Re-entry permit holders use Japanese passport line - Yes or No

[spike7165]

Quick background...

Came in through a regional airport today, two lines one labelled "Japanese Passports" and one "Foreign passports". Historically it's been ok to use the JP passport line, but have heard stories from friends about one immi inspector getting upset that us dirty foreigners were using that line, though they still got processed.

Met the probably 1 guy face to face today, who was incredibly rude while waiting in line (he was directing people before he jumped onto a desk) who basically admonished us for being in that queue, told us we should be at the back of the very long (200+) visitor queue, when told we lived there and it had been ok before, he was still rude and went to check with the guy who's queue we were in who said ok. I told him he was being rude and instead of coming back to us and saying it's ok, he just walked off saying "ee desu" under his breath, I did sarcastically call back "ee desu-nee" after him.

To be honest after a nice trip to Macau and Hong Kong with normal friendly immi staff, it came as something of a shock to get someone so rude belittling us in front of other passengers.

I was contemplating complaining to the regional immi bureau but I didn't grab his name so in any case it probably wouldn't make any difference.

Question is does anyone know what the rules say about using the Japanese passport line if there are zero signs for re-entry holders?

As I mentioned above this isn't just me being sensitive, other friends have noted the same thing probably with this one guy, who has a problem with gaijin in the Japanese line. Rude behaviour etc. but tellingly they are always let through and not sent to the other line, which makes me think it's ok and this one guy having abad attitude.

[evilone]

The historical rules changed at the same time that the seperate reentry lanes were introduced at the major airports. (More correctly, the reentry lanes were in response to the negative criticism of changing the rules of reentrants to use the visitor lanes)

[rtfm]

Sign up for the automatic gate. I have yet to experience any lineups as hardly anyone uses the thing. On one trip they had to come over and turn the system on!

Second advantage: the gate doesn't fill up your passport with excessive stamps.

[evilone]

Sign up for the automatic gate. I have yet to experience any lineups as hardly anyone uses the thing. On one trip they had to come over and turn the system on!

Second advantage: the gate doesn't fill up your passport with excessive stamps.

Don't think anything but NRT/HND/KIX and Chubu have the automatic gates at this point.

[spike7165]

Don't think anything but NRT/HND/KIX and Chubu have the automatic gates at this point.

Unfortunately no gates either....

After a long 7 hour delay on the outbound in an international departures the size of a shoe box with no food or coffee i wasnt relishing the local stupidity when coming back.

I wouldnt have minded if told i couldnt use that line politely but this guy was a rude a hole who i told as much and got processed anyway.

Think i will write or email the regional bureau responsible so i can get a proper answer for future trips and also ask theu consider a re entry line.

[Glenski]

He let you in the door. What more do you want from an underpaid government employee? Since you already seem to recognize his face, suck it up if you get in his line. Just don't p!ss him off with any smart aleck remarks. Take the rudeness and the open door. You don't want him to tell you to go through any other one.

If he wants to hike to the back office to get confirmation on something he should already know (and probably does but just wants to tick YOU off by waiting), let him have his exercise. Don't give him the satisfaction of being upset.

[themoonrules]

What airport?

Any case, there are no established rules, and this is another YMMV situations that's not just limited to Japan. If you want an official answer, than write the immigration authority for an official stance on the topic and carry a copy of the letter. But what I imagine you'll get in response is the official line that foreigners use the foreign line and Japanese use the Japanese line. You might of been both right and both wrong at the same time. You'll never get an official response from something that is done unofficially.

In the US there are also some unofficial rules on which lines certain persons can enter, it depends on which airports and who might be directing lines and working the immigration desks.

[Effected After]

You might of

Might have.

[spike7165]

He let you in the door. What more do you want from an underpaid government employee? Since you already seem to recognize his face, suck it up if you get in his line. Just don't p!ss him off with any smart aleck remarks. Take the rudeness and the open door. You don't want him to tell you to go through any other one.

If he wants to hike to the back office to get confirmation on something he should already know (and probably does but just wants to tick YOU off by waiting), let him have his exercise. Don't give him the satisfaction of being upset.

6 months ago I probably would have agreed with you, but now after 5 years of the little racist remarks/treatment that we all get I really don't think we should accept it.

Being belittled in front of my travelling companion, in front of English speaking tourists, is not acceptable to a tourist let alone a resident. This guy obviously hates foreigners and I watched him borderline shouting at Chinese tourists about the fingerprint machine.

