How NOT to enter Japan

[Taro Toporific]

[Molokidan]

Man, this is such a great, classic story. And not to poke fun at the man's misfortune, but...

"By this point, I was in all-out Debito style pissed-off gaijin mode."

had me in stitches!

[Mulboyne]

[gomichild]

Well you aren't a true FG if you haven't been threatened with deportation at least once...

(My threat was in Feb 2004, and was saved from deportation cause I was married to a Japanese National - still it was pretty touch and go there for a week or so)

[ichigo partygirl]

Man some of the people that work there are dumb shits. I went through immigration with a guy who was here for a 5 day holiday on the way to europe she just assumed we were together and just asked him questions and stamped my passport without looking properly.

[devicenull]

Well, I had this treatment in reverse.

When I was leaving Japan, I decided that I wanted to keep my gaijin card. I should have just said that I lost it. But no, I wanted to use the story my friend was going to use. I claimed that I never got it. The guy at the gate was not ammused and angrily stamped a piece of paper denying me departure. I was sent to a nice room in the new Chubu Airport and got to wait.

They pointed out the application stamp and claimed it was proof that I had it and that I have to hand it over immediately. At this time, the card was sitting in my backpack in a hidden pocket. I emptied my pockets and wallet to show that I did not have it. The guy ended up making a phone call to the town hall where I was registered and got a fax of my application and claimed it was proof I had it. I tried to explain to him the logic that I applied but did not collect it because it was far away, I was busy with classes, and I didn't have time to waste like that when I had a piece of paper that got me a phone, bank account and worked the same as a card would. I then tried to explain that just because they have proof I applied doesn't mean they have proof that I ever got it. Actually, as far as I can remember, I never signed anything when I got it. I just had to flash my passport and they gave it to me. All they would have to do to fix this is stamp the passport again when it is received.

After a good hour, they finally handed me a sheet of paper to write an apology addressed to Japan for what I did and give a detailed account. I wrote it in English and using my note-taking handwriting that is barely legible to me as it is. I signed it, they stamped my passport, and I was led out the special gate to the terminal.

What I learned about this:
If you want to keep your card, just say you lost it a few days before and didn't have time to reapply before you had to leave.

[kamome]

No, all you need to do is buy a round trip ticket as proof that you're coming back in to the country and then never board the return flight. That's what I did and still have my gaijin card (now buried in a box somewhere).