bringing pets into Japan

[tiger tanaka]

Does anyone have any personal experience with bringing pets into Japan, especially cats? Returning to Japan after three years in Thailand, my J-girlfriend is serious about bringing her two cats to Japan, as they are her substitute for real children. I think it will be a major headache, with quarantine and such, plus I can't see the felines enjoying the move from a normal house and a giant garden-jungle cat-paradise where they were born, to a two room apartment in Hamamatsu. We will end up with fucked Thaigin cats crawling the walls because they don't have any trees to climb or assorted geckos, frogs, and chameleons to chew on. So I think they should stay, but I know I will lose the argument. Actually, the more I read this forum, the more I think I should stay in Thailand, too.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thaiger

[GargoyleTS]

http://www.maff-aqs.go.jp/english/index.htm Most of the English links don't work yet so I hope you can read Japanese decent as the info for that lang seems to be there.

On the bright side, the kitties will have a wonderful time chasing cockroaches...or will assimilated by them

[kamome]

Actually, the more I read this forum, the more I think I should stay in Thailand, too.

Ah, someone is seeing the light

Stay in Thailand if you can, my friend. Enjoy your nice house, the reasonable cost of living, the flexible nature of the people, and your kingly salary. Why are you coming to Tokyo?

[tiger tanaka]

Actually, Hamamatsu to be exact, an apartment on Hamana-ko. The girlfriend's hometown, and she seems to want to go back, however, she may change her mind.

thailand is a great place to live, but if you spend a few years here, then it turns into just another screwed-up place. Corruption, rich upper class, enviromental destruction, racism, a lot of guns, very bad driving, all kinds of the usual downers. A great place to be a tourist, but living long-term, not sure.. We have a business here, and it is damn hard to make a living, plus the Thai government really doesn't want foreigners here for the long term. The regulations of foreign business ownership is very tedious. And they tax the shit out of you with work permits. Japan is actually an easier place for foreigners to start companies and try different things. believe it or not..

I lived in Osaka in the late 80's (what a party, we were like rock stars so it seems now, as there were so few gaijin there in those days, and I was only about twenty, ahh... the good ol' days. And the economy was on fire) and I haven't really spent much time in Japan since. So my feeling are mixed, as we do have a great lifestyle here on about five hundred dollars a month (near Chiang Mai) . My vegetable garden, my orchids, my fish pond, the big old wood house, a workshop were I do welding and metal work. And we certainly do eat like an emperor and empress. We have a few months more to decide. But I still think the cats should stay and be Thai nekkos, even though they are pretty cute..

Basically, I am pretty confused about the whole plan. But my girlfriend's happiness is important.

Tiger

[kamome]

thailand is a great place to live, but if you spend a few years here, then it turns into just another screwed-up place...A great place to be a tourist, but living long-term, not sure..

I hear ya'. Well, no guns in Japan, as you know, but all the other downers are present here too. And you pay more for the good stuff.

Starting a business IS easy here. In fact, it now only costs 1 yen to start a business with minimum paperwork.

[Mels]

This is another issue I have with Japan and I am glad the F. Minsitry is protesting. Damn, I had my dog in quaranteen for two weeks and I know it was tough. But reading what they were planning...stricter guidelines, made me cringe. I know control is something Japanese like, me included, but dang. I hope the Ministry can minimize these restrictions...


Foreign Ministry lodges protest over new rules for pet imports

Yomiuri Shimbun

The Foreign Ministry has protested against tighter quarantine rules to go into effect from June to prevent rabies from entering the country.

Imported cats, dogs and other pet animals will be subject to tighter quarantine restrictions as a result of an October revision of the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry's measures to prevent rabies from entering the country, tightened in the wake of an increase in such imports.

But the Foreign Ministry has asked the agriculture ministry to ease the new measures, which will cause headaches for pet owners wishing to bring their animals back into the country after living overseas.

Pets are subject to 14 days of quarantine if they have a health certificate and have been vaccinated against rabies at least 30 days before arrival in Japan.

Full story:

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/index-e.htm

[FG Lurker]

This is another issue I have with Japan and I am glad the F. Minsitry is protesting. Damn, I had my dog in quaranteen for two weeks and I know it was tough. But reading what they were planning...stricter guidelines, made me cringe. I know control is something Japanese like, me included, but dang. I hope the Ministry can minimize these restrictions...

Strict regulations about pet transport sound good to me. If rabies gets into Japan getting rid of it will be a nightmare, perhaps impossible.

Australia is also very strict.

