Japan customs changes: Sakhalin-Hokkaido Ferry
 

It has come to my attention that Wakkanai Customs (Hokkaido, Japan) is, in most cases, now requiring a Carnet.
Previously, a simple declaration was sufficient.

I telephoned to find out the details, and the reason they gave me is that many travelers are not able to provide them with their specific plan. Customs wants to know when and where the vehicle is exported. Also, in some cases, travelers have failed to export their vehicles within one year. (Most likely the reason for the change:nono:)

However, they are open to making exceptions in some cases.
If you have an reservation for exporting the vehicle with a shipping agent and can have the shipper tell Wakkanai Customs when and where you will be leaving from, they might let you in with just a declaration. In any case, it seems advance permission is required. Without a Carnet or advance permission, you will not be able to purchase a ferry ticket.

I will post any updates if I get any new information.

In any case, this year (2015) is possibly the last year for this ferry route. It is not proving profitable, and Wakkanai City doesn't want to provided heavy subsidies to keep it going.

Chrtis, as always thank you for quite some valuable information.

So, some did screw it up?!?

Oh well, lucky those who came here during the past couple of years via that route.

Not sure, but the customs guy I talked to did say specifically that some people have left their vehicles in Japan.
This could be a case of simply the paperwork not being done right, resulting in Wakkanai Customs not knowing that the vehicle was exported. However, I often receive inquiries about how to sell/abandon a bike in Japan.

Ferry??
 

So what ferry will be possible from Russia to Japan??

Do you mean what ferry will be possible without Carnet?
Or what ferry will be possible after the Sakhalin route ends next year?

Without a carnet? I have no idea. It depends on the customs office.
Ferry from Russia? DBS Cruise Ferry is running from Vladivostok. I have not heard news of it being canceled.

Ferry
 

I mean conection betwen Russia nad Japan.
Ferry from Vladivostok is ok.
Maybe will be possible to get any teporary permit if you have round trip ticket??

Ferry to Japan
 

I find that ferry from Vladivostok to Japan is only for passangers.
I can't take car there.
Is it true or maybe there is a mistake on DBS Ferry web site?

Where did you see that information? I see freight info here.
DBS Cruise Ferry

.

Ferry
 

Ok, thank you.
My mistake.

Hı Crısç, ıf I undertaın rıght thıs year ıs ok wıthout carnet?

NO!
Starting this year, they require a Carnet.
This is what the customs person told me when I called to check.
Next year, the ferry stops running completely. (According to the newspaper)

Oh ****.....I'm without that!!!!!!!!! So I can't go to japan!!!!!!!!!:nono::nono::nono:

Sakhalin-Hokkaido Ferry
 

Hmmmh, bugger!
I also had planned to use this service in 2016. So it may be a 'No-Option' now. I have written to their office to find out for sure and shall report back.

I always wondered if further up north in Sakahlin one might be able to cross over to the mainland? ... even using a private service.
There are several places like Uglegorsk, Shakhtersk, almost opposite Vanino one could consider crossing. Even further north is Pogibi to Lazarev ~10km distance or Lupolovo/Rybnosk to the Russian mainland (~ 25km).

Anybody done it, tried it, researched it?? ... or where to get more info??

Do you think is possible to go from Russia to South corea and then to Japan without Carnet?

Maybe. I know it has been done by DBS ferry from Vladivostok, but the persons who did it had cargo reservations for the next country already. A long time ago, Kampu Ferry from Busan to Shimonoseki refused some Australians because they didn't have a carnet. I don't know if the situation has changed.

Here are the rules in Japanese language for entering with a vehicle via ferry:
http://www.customs.go.jp/kaisei/zeik...U-S46k0849.pdf
Here is the form to fill out.
http://www.customs.go.jp/kaisei/yous...m_C/C5014a.pdf

Hi Chris,

We were planning to use the ferry's in 2016 on our trip from Amsterdam to Tokyo. So your post came in as really bad news. Especially so because we just had the attached conversations in march 2015;

What do you think of these conversations and the position of the people we had them with?

Does it shed any new light on the matter?

Thanks for all the good work Chris!

Regards
Wilco (and my friend Milko)

I don't know what the company Inflot has to do with the ferry, but the ferry operator Heart Land Ferry (ハートランドフェリー) says the plan is to discontinue after this year. If they can get funding for it to continue, I think they will have service next year. However, Wakkanai City does not want to pay $400,000 in subsidies required to keep it going. Like the message says, they might continue as a "new organization" if someone will pay the subsidies needed to keep it running. I would like to help out the ferry, but unfortunately I don't have that kind of money :offtopic:
There is rumor of a new ferry service to Japan next year, but not from Sakhalin:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...y-2016-a-82026

Hi Chris

What if "the organization concerned" mentioned by Heart Land Ferry is Inflot?
Just a thought ...

Your news of the new connection is welcome as well !

Greetz
Wilco

Update from on the ground
 

Hi Chris,
I arrived in Sakhalin on the Heartland ferry today and had a chance to speak with the shipping agent here. His advice is that the ferry will continue well into the future but under a Russian operator. Hope this helps for those planning for 2016 and beyond.

