Customs at Osaka... what to expect?

[devicenull]

Well, in about 3 weeks, I will be coming over at long last. However, after being in china, you can no doubt assume that I have amassed some goodies that Japan probably does not like. About 100 or so DVDs is the most obvious. I would expect to be bitched at if I got caught at an airport, but I know nothing about the customs security at Osaka (I am taking the ferry from Shanghai instead of flying). Anyone at all familiar with them? I can probably get it all through if I am not stupid about it and know in advance what to expect.... god, i have too many dvds

[Taro Toporific]

..... god, i have too many dvds

Copy 'em to a few el cheapo hard disks.
<OR> Sea-Mail a few each week to your new home or the States.

[amdg]

I've gone through Kansai Kuko many times with a handful of pirated CD's and DVD, which have been spotted but politely ignored with a wry smile (not more imported porn!) from the customs officer.
I assume all your DVD's are in cases? Which will make the whole load appear kind of bulky. If there was any way to reduce their mass, for example just bringing over the disks themselves, and sending the empty cases to your Japan address by mail, it might be worth doing.
Anyway, I don't think you will have a problem if it looks like they're all just for personal use, not sale.


PS - If you think this is legal advice, please send me USD$350

Now, I see you're coming in by ferry. Never done that myself, and there is a possibility that customs control is more stringent there if its the same customs agents that control the shipyard (most IP infringing goods come in to japan via ship). Taro's advice of copying to a few hard drives might be the safest option.

[devicenull]

well, they didnt really come with cases you see... they are THOSE kind of dvds from china... ie, the only kind you can really buy here. I have them all stashed in a cd wallet (oh my god, its overflowing )

as for the hard drive idea... i have a laptop, and the dvds will definitely NOT fit. i think im just gonna risk it and stash the ones i really like in an alternative place to be safe... ie, inside textbooks whish get wrapped in a plastic bag and buried in the bottom of a suitcase.

[devicenull]

..... god, i have too many dvds

Copy 'em to a few el cheapo hard disks.
<OR> Sea-Mail a few each week to your new home or the States.

um... shipping dvds from the mainland aint exactly an easy thing. they search your outgoing packages and you have to pack them at the post office. getting caught results in many bad things... i intend on being able to come back here in the future :P

[GomiGirl]

let us know the date so we can tip off the customs agents.. I am sure that we would love to hear that you were subjected to a full body cavity search..

[omae mona]

let us know the date so we can tip off the customs agents.. I am sure that we would love to hear that you were subjected to a full body cavity search..

Indeed, I would be delighted to have somebody with whom to share war stories. Let me know how I can help.

[cliffy]

let us know the date so we can tip off the customs agents.. I am sure that we would love to hear that you were subjected to a full body cavity search..

GG, Not everybody enjoys a full body cavity search......... but if it is someone else, pass the popcorn

[GomiGirl]

let us know the date so we can tip off the customs agents.. I am sure that we would love to hear that you were subjected to a full body cavity search..

GG, Not everybody enjoys a full body cavity search......... but if it is someone else, pass the popcorn

I would only suggest this for our friend DeviceNull given that he has so many fans on FG..

DN - I am only joshing ya!!

[kotatsuneko]

dude, I got thru both tokyo and osaka customs with around 3-500 optical storage units of questionable legality

osaka was stricter than tokyo imho but they ignored that material and had a good hard look at the amount of loose hardware I was carrying instead - a good smoke screen

its definately worth encrypting and hiding any questionable material on any hd also - just hide it in a system folder somewhere, or even just rar it and call it a dll or whatever - customs have been checking japanee hard discs of late thanks to all those paedos coming over from thailand trips etc..

guess you could always like get a big caselogic folder and put some original cds at the front and back then put the rest in the middle?

as for posting them afaik japanese customs do sometimes scan packages like in the uk, i guess if you sent them in dvdr tubs with say the first 10 or so blanks then you would be ok

good luck anyhow!

[devicenull]

aha, had not thought about that option....

im just gonna buy a small stack of cdrs and mix the dvds that are obvious fakes in with them... seems like it would work

problem with the legit dvd followed by non-legit... i didnt bring any dvds here with me, and i dont think there ARE any legit dvds in china :P

[GridReaper]

I had a layover in Osaka from my Jakarta-Honolulu trip a few weeks ago. Trust me, I had scored scores of DVDs (entire seasons of TV shows and such) and Kansai Airport customs didn't care. So, I checked in my hotel, plugged my iBook into the TV, and dozed off watching e.r. DVDs.

Don't sweat it.

[devicenull]

[Blah Pete]

I bring back DVDs from Korea a few times a month and have never had any problems. I am not greedy and only bring a few at a time. I usually take the paper label out of the case and trach the case. I put the DVDs in with my offical copies of Win2K and other legal software and have never been hasseled.
I would suggest if you have a large collection to buy a cheap IDE hard disk and get a cheap Firewire (or slower UB) portable connection kit.

[devicenull]

came in through nagoya... they didnt even bother to xray my stuff, stop me, or ask me questions. makes me wish i brought my hash instead of smoking it all in china

[Steve Bildermann]

makes me wish i brought my hash instead of smoking it all in china

Thanks but I'm pretty sure we have enough 'Japan newbie - airport - customs - drugs - arrested - jail - 10 year sentence shock - prsion abuse - I'm innocent - appeal denied - website setup - gaijin says prison guards toture daily' threads.

[devicenull]

true... its only when you actually have something you shouldnt that they stop you and search