Future Japan Trip Planning

[Tony Galiani]

Got it.  I am adding posting pictures to my return To Do list!

Tony

[Gunzel]

In the past I’ve had success getting stuff delivered from Amazon to parcel lockers, but Amazon don’t seem to carry this book.  They may have the books Tony mentioned, maybe even as eBooks. 

[brill27mcb]

3 hours ago, Tony Galiani said:

@Kingmeow - yes, in Vienna - just a short trip as I could not work out a February trip to Japan.  Of course, once we decided on this, my schedule ended up changing which is allowing me to do the March trip to Japan.  This way I get to have my cake (or to be precise, my Sacher Torte) and eat it too!

 

I will see about some train pics but not too sure - sadly, most I have seen are covered in graffiti and too depressing for me to take pictures of.  I did see some new CityJet sets which were clean and ungraffited but could not get a shot of them.  Maybe some tram shots as we rode one today and they run right in front of our hotel.  Oddly enough, our room is less expensive as it is on the street and we can hear the trams.  I did not want to tell them that we would be likely to pay more for a room overlooking the tram line!

 

Ciao,

Tony

 

I'd be happy with Vienna tram photos...

 

Rich K.

[Phantom]

I know JR West/Central has baggage size rules (<160cm total dimensions) for no required reservation and a reservation required for up to 250cm, but all I can find online for JR East is "You may bring up to two pieces of baggage on board free of charge. For each bag the total of the length, width and height must not exceed 250 centimeters, the length must not exceed two meters and the weight must be no more than 30 kilograms." There is no indication if this is for shinkansen, local or all services as far as I can tell. Is no reservation required on JR East?

Also, for getting from Narita to Fukushima I'm planning on using NEX and Shinkansen which shouldn't be a problem for luggage. However, on my way out I may be taking a local train on the Takasaki line from Omiya and then taking either the Skyliner or local service on the Keisei mainline/Keisei narita kuko line and was wondering about the luggage rules on those trains. For the Takasaki line google's AI quotes the same page and quote I put above about the 250cm. For the Keisei I can't find anything as definitive.

[Gunzel]

You don’t need a reservation for luggage on JR East at all, but a regular shaped suitcase over about 160cm will be tough to fit in the overhead rack. There’s very limited luggage space in the vestibules or sometimes at the end of the car (depends on car and model) otherwise your best bet is behind the rear seats of each car, and I’d say the unwritten expectation is that space is first for the people in the seats ahead of it (which is what has been made explicit by JR Central and West on their services). You could also look into takkyubin services to have it delivered. 
 

Personally when possible I book the back seats even with a suitcase under 160cm (and I’d question the need for any more, I’ve done many multi week trips with that case half empty, just slowly filling up with treasures to bring home). If you do want more room for treasure then consider doing your shopping near the end and using something like a duffel to carry your clothes so the important stuff stays protected in your suitcase. 
 

I don’t think you will have any issue on Keisei, plenty of people travelling on both Skyliner and local trains to the airport with large luggage. Try and avoid peak hours. 

[Phantom]

12 hours ago, Gunzel said:

You don’t need a reservation for luggage on JR East at all, but a regular shaped suitcase over about 160cm will be tough to fit in the overhead rack. There’s very limited luggage space in the vestibules or sometimes at the end of the car (depends on car and model) otherwise your best bet is behind the rear seats of each car, and I’d say the unwritten expectation is that space is first for the people in the seats ahead of it (which is what has been made explicit by JR Central and West on their services). You could also look into takkyubin services to have it delivered. 

Ok, I'll probably just shoot for 160cm then.

12 hours ago, Gunzel said:

I don’t think you will have any issue on Keisei, plenty of people travelling on both Skyliner and local trains to the airport with large luggage. Try and avoid peak hours. 

I think I should be avoiding peak hours. I assume those end around 9?

[chadbag]

1 hour ago, Phantom said:

Ok, I'll probably just shoot for 160cm then

 

Just a note:  that 160cm is the same basic limit the airlines have on liggage before you have to pay oversize fees so if your luggage meets the airline limits it should be OK on the trains.

 

[Phantom]

I recall a form being mentioned here and sometimes it was filled out on plane inbound if not done ahead of time?? Is that still a thing? I don't recall what it was for. Additionally, I plan on trying to visit at least one train shop (probably in Ueno area, so akihabara I guess? I'm not aware of any shops in the Fukushima area) and from what I understand I may need to fill out a form at departure if they are tax free? (if they are not, I dont need to do anything) I suspect model trains aren't tax free, but I thought I would check beforehand. As for reentering the US, I just have to declare what I purchased and pay no tax as long as it's under $800?