Now staying in the Pervy Sakhalinisk Hostel in Yuzhno and it is brilliant and cheap. Super friendly operators, spotlessly clean and secure parking for the bikes.

Carnet for all Japan ports?
 

Excuse me if I'm being dumb, but the original post from Chris was concerning a specific customs office in the north, I believe.


Do they currently require a carnet entering via Sakaiminato (from Vladivostok)?

I have heard of it being done in Sakaiminato by someone who had already arranged for cargo out of Japan.
Also done by someone at Hakata coming via Korea.
No guarantee without a carnet, but there is a chance.

I've just had a definitive answer to my question from the guy at the DBS office in Vladivostok, where I went with Yuri earlier. The guy came back to me after speaking to customs in Japan.

The only circumstances in which they'll let me in without a carnet is if I'm leaving Japan via ferry to Korea. Presumably I'd need to buy the ticket in advance.

Here's his email, a little confusing but I think I've understood correctly:

----------------

"Hello Sir ! Infortunatly, it is not impossible to go in Japan without
Carnet. This is Japan custom rules. There is only one way for you to take a ferry to JP with you
bike. It will be possible if you will be return from Sakaiminato to Donghae
(Korea) by our ferry. And from Korea you can take a plan to Vancoover
without problem.


--
Best regards,
cargo agent DBS Cruise Ferry
Rogov Artem mailto:ras.co@mail.ru"

--------------

The guy thought that pre-arranging air freight out of Japan wouldn't help - although he didn't ask this question of Japanese customs.

Hi guys,

Was in Wakkanai about 10 days ago and spoke to the ferry people. As Chris already reported, the ferry to Sakhalin will definitely no longer run as from 2016 unless they can find another company to take over the route.

October 1 newspaper article says that Wakkanai City plans to form a new ferry company to start next year. They want to operate from April to December, so we won't have to worry about the September cutoff (assuming that the plan actually becomes reality). They still have some issues to work out, but it is promising that they actually working on starting a new ferry service.

crossing the river
 

hey chris, not sure if you or anybody else can give me confirmation but just checked the dbs website and still shows a ferry timetable, I was looking for vladivostock, south korea, japan then to usa , bikeme and ferry is any of this still possible would you know ; would be leaving vlad sometime in September 2016,
cheers in advance.
ben

Ben, that is a different ferry than the one that is the subject of this thread.
I have not heard of DBS's Vladivostok route being canceled.

Any news here on the Ferry from Sakhalin to Hokkaido?

Service will not start this year.
In fact, the ship used by the previous operator was just sold to a company in the Philippines. The new operator was supposed to buy it, but Wakkanai city was not able to put together a crew for the Wakkanai - Sakhalin route. NO chance of a ferry operating in 2016. Who knows about next year.

Thats really a pitty. But thanks for the infos Chris

Ferry 2017
 

The most interesting is that there is only 1 conection from Wladivostok to Japan.
It mean that no much traffic and interest are from Russia to Japan??
I was few time in Russia and I know that it looks quite diferent than Europian conections betwen countries but it is still unusual for me to close popular and short conections.
I belive that will start in 2017.
I plan long travel to fast east Russia and Japan in 2017.

We just arrived with our Land Cruiser by Ferry from Busan to Fukuoka. We did not have a carnet and paid the Camillia line a surety commission of 20,000. They only let me book a return ticket from Busan, but in the end it worked out. Enjoying Japan. Our first 24hours was a blast as we had a nice encounter with the local Land Cruiser clubs in Kyusu. Read about it here if you are interested.

Adventurous greetings,
Coen

Hi,

any news about Sakhalin-Hokkaido Ferries?

From this Sakhalin regular line / Wakkanai-shi it would seem there is one, but able to carry cars?

No, the Penguin 33 cannot carry cars or motorcycles.

2019 Follow up,still up in the air by the looks :(
 

Hello,

Is it possible to ship a motorcycle on your ferry service or is it passenger only?

Thank you

Brian

Dear Brian

I'm afraid, I haven't decided on detailed information about this year's reservation situation It is undecided whether the route will survive from next year onwards.

Thanking you in advance.

HSL Reservation Section





From: brian power <brianpower84@hotmail.com>
Sent: Monday, June 24, 2019 2:46 PM
To: sahkouro@giga.ocn.ne.jp
Subject: Inquiry

It seems, that there is a new ferry service between Russia, Japan and Korea

Link deleted,, because Mailking says its not proper information.....

Yes, but not on the Northern part from Hokkaido to Sakhalin. As this thread is called.

I am sorry, that I shared this information, when you consider this as not proper information.

I deleted the link.

Have fun.

Interesting article about cargo btw Wakkanai and Sakhalin.. so if shipping is available, can you ship bike and take ferry without it?
https://h2w.hokkaido-np.co.jp/econom...t-enters-port/


Ferry
http://www.city.wakkanai.hokkaido.jp...in/teikikouro/