Japan trusted traveler program
 

We travel to Japan annually for a month as tourists and have global entry. Do you think getting into Japan trusted traveler program which must be renewed every 3 years worth it for travelers like us? 3 years seem very short.

The big benefit I see is not having to carry your passport on your person for a month. You still need it for things like hotel check-in and tax-free shopping (I think people have different experiences), but not having to carry it with you at all times is very convenient.

If you travel to Japan annually (meaning once per year) you wouldn't be eligible for the TTP. I think the program requires 2 entries within a one-year period to qualify.

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This is correct. When issuing the card, they will check your passport to ensure you entered at least once in the last 12 months. If you timed your trips properly you could probably game the system to get your second trip inside the 12 month window, but OP isn't who the program is designed for. And upon renewal they are likely to look at your old card's entry data during the preliminary inspection process, notice that you didn't fit the parameters of the system and deny you outright.

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. :rolleyes:

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! :D Never argue with bureaucracy!

I traveled back from the US to HND in November and HND was a mess in a somewhat typical Japanese fashion (for immigration).
Lots of employees standing around, at best just being unproductive and at worst directing people to the wrong lines. Lines for non-Japanese were long and people were processed slowly.
If the TTP equipment is compatible with the facial recognition stuff they have for Japanese citizens I see it being expanded but otherwise not really.

Even the US has now combined immigration and customs and is no longer insisting on fingerprinting foreign nationals all the time....

Location of automated gate installation

〇 Narita Airport (1st Passenger Terminal Building and 2nd Passenger Terminal Building)
(Note) Not installed in the 3rd Passenger Terminal Building.

〇 Haneda Airport (Third Passenger Terminal Building)
(Note) Not installed on international flights in the 2nd passenger terminal building.

〇 Chubu Airport (1st passenger terminal building)
(Note) Not installed in the 2nd Passenger Terminal Building.

〇 Kansai Airport

On a different note: once TTP issued, and if not enetering via one of the above TTP-enabled POE, does it mean the Visit Japan Web App would have to be used (as if there is no TTP)? Is there any other process for travellers with TTP?

Yes, you would have to fill out VJW, but given that VJW just now just uses a single QR code, which means you only fill out a single page for both, and you still need to fill it out for customs, it shouldn't change anything from your normal process.

In recent months when the agents saw that the traveler tried entering on TTP without VJW they made the traveler do all manual paperwork. They would not let them do VJW as it is supposed to be done before you fly to give them time to process it.

May I ask where you found that list? It could be very helpful if they keep it up to date!

Do you mean for customs? You don't need VJW or paperwork for the immigration/TTP eGate portion of entry as you're supposed to fill out your disembarkation info on the TTP website before heading to Japan. Just need it for customs, and yeah you are supposed to fill it out 6 hours before entering.

Twice when we found there was no TTP reader my staff had to fill out the paper forms because the immigration agents said they could only use (perhaps only access?) visit Japan web, not the TTP site information. And after landing it is too late to fill out visit Japan. That's why I am keen to find out where the TTP readers are installed and we can avoid this nonsense.

Many thanks, much appreciated!

I'm familiar with the VJW site and filling out information there, but I thought the disembarkation information entry on the TTP site was just for the entry for obtaining the card. Do you need to fill that out every time, or is once good enough? I just checked and they seem to have cached my information from my last visit, which I had filled out upon application for the card, and then picked up the card on that visit.

ohh yeah i thought you were saying when they went through TTP they still had to fill out paperwork, makes sense now.