I don't plan on buying much, but I may try to pick up a kato shinkansen (the kato 10-1255 is overpriced online, maybe I will get lucky and find one near retail price) and/or some E3/E8 merchandise.
https://www.jreast.co.jp/sendai/yamagata_e8_debut/

I'm not sure what some of them are exactly, but the artwork looks neat and if they are still available I might get something.

Regarding timetables, if physical copies are available to buy for a reasonable price, a Tohoku shinkansen and Yamagata shinkansen timetable would make for a good tool and souvenir. I suspect I would find those in the train station based off a previous message in this thread saying one was bought at Shinjuku with no further detail implying the station itself?

 

 

Edited February 7 by Phantom

[ED75-775]

2 hours ago, Phantom said:

Regarding timetables, if physical copies are available to buy for a reasonable price, a Tohoku shinkansen and Yamagata shinkansen timetable would make for a good tool and souvenir.

It's true that they do have timetables available at stations, but those copies aren't available for purchase. You can however purchase copies from good bookstores, and as a case in point I did so in 2019 at Kinokuniya Books in Tokyo. The passenger timetable also covers everything running on the JR network, so it'll contain both the Tohoku and Yamagata Shinkansen timetables that you're interested in.

 

As for buying the Kato E3-2000, I think you'll be able to find it much cheaper than MSRP. A quick bit of searching online shows Bic Camera retailing the 10-1255 set for ￥16,280 including tax and Yodobashi Camera for￥15,430 (RRP is ￥20,680), though if you remember to take your passport with you the shop staff will give you the 10% duty free discount (duty free threshold is ￥5,000). I couldn't find anything from Popondetta but any of their stores may well have it; only thing to remember here is Popondetta does not offer duty free.

 

Alastair

[Kingmeow]

5 hours ago, Phantom said:

I recall a form being mentioned here and sometimes it was filled out on plane inbound if not done ahead of time?? Is that still a thing? I don't recall what it was for. Additionally, I plan on trying to visit at least one train shop (probably in Ueno area, so akihabara I guess? I'm not aware of any shops in the Fukushima area) and from what I understand I may need to fill out a form at departure if they are tax free? (if they are not, I dont need to do anything) I suspect model trains aren't tax free, but I thought I would check beforehand. As for reentering the US, I just have to declare what I purchased and pay no tax as long as it's under $800?

 

Before leaving the US, download this app and fill in everything that's needed.  NOTE: each member of your party needs to have their own.  Don't do a "I'm the head of household and I can add the rest of my party to me".  If you do that, you'll go through fine but everybody else will end up having to fill out the paper forms.  This speeds up the process A LOT.  You get off a long flight, you're tired, you're body clock is messed up.  The last thing you want to do is fill out forms.

 

https://services.digital.go.jp/en/visit-japan-web/

 

Upon entry, make sure you affix an Arrival stamp in your passport.  That is your KEY to getting duty free when shopping.  Alastair has already given you some pointers on duty free shopping.

 

When you come back to the US, download this app and fill it out.  Again, this will eliminate hand filled out forms for you.  Yes, each person is allowed $800 of goods that are duty free.  I don't even declare anything less than $800 but I think there's a specific question to that effect.  If you answer No to the $800 purchases question I believe you don't have to list what you bought.

 

https://www.cbp.gov/travel/us-citizens/mobile-passport-control

 

NOTE: some airports may have their system down and even though you filled out everything in the app, you still have to do it the old fashioned way.  But if the system is working it should have your info.  This happened to us on my first trip in Fall 2023.  Second trip in Fall of 2024 we were on Global Entry so that was a walk in the park!

[chadbag]

2 hours ago, Kingmeow said:

Upon entry, make sure you affix an Arrival stamp in your passport.  That is your KEY to getting duty free when shopping.  Alastair has already given you some pointers on duty free shopping.

Technically the Japan immigration officer affixes the arrival stamp.  You need this for more than tax free.  Not having it when you leave and go through immigration could be an issue. 
 

[Kingmeow]

Oops!  Too fast typing.

 

Yes I meant the Immigration Officer needs to affix that stamp.

[Phantom]

Thanks guys! Do I need to declare or fill out any forms on the departure from Japan side for any purchases if I do get the duty free?

 

6 hours ago, ED75-775 said:

It's true that they do have timetables available at stations, but those copies aren't available for purchase. You can however purchase copies from good bookstores, and as a case in point I did so in 2019 at Kinokuniya Books in Tokyo. The passenger timetable also covers everything running on the JR network, so it'll contain both the Tohoku and Yamagata Shinkansen timetables that you're interested in.

