It's a fair amount of work to apply if you are not a frequent traveler. After approval I think they give you six months to enter and finish the application with fingerprinting. From memory after 3 years you have to reapply.

On a different note, HND T2 only had one operational gate for TTP entry in October. As of now only the major airports have it at all. Anyone have a list of which airports?

A couple of weeks ago we tried at OKA and it ensured our TTP member was the last through immigration. We did not know OKA does not have the machines with the right card readers for TPP, so this traveler had done the online form for TTP and not visitjapan. The immigration officer made him go back and fill out all forms manually because he said visitjapan can only be done before arrival. He was then the last person from our flight to get through immigration.

I entered on an APEC card and made out slightly better. Because the APEC/priority lane was not staffed I was asked to stand aside and wait. After 1/3 of the plane had been cleared they asked me to go to the end of the normal line because they would not be opening the priority lane. But I still made out better than the TTP card holder!

All in all I found it quite hilarious because they managed to defeat the purpose of both TTP and APEC cards with us! Never argue with bureaucracy!