Japan to shorten arrival time through airports

The government of Japan plans to shorten the entry time for foreigners to one minute.

Terminals will be installed at airports to process immigration and customs information at the same time, beginning with Tokyo’s Haneda Airport and Osaka’s Kansai International Airport.

Foreign and Japanese travelers will have to first enter passport numbers and taxable items they are bringing into Japan on the governments Visit Japan Web page and will then receive a QR code which the traveler can enter in the terminal on arrival.

The program is set to begin in fiscal 2024.

According to Nikkei Asia, which first reported the story wait times can exceed an hour on arrival in Japan.

JTB Tourism Research & Consulting Co. reported Japan saw 25,066,145 visitors in 2023.

By comparison, for a non-U.S. citizen, U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded the maximum wait time at A.B. Won Pat International Airport Guam as 88 minutes on Feb. 19, with wait times varying between nine and 46 minutes, depending on the time of day.

U.S. citizens saw a maximum wait time of 32 minutes on Feb. 19, with wait times varying between two and 13 minutes.

At the Francisco C. Ada Saipan International Airport, non-U.S. citizens saw a maximum wait time of 43 minutes on Feb. 19.  Wait times for U.S. citizens varied between four and 16 minutes at the airport.

In other Japan news, “Gastronomy Tourism,” is a theme designed to maximize the appeal of Japanese food offerings, with itineraries designed to take in everything from street food to regional cuisine, according to the Japan Travel Bureau.

United Airlines has also secured slots from Haneda Airport to Guam and is scheduled to begin flights on the route from May 1. mbj