Return Ticket Question
 

Hello

Total noob when it comes to all that is Japan.

Is there an issue when arriving in Japan if I'm not sure if my return ticket yet?

I plan to book last minute Aeroplan Award tickets and I usually only know a day or so before we return home to get the least expensive F/I/J class, so if I plan to stay two weeks in Japan I'll not have an idea of my return until a few days before.

I'd hate to purchase the outbound only to be denied entry at HND/NRT.

Thank you for any information you can provide.

I've never been asked for proof of onward travel when entering Japan. You just need to fill out how long you intend to stay.

Immigration doesn't care, but the airline might. Happened to me just a few weeks ago, the gate agent at SFO wanted to see my flight out of Japan. I had one, so no issue, not sure what would have happened if I didn't have one.

That's what I'm seeing too, that it's more the airline that could become the problem.

An immigration agent in Shimonoseki asked me to prove that I had sufficient funds to support myself in Japan because I hadn't booked a ticket out of Japan. The circumstances were a little special - I was already in Japan, and had just changed my status from a working visa to a tourist visa. It would have been nice if he'd told me that he was going to ask for proof of onward travel before he rescinded my working visa.

I have always assumed that the immigration agents at airports have some data about the onward travel arrangements of arriving passengers, but perhaps I am wrong about that.

Had this happen with ANA in January out of SFO, return was in June so longer than the 90 day permit would have allowed. I showed my Feb-May TYO-SFO itinerary so no prob. Then leaving SFO in May with no return on that PNR, no questions. YMMV

Having a return/onward ticket is an Immigration requirement, so if you don't have one, you risk problems. I agree with others: the most likely pain point will be your inbound airline, which has every right to refuse travel if you don't meet the Immigration requirements, even if they're not generally enforced. However, I was asked once at Immigration upon arrival for proof of onward travel. It was a somewhat-unusual situation: I was at an unusual port of entry for Americans, and staying only 1 night, so I understand why they asked. That's a good example of a general rule: Immigration and Customs are looking for things out of the ordinary, and ask more questions when they see that. If you look like a regular tourist and what you put on your arrival card seems normal, it's less likely that you'll be asked, but it is a requirement. You are assuming the risk of the consequences if you arrive and don't have your return ticket.

I have residence in Japan, so flight to Japan is return or final leg for me. I usually cannot check-in online for that flight and must see a check-in agent. There, I explain my residency and show my card, and all is well. My Japanese wife with Japan passport never has that problem and can check-in online. So, the airline will likely be who you need to deal with.

You could always book a fully refundable (either on points or cash) flight for ~90 days out from when you plan to enter the country, and then just cancel that when you secure your points flight out.

Ive thought about that and have also spoken to a few "digital nomad" friends who say when they run into these sort of problems they use a company called onewayfly that'll "book" them a ticket to be able to show the return/exit. I'd never heard of them before.

That company just sounds like a TA that creates a PNR for you without ticketing. The PNR/reservation is then what you'd use to show a return/onward flight.

But to answer your original question, I've been asked ~50% by both JAL and ANA for onward flights when I've only booked a one-way with them.

I've done a number of trips to Japan from USA where I flew on OW tickets mixing NH and JL on the same trip but separate tickets.

I recall being asked to show the USA checkin agent proof of onward tickets every time.

I have never been asked by an immigration agent to show proof of onward journey for any country. However, JAL is the only airline that regularly challenges me at checkin to see such proof if I have a one-way or other unusual ticket where it's no obvious I'm going straight back to my country of citizenship after visiting Japan. I would recommend having an onward ticket booked before visiting any country, but especially Japan. If you're unsure of date, just book something refundable/flexible (e.g. a mileage ticket) so you can change it once you know.