of any sort (aviation, train, buses, etc.).