Why should I feel anxious about having to use my local airport because of 1 guy? I have a valid working visa approved recently by the regional office who did a lot more checking than they ever did, why should he be able to be as rude as he wants because he's a racist pr&ck?

themoonrules

What airport?

Any case, there are no established rules, and this is another YMMV situations that's not just limited to Japan. If you want an official answer, than write the immigration authority for an official stance on the topic and carry a copy of the letter. But what I imagine you'll get in response is the official line that foreigners use the foreign line and Japanese use the Japanese line. You might of been both right and both wrong at the same time. You'll never get an official response from something that is done unofficially.

In the US there are also some unofficial rules on which lines certain persons can enter, it depends on which airports and who might be directing lines and working the immigration desks.

You're probably right, the problem is I want to use this airport more in the future, so I'd really like to not either a) have to suck up this treatment every time or worse or b) end up shouting back at the guy (which is probably what will happen) just for being in the Japanese queue.

[thefg]

As I mentioned above this isn't just me being sensitive, other friends have noted the same thing probably with this one guy, who has a problem with gaijin in the Japanese line. Rude behaviour etc. but tellingly they are always let through and not sent to the other line, which makes me think it's ok and this one guy having abad attitude.

your a lucky guy.




....if such a little thing as this is all you have to worry about.


See you getting so bothered by such a small thing as a clear sign you are living a full safe and secure life free or real concerns or problems.

[thefg]

6 months ago I probably would have agreed with you, but now after 5 years of the little racist remarks/treatment that we all get I really don't think we should accept it.
.

is it really racism?



have you ever flown into the US?

if your not american your treated like sh1t. you are a terrorist by default. incredibly rude


have you ever flown with an asian into the UK?

several times my asian partner has been treated like sh1t. you are a potential illegal imigrant by default.


why should japan treat foreigners any differently to US or UK?

[trip_hop]

The last time I returned to Japan through Narita, there was a Filipina lady, who had probably taken Japanese citizenship, wearing an official armband, shouting at all the foreigners in bad Japanese to get in line, and checking their passports. None of them had a clue as to what she was saying, as surprise surprise, they spoke no Japanese, and she did not even try to speak to them in English - her ostensibly native language! There were 2 dedicated lines behind her for re-entrants, in between 'Japanese citizens' and 'foreign visitors', but she did not seem to have a clue as to what the re-entry permit signified. She was trying...

Yokosou Japan indeed...

... but still better than the sub-humans who staff US Immigration at New York or Chicago airports.

[spike7165]

is it really racism?



have you ever flown into the US?

if your not american your treated like sh1t. you are a terrorist by default. incredibly rude


have you ever flown with an asian into the UK?

several times my asian partner has been treated like sh1t. you are a potential illegal imigrant by default.


why should japan treat foreigners any differently to US or UK?

Ok, I take your point, that doesn't make it right however.

I guess what came as a shock was the perfect treatment in the other asian cities I visited as a tourist, yet on return to the place I live I get treated like sh&t...

I agree it's not a big thing, but it is something that's wrong just as treatment by US or other countries is when they are being rude. It's unnecessary and no-one should have to accept that. Their job is to protect borders from illegal entrants or unwanted entrants, they can do that without being rude.

Just because other countries are as bad why should that make it ok for 1 a&hole guy to treat me like that?

[thefg]

Just because other countries are as bad why should that make it ok for 1 a&hole guy to treat me like that?

your posting this experience here because you feel you have been treated abnormally.


the fact that this happens in many other countries shows that you havent been.

i witnessed how one of my Indian staff was treated when we flew into S korea years ago - I was shocked beyond belief. Truly they treated him like dog sh1t right infront of me. Me they treated well.

The last place you will find non nationalistic behaviour is at a countries imigration


another point is living in japan (where 99% of people are over polite) when you are treated 'normally' or even slightly rudely its such a big shock. If you think about how this man really treated you in comparison to the way you might get treated say shopping in the UK or on the streets in NY, you will likley realise that youve become overly sensitive to slightest rudeness

[spike7165]

your posting this experience here because you feel you have been treated abnormally.


the fact that this happens in many other countries shows that you havent been.

i witnessed how one of my Indian staff was treated when we flew into S korea years ago - I was shocked beyond belief. Truly they treated him like dog sh1t right infront of me. Me they treated well.

The last place you will find non nationalistic behaviour is at a countries imigration


another point is living in japan (where 99% of people are over polite) when you are treated 'normally' or even slightly rudely its such a big shock. If you think about how this man really treated you in comparison to the way you might get treated say shopping in the UK or on the streets in NY, you will likley realise that youve become overly sensitive to slightest rudeness

Yeah you're probably right, thanks for putting it in context (Genuinely - not GP sarcasm!)