It looks like that store doesn't have any locations around Tokyo besides south of Tokyo station. Do you know if there are other similar stores I could look for that might be near Ueno?
 

 

6 hours ago, ED75-775 said:

As for buying the Kato E3-2000, I think you'll be able to find it much cheaper than MSRP. A quick bit of searching online shows Bic Camera retailing the 10-1255 set for ￥16,280 including tax and Yodobashi Camera for￥15,430 (RRP is ￥20,680), though if you remember to take your passport with you the shop staff will give you the 10% duty free discount (duty free threshold is ￥5,000). I couldn't find anything from Popondetta but any of their stores may well have it; only thing to remember here is Popondetta does not offer duty free.

Is this the Bic at Yurakucho? How about Yodobashi, the one in akihabara? I did find a "Sekiya model" shop in Fukushima that appears to carry kato and other n scale products I will probably try first and if they don't have it I will try the shops in Tokyo on my last day.

[chadbag]

28 minutes ago, Phantom said:

Thanks guys! Do I need to declare or fill out any forms on the departure from Japan side for any purchases if I do get the duty free?

No

 

the stores register everything and I think you just have to scan your passport at a customs duty free location on the way out.  That’s what I remember from my last trip.
 

 In the old days they had a collection point where you would offload all the duty free receipts that the stores would staple into your passport.  You didn’t do anything but hand those in.  Now it’s all electronic. 
 

I’ve heard rumors of it changing to a more European style tax free in 2026 where you pay full price at the store and get the refund on the way out.  But that’s 2026 and I’m not sure it’s final or just a rumor or proposal. 

[Kingmeow]

^ +1 on that!  That was exactly my experience in Oct/Nov 2024.

[cteno4]

Ha I was just typing a response when the other two came thru.

 

The tax is basically a sales tax you get back as you are not living in Japan. Duty is something US customs imposes on stuff you bring back to the US. Duty free is stuff you can buy at certain places that are exempt on duties to limits.

 

Your personal exemption is $800 for the us, but model trains fall under 9503.00.00 on HTS which have no duty, so they should be exempt if you go over the $800. I’ve never gone over the US exemption levels and I really have no idea (and a Quick Look around did not give a clear answer) how they would handle a mixed pile that went over $800. I would hope anything with a possible duty would first come out of the exemption and the non duty stuff then no problem. Anyone gone over the exemption coming into the us? If so how does it work?

 

jeff

[chadbag]

Jeff. I’ve never knowingly gone over.  We’ve always had 4 people in our group and while I may have had more than $800 in train stuff (not every trip but maybe twice) we never went over our aggregate.  
 

If I remember the form correctly, supposedly  there is a flat rate duty over $800 up to a certain amount.  I don’t know how things that normally don’t have a duty with them affect this.  But it would be handy to keep the classification code and section of the duty chart/law on hand if this ever became an issue. 

[chadbag]

5 hours ago, Kingmeow said:

NOTE: each member of your party needs to have their own.  Don't do a "I'm the head of household and I can add the rest of my party to me".  If you do that, you'll go through fine but everybody else will end up having to fill out the paper forms.  This speeds up the process A LOT.  You get off a long flight, you're tired, you're body clock is messed up.  The last thing you want to do is fill out forms.

Yeah this happened to us when we went two years ago.  I had added others as household members and they ended up having to fill out the form on the spot.  Luckily it wasn’t busy and we’ve filled it out before so knew how it went so it was only a couple minutes delay.    The WiFi wasn’t working well or my eSIM or how we I was trying to bring up my code in my phone wasn’t working so the guy wanted me to fill out the form as well but the it popped up about the same time the rest had filled out their forms.   So we made it through immigration with only a little delay.  However I also only had one barcode for the customs part and so we got shunted to the “can’t do it electronically” line at the incoming customs but again it wasn’t busy so that wasn’t much slower.  This was at Haneda.
 

if your plane is not the only plane that landed recently and there are several planes worth of people trying to get through, the process can be a lot worse time-wise 

[Kingmeow]

50 minutes ago, cteno4 said:

Your personal exemption is $800 for the us, but model trains fall under 9503.00.00 on HTS which have no duty, so they should be exempt if you go over the $800.

 

WAIT, what????!!!!!!

 

WHY did you have to go and mention that???  🤣

 

Now I'll have to go look it up, print out a few copies and take it with me on our next trip (sometime this year) in case US Customs finds $1000 worth of trains in my bag.  😁

[chadbag]

15 minutes ago, Kingmeow said:

 

WAIT, what????!!!!!!