[Mels]

This is another issue I have with Japan and I am glad the F. Minsitry is protesting. Damn, I had my dog in quaranteen for two weeks and I know it was tough. But reading what they were planning...stricter guidelines, made me cringe. I know control is something Japanese like, me included, but dang. I hope the Ministry can minimize these restrictions...

Strict regulations about pet transport sound good to me. If rabies gets into Japan getting rid of it will be a nightmare, perhaps impossible.

Australia is also very strict.

Oh I totally agree with keeping rabies out. But, I have not heard of any drastic increase of rabies in Japan that would promote these restrictions.
If there have been a spike in rabies, I would agree. I may have missed something.....

[FG Lurker]

Oh I totally agree with keeping rabies out. But, I have not heard of any drastic increase of rabies in Japan that would promote these restrictions.
If there have been a spike in rabies, I would agree. I may have missed something.....

There is no rabies in Japan...

With the stronger restrictions they hope to keep it this way.

Generally I don't like more rules/restrictions. But in this case I don't have a problem with it...

[Mels]

I agree. Now my mind starts to work overtime....I wonder how much in revenue will they make quarantining these pets longer?

I suppose they may be looking at outbreaks in other countries on the increase and want to prevent entry into Japan....that would make a lot of sense. And that is one of the reasons I like Japan. They do their best regarding these issues. I know my relatives in Tokyo appreicate it.

[FG Lurker]

I agree. Now my mind starts to work overtime....I wonder how much in revenue will they make quarantining these pets longer?

Yep, I am sure it will mean a nice revenue increase for the pet hotels that have agreements for quarantine. And of course kickbacks to the gov't officials too. ]I suppose they may be looking at outbreaks in other countries on the increase and want to prevent entry into Japan....that would make a lot of sense. And that is one of the reasons I like Japan. They do their best regarding these issues.[/quote]
Only when it suits the beaurocrats.

[Taro Toporific]

JAPAN TIGHTENS PET QUARANTINE INSPECTIONS
WhyInsure.com / Publish Date : 3/11/2005 3:10:00 PM
Japan has stepped up its pet quarantine inspection regime that requires owners to make prior notification before bringing animals into the country, the National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service said Tuesday.
It said pet owners must give 40 days notification before bringing dogs, cats, North American raccoons, foxes and skunks into the country. The pets will also have to be implanted with identifying microchip tags with pertinent information such as pedigree, blood type, date of birth, vaccination history and general health....more...

[Taro Toporific]

[Reddeville]

Tiger Tanaka - stay in Thailand man! Yep, I know life there could be better but if you`re looking for an alternative why come back to Japan? At the least leave the pets there!

Japan`s got some great aspects and some aspects that really, really suck. My opinion is the new wave of xenophobia is going way too far and if you were really in tune with the real mindset here beneath all the bullshit, you`ll know that the Japanese don`t need any encouragement to heap all the blame on their tiny foreigner population.

I`ve had a cool time here in many ways but the Japanese tendency to go to extremes bothers me. There`s a real uneducated aspect to the masses here, they believe what they`re fed with little opposition, and they don`t need to be told to `blame the gaijin`.

Unlike other countries that have comparitively big foreign populations who receive more rights and money from the govt. pot, Japan has a very small population of foreigners who overall contribute more than they get back thru taxes. In the case of illegals it`s usually the Japanese bringing them in. This is the kind of hypocrisy I don`t wanna put up with for the next 4 years.

Stay in Thailand man, make your money and remember your girlfriend will probably lose her freedom of thought once she goes back home and start `learning to become Japanese all over again`. You`ve probably been warned by others about this. At the most keep the relationship on a non legal level. Harsh but might turn out to be true.

[Andocrates]

I really really wanted to bring my hamster with me, isnt that stupid. But I think about her all the time and make my wife sit her in front of the web-cam then I ignore my wife and talk to my hamster. Haha

[Mels]

I really really wanted to bring my hamster with me, isnt that stupid. But I think about her all the time and make my wife sit her in front of the web-cam then I ignore my wife and talk to my hamster. Haha

naw....brings you unconditional love..and they are awfully cute furry creatures

[drpepper]

I take it those new restrictions only apply to non-island countries, the quarantine from an island to an island used to be 12 hours while coming from the mainland was 14 days. The micro-chip is really the only new thing there I think, I brought my dog (seen at left <---) from the U.S. 4 years ago and had to do all the shots and stuff and get certification but he didn't need a micro-chip.

[Sarutaro]

It was fairly easy to bring a cat in from Sweden. As you can see to the left, it's all about appearing well-dressed and have an attitude to get through immigration control.