Can you bring DVD backups through customs?

[squarepusher]

Im getting ready to go to japan to teach english and I really want to bring my backup dvd's. Whats the situation with bringing them through customs, I realize that i have around a 150 at this point and figured i might raise some sort of red flag.

[NeoNecroNomiCron]

Post them, or just bring them. I had no problems

[AssKissinger]

Where's your job? I used to live in Portland.

I don't think 150 DVDs is a very big deal to those guys, btw.

[squarepusher]

Thats cool, i was worried I might have to leave them behind. So do I need to make sure the ones i have don't have pussy shots, I hear they check sometimes. While im on the subject what's the situation with internet porn, Im a real addict and I'd hate to think I can't see pussy porn over there. Im not sure where im going yet, I should know soon, Im working for nova. I leave sometime early feb.

[james]

in my experience, customs here has been a breeze. granted with a japanese wife and two kids, i don't exactly fit the terrorist or criminal profile.

i've never had them go through my luggage. they ask me if i have anything to declare, i say no and they wave me through. i think they're more concerned about drug runners, illegals and other riff-raff. unless you appear to be well over the (someone correct me if i'm wrong) personal quota of 200,000 yen or seem to have articles of value (in particular antiques etc) you should be fine. much less a pain in the ass when i go through ottawa in canada.

that said, while i wouldn't advise anyone to do anything illegal, if these are your standard dvdrs you don't need to go out of your way to label them or put pics on them either. throw them in a standard soft-cover cd carrying case.

as for getting your porn fix while here, the net is the net. this isn't china so they don't block "immoral" sites and "subversive" sites like cnn. like any country though, you're responsible for what you download and can be held responsible but don't expect the hard drive police to be coming to your door either.

on that note, if i were single and coming over here for a year, i'd be getting my fix somewhere other than the net :P

[dimwit]

Thats cool, i was worried I might have to leave them behind. So do I need to make sure the ones i have don't have pussy shots, I hear they check sometimes. While im on the subject what's the situation with internet porn, Im a real addict and I'd hate to think I can't see pussy porn over there. Im not sure where im going yet, I should know soon, Im working for nova. I leave sometime early feb.

If you need to rely on that over here, you might as well brand your forehead with a Big L.

[Adhesive]

I've had my luggage searched all 6-7 times going through customs. I'm so used to it that I don't even bother packing my luggage as tight as possible because I know I'm just going to have to repack it in the middle of the airport. I guess I look like a drug smuggler or something, but those Japanese cutom agents hate me.

[devicenull]

last time i went through customs, I was slowing down at the table and they just waved me through. I seriously doubt they are going to care about a few dvds if they dont look like they are for resale

[Andocrates]

Yea just go for it, at the worst they will make you mail them home. I was worried about bringing Ritalin through customs last time, they just moved it and keep looking for weapons.

[Steve Bildermann]

Not wanting to rain on the parade...but I am told (from good sources) that with the holiday season about to get under way and many more overseas visitors expected due to the expo (something akin to the world cup times 10) customs have now been told to step up inspections with regard to 'electronic media' i.e. Compact flash / DVD / tapes / DAT tapes / mini disks etc.

So much so that there is now a special section/room at Narita, Kansai international and Nagoya airport with equipment such as computers and media readers staffed by 'techies' who *do* know know their stuff.

They also have US liaison personnel working there. Any visitor with suspicious or unusual items is directed to wheel his stuff into this room where it all get's checked. Our missing friend Bobby got his electronic chess machine confiscated by customs just prior to being detained (insult to injury)


Of course this is under the umbrella of 'security' concerns.

[squarepusher]

lol, thats a good point james. I tell people there will be a few more half japanese when I leave. I was just asking for when i get lazy and don't want to have to bother someone else. Thanks for the posts.

[Blah Pete]

If you have anything "questionable" then buy a huge, cheap hard drive and copy it to disk. This may be the safest way for a while.
I bring back some "discount" movies from Korea every month but only a few at a time so if I am caught they will probably let me go. Seems here that some illeagle things, if done in moderation are OK.

Steve B is correct about customs upping their technical ability. My company in the US oftens sends me circuit boards and other parts and puts the customs valve real low, like $100. The Kuronekko-Yamato shipping guy at Narita has called me a few times to get the real price or more technical information on the product. According the shipping company Customs has hired a new generation of tech aware agents. They took one look at some of the electronics sent to me and knew there was no way my company could manufacture it for the listed customs value.

[james]

is not bringing it with you at all.. 150 dvds is roughly 705gb. that used to be a lot but now would fit on a couple of the newest hard drives available.

couldn't you just drop the stuff you _really_ can't do without across a few tech savvy friends' servers and then download it as you need it? or even just leave the dvds with one friend and get him to put up a dvd image (or even the actual files) and grab them as you want them..

anyway, just a suggestion if you're that worried about it, and recent developments might suggest playing it safe wouldn't hurt. personally, that's what i'd do anyway, regardless of what the data is.

even where i am out in the sticks, i've got 12mbit dsl connection and a 5gb dvd image would probably finish over night, though i can't say i've tried or had reason to.

[Ketou]

I have never been searched by customs in Japan. But, I get a customs officer coming up to ask a few "innocent" questions everytime I get back to my home country. Anal retentive pricks.

I cannot, for the life of me, understand why you need 150 DVDs. Let alone need to bring them here.

[goldenboy_ge]

I guess I look like a drug smuggler or something, but those Japanese cutom agents hate me. <--- he he he :P


150 DVD's!!! What the heck! U put them into ya bag and just get through? I wish it'll sound easy at Frankfurt and Munich. They check ur begs, ur pockets, just everything no matter how u look like.

[Seraphis_Set]

Edit: Mistaken

[AssKissinger]

Am I the only one who doesnt think 150 DVD's is a lot? I have well over a 1,000 CD's. 150 can fit in just one book. I'm totally sure customs won't give a shit.

[leathernick]

Just mail 'em to yourself. My roomate mailed himself two binders of CDs (200+ CDs total) along with some other things and they got through just fine.

Yeah, it'd be just 3 spindles anyways.