 

WHY did you have to go and mention that???  🤣

 

Now I'll have to go look it up, print out a few copies and take it with me on our next trip (sometime this year) in case US Customs finds $1000 worth of trains in my bag.  😁

 

It's worth taking with you.  However, in 25 years of going to Japan I've never had my luggage searched in a general search by customs when I came back.  One time, for some reason, I was chosen to have my luggage put through a scanner.  Probably some random thing as I had my family with me with young kids and that's usually an inoculation against that sort of thing.  After the scanner they put one bag aside and started asking me about knives.  Specifically switchblade or butterfly type knives.  They kept asking, rephrasing it each time and I kept denying i had anything like that.  I did say I had a ceramic chef's knife but they didn't care about that and I couldn't remember which bag it was in -- the one they put aside or one of our many others.

 

Finally they asked permission to search it.  I gave it and they went right to one corner, with the scanner guy saying what to look for and where he thought it was.  All they came up with was my stash of nail clippers.  We always were buying a bunch to give as gifts and probably had a bag with half a dozen with the larger size stainless ones.  Theyt looked at it, thanks me, zipped it back up, and I was on my way. 

 

That same time a lady from China -- grandma aged -- was pulled aside.  She was asked if she had any plants in her bags and they had a big sign with all these plants listed on it with pictures of them.  They kept asking her if she had anything like that and she kept saying no.  I think she did not understand what they were asking or wanting based on the way she was speaking.  Anyway, they finally searched her bag and seemed to pull out at least one of everything that was on their pictorial chart.  We were done at that point so I don't know what happened but I assume she lost her stash of ancient Chinese herbs.

 

[cteno4]

It’s so murky to figure this out, I’ve looked at the US customs pages and many others for the details of what happens over the $800 exemption. It looks like duty would be imposed based on its HTS category and for toys it’s free! But I’ve never tried to bring back over my exemption (gotten very close) nor tried to ship over like $500 or $600 in one parcel. As Chad notes a family can combine their exemption, so you can negotiate with your wife.

 

What I’m curious is if you had like $500 of something that does have duty and $500 of trains and assuming they have no duty would they give you the $500 duty stuff under the exemption and just ignore the trains being no duty.

 

any how toys (including scale models which is where model trains now appear to be, in the past they had their own code but no longer, HTS is a nightmare) are under 9503.00.00 and are free of duty.

 

Jeff

[chadbag]

My experience in talking with others who go slightly over the limits is usually they don't care and wave you through.  They have so many people coming through customs at major airports that they have to spend their resources looking for the money launderers, the drug mules, and the commercial level smugglers etc.  Someone $400 off paying $40 in duty is not worth it to the guy on the floor who is collecting the customs declarations etc.

 

I can't promise anything, but from what I've experienced or from talking with others, as long as you don't trigger flags or have a ton to declare they don't seem to care about small cases...

 

Edited February 7 by chadbag

[Kingmeow]

My trains purchases on my last trip in October was $600.  I didn't want to violate the $800 (yes, I have my wife as "backup" 😁) or have any Customs issues as we have Global Entry.  ANY violations (they threaten) will revoke your Global Entry status.  If you know the NY/NJ airports situation with Customs, having that revoked is an extremely strong deterrent!  🤣

[Phantom]

16 hours ago, ED75-775 said:

It's true that they do have timetables available at stations, but those copies aren't available for purchase. You can however purchase copies from good bookstores, and as a case in point I did so in 2019 at Kinokuniya Books in Tokyo. The passenger timetable also covers everything running on the JR network, so it'll contain both the Tohoku and Yamagata Shinkansen timetables that you're interested in.

 

As for buying the Kato E3-2000, I think you'll be able to find it much cheaper than MSRP. A quick bit of searching online shows Bic Camera retailing the 10-1255 set for ￥16,280 including tax and Yodobashi Camera for￥15,430 (RRP is ￥20,680), though if you remember to take your passport with you the shop staff will give you the 10% duty free discount (duty free threshold is ￥5,000). I couldn't find anything from Popondetta but any of their stores may well have it; only thing to remember here is Popondetta does not offer duty free.

 

Alastair

How large is this book? I'm packing relatively light


I don't think I'm going to spend much more than $200 so the 800 limit shouldnt be a problem for me.

[chadbag]

29 minutes ago, Kingmeow said:

My trains purchases on my last trip in October was $600.  I didn't want to violate the $800 (yes, I have my wife as "backup" 😁) or have any Customs issues as we have Global Entry.  ANY violations (they threaten) will revoke your Global Entry status.  If you know the NY/NJ airports situation with Customs, having that revoked is an extremely strong deterrent!  🤣

 

It’s not a violation to have more than $800.