I think we probably do become too sensitive in Japan and are also at the same time more on the lookout for any sign we're being treated with slight racism or difference to Japanese.

The guy is probably a right wing, foreigner hating ___ but is he any different to immi in other places, probably not.

I don't have a sense of entitlement to be here, but I guess I do feel that I should at least be treated with respect.

As Glenski pointed out, should just suck it up next time I guess. no point in starting a 1 man war against 1 person!! However, this guy from my experience and others does seem to back down when people stand up to him like most bullies. So although being rude back to immi is never a good idea, I don't think letting him get away with long delays or rudeness is good either.

[themoonrules]

Any case, telling someone (an official in this case) who's already being rude that they are being rude really never helps any situation, doesn't matter if it is in Japan or in the US or elsewhere, probably pisses the person off even more. The best thing to do is act calm and avoid any sarcastic language and to write a letter of complaint to immigration. If it is a small airport (which you haven't named yet) then it wouldn't be too difficult to identify who the person was. The person could of made your entry into Japan even longer then it had to be (I made a small joke to Immigration and Customs officials entering the US once and was sent to secondary customs inspection).

If push came to shove, then the official would of come out on top as there is no official stance from Immigration on the matter, when I choose my "battles" it's when I have something to legally back up my claims (eg not having to show a passport at a hotel because I have a Japanese address).

[spike7165]

Any case, telling someone (an official in this case) who's already being rude that they are being rude really never helps any situation, doesn't matter if it is in Japan or in the US or elsewhere, probably pisses the person off even more. The best thing to do is act calm and avoid any sarcastic language and to write a letter of complaint to immigration. If it is a small airport (which you haven't named yet) then it wouldn't be too difficult to identify who the person was. The person could of made your entry into Japan even longer then it had to be (I made a small joke to Immigration and Customs officials entering the US once and was sent to secondary customs inspection).

If push came to shove, then the official would of come out on top as there is no official stance from Immigration on the matter, when I choose my "battles" it's when I have something to legally back up my claims (eg not having to show a passport at a hotel because I have a Japanese address).

Yeah I know you're right, just kind of lost it! I appreciate the vent and you guys calming me down over a trivial matter!

I will write a polite letter to immigration asking why they can't have a re-entry line so it's clear and not down to someone's individual whims...Not sure yet whether to complain or just ask them to clarify on whether I can use the line and whether they can consider at least signposting a re-entry line even if mixed with another group.

Sometimes these things catch you on a bad day when you just feel like losing it....when you are right normally I should chose my battles!

[HarderFasterBaby]

6 months ago I probably would have agreed with you, but now after 5 years of the little racist remarks/treatment that we all get I really don't think we should accept it.

Being belittled in front of my travelling companion, in front of English speaking tourists, is not acceptable to a tourist let alone a resident. This guy obviously hates foreigners and I watched him borderline shouting at Chinese tourists about the fingerprint machine.

This isn't unique to Japan. Airport Immigration all over the world are filled with people who love to lord it over you.

I had my passport thrown at me in China about 12 years ago. The guy just grunted at me! Welcome to China!!!

I've found the Immigration staff in Japan to be pretty fair if a bit pedantic at times. Most bigger airports have a line for reentrants but if not, I would take the chance every time and go through the Japan line and just say sorry if he castigates you.

[spike7165]

This isn't unique to Japan. Airport Immigration all over the world are filled with people who love to lord it over you.

I had my passport thrown at me in China about 12 years ago. The guy just grunted at me! Welcome to China!!!

I've found the Immigration staff in Japan to be pretty fair if a bit pedantic at times. Most bigger airports have a line for reentrants but if not, I would take the chance every time and go through the Japan line and just say sorry if he castigates you.

Yep will do..... it's good to have GP to vent on! lol.. The sad thing is it seems to be one person with a problem. What was amusing was he went to ask the guy whose queue I was in who said it was fine, so either he was senior to him or it was because I was in the other guy's line, so had to ask him. Seemed a bit like his colleagues knew he was a tw&t!!!

[trip_hop]

I've found the Immigration staff in Japan to be pretty fair if a bit pedantic at times. Most bigger airports have a line for reentrants but if not, I would take the chance every time and go through the Japan line and just say sorry if he castigates you.

It is easier to ask forgiveness, than ask for permission!

[spike7165]

It is easier to ask forgiveness, than ask for permission!

