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Japan customs changes: Sakhalin-Hokkaido Ferry Japan customs changes: Sakhalin-Hokkaido Ferry
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  #1  
Old 20 Mar 2015
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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)

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.
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  #2  
Old 20 Mar 2015
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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.
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  #3  
Old 20 Mar 2015
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Originally Posted by klaus View Post
So, some did screw it up?!?
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.
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Old 21 Mar 2015
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Ferry??
So what ferry will be possible from Russia to Japan??
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  #5  
Old 22 Mar 2015
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Originally Posted by Bartosz View Post
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.
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Old 22 Mar 2015
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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??
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Old 30 Apr 2015
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Do you think is possible to go from Russia to South corea and then to Japan without Carnet?
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Old 30 Apr 2015
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Originally Posted by scalpo View Post
Do you think is possible to go from Russia to South Korea 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
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Old 24 May 2015
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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)
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Japan customs changes: Sakhalin-Hokkaido Ferry-img_0045.jpg  

Japan customs changes: Sakhalin-Hokkaido Ferry-img_0046.jpg  

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Old 24 May 2015
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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
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
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Old 25 May 2015
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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
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  #12  
Old 13 Sep 2015
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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.
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Old 15 Sep 2015
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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.
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  #14  
Old 9 Oct 2015
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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.
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Old 10 Oct 2015
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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.
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