Originally Posted by
AlwaysAisle
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Also, if it became obvious that you will miss the connection in Japan and have to overnight in Japan but you do not have appropriate visa, then JAL may not allow you to board the flight to Japan at the departing airport.
I am not counting on a delayed flight, but if it happens to be delayed enough that I will miss my onward connection, I think the above might be my best option - especially if JAL rebooks me on a different flight.
Originally Posted by
ksandness
I don't know where you're from, but citizens of many countries do not require a visa to enter Japan for tourism or transit. This is the case if you're from Canada, the U.S., Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, or any other country that has reciprocal tourist visa arrangements with Japan.
If you are not sure whether you need a visa, ask the airline ahead of time.
I do reside in the USA but I still have a foreign (SEAsian) passport. I am arriving in Japan late-afternoon and will catch the last bank of flights to SEAsia. And my onward connection happens to be the last flight to my final destination.
I am qualified for either a transit, single-entry or double-entry visa to Japan. However, the visa application procedures at the Japanese consulates here in the USA are very very complicated. For one, I am only allowed to apply for a visa three months ahead of the trip (not any more than that!). So much for planning ahead! My business itineraries get busier closer to my date of departure and I cannot wander around the USA without my passport on hand. Further, they have a very slow processing time - with all documents + passport being sent together. Then they keep your passport while awaiting decision (as opposed to other embassies who only ask for your passport when a decision has been made).
And to qualify for a multiple-entry visa, I need to have had three prior entries to Japan.
I usually use HKG as my transit point, but had to use JAL this time.