Yep - think I probably just need to accept if this guy is at the desk when I come back he's going to give me a bad attitude and to just suck it up. It's obviously just a power trip that he tries on everyone and judging by his colleagues reaction he probably has little respect amongst them as well.

I have to say I've found most immi officers to be either fine or even friendly in Narita etc. especially when joking about the useless automated entry machines that aren't errr automated at all!

[Reina_Jess]

Ive never left the country and re entered on re entry permit. wasnt away there was a extra line for it at narita?

Anyway the last time, I went through the foreign line with my I have a japanese kid, who used the japanese passport.
There was no queue at all though, or maybe someone came out to process me especially...
What usually happens when a foreign and japanese kid is traveling?


So if I had had an re entry permit I could use the japanese line? It would make some sense to me since I have someone with me who would use the japanese passport... and possibly get processed a lot more quickly.

[cucashopboy]

Ive never left the country and re entered on re entry permit. wasnt away there was a extra line for it at narita?

Anyway the last time, I went through the foreign line with my I have a japanese kid, who used the japanese passport.
There was no queue at all though, or maybe someone came out to process me especially...
What usually happens when a foreign and japanese kid is traveling?


So if I had had an re entry permit I could use the japanese line? It would make some sense to me since I have someone with me who would use the japanese passport... and possibly get processed a lot more quickly.

There is an extra line at Narita. I usually go home with the kids without my J wife, and when I come back to Narita I always take the kids with their J passports back through the re-entry line. I assume you will have to do the same, even if you have a kid on a J passport - they can't take your fingerprints if you stand in the Japanese line.

The re-entry line is also always the shortest one in my experience, there are lots of Japanese people returning home, lots of foreigners visiting Japan short-term for various reasons, and relatively few foreign residents in Japan returning to Japan.

[twelvedown]

The re-entry line is also always the shortest one in my experience, there are lots of Japanese people returning home, lots of foreigners visiting Japan short-term for various reasons, and relatively few foreign residents in Japan returning to Japan.

That's right... I don't run or anything but I make sure I am like, bang off the shuttle and walking fast so I can beat the other gaijin there.
(Many of them always seem to have so many last minute problems.. eg; waiting in line listening calmly to their ipod for 10 minutes and then frantically having to empty out their bag on the floor looking for their passport when they get called up)

I love Narita. Immigration and quarantine is really fast (by international standards) and they get the suitcases out quickly.
The last time I went to Canada (ottawa) they seemed to be operating with a 'one bag per minute' goal. And mine didn't come out at all.
Air Canada. THE WORST.

[Alumnia]

Japanese customs are a breeze compared to the ones in Moscow. I remember a poor Japanese man getting shouted at in English and then Russian to take his belt off before being man-handled, I doubt he felt it was racism though, in those kinds of jobs they have to act strict in order for people to take the process seriously. I've also had experiences where I have needed to have an interview before boarding a plane on a Jewish-run airline, airports have to be pretty anal when it comes to any form of security. Plus passport staff have to stand in a hot room all day leading people into different lines like a sheep dog, you can let them off for getting angry sometimes ;D

[Effected After]

Air Canada. THE WORST.

Fully agree. I think it's the worst airline I've been on. The stewardesses are so full of attitude it's like you are doing them a favor to get on their plane.

[hml]

Fully agree. I think it's the worst airline I've been on. The stewardesses are so full of attitude it's like you are doing them a favor to get on their plane.

Uggh. Air Canada! - The reason the term "b!tch slap" was coined.

[themoonrules]

The OP is having problems with a small unnamed Japanese airport, in contrast, Narita International has a dedicated line for re-entry permit holders.
As mentioned, it is really fast (the Japanese passport line tends to have more folks on it as well, and the foreign line has non-reentry persons going through them) so the re-entry permit holder line is one of the faster (if not the fastest) route to use. You and your Japanese passport holding children are probably better off going through the re-entry lanes at Narita then going through the Japanese dedicate lanes themselves.

I find things at NRT to be really efficient compared to say JFK (New York).

[banwell]

Re entry all the way. Yesterday in fact through Narita. I kid you not there were maybe 10 re-entry people queued (easily the shortest in comparison to Japanese and Foreign nationals) and they opened a second reentry line! at 9.00am. My suitcase still made it out before me. I find Haneda equally efficient but maybe that's just because its so much quicker into Tokyo?

[Reina_Jess]

If I was at the unknown airport that only has 2 lines, I should take the Japanese line or the foreigner line with my kid? lol

[Effected After]

The shorter one.