About this Blog

Konichiwa,



Via this Blog you should be able to figure out why it is so much fun to Cruise Japan.



And get all that information you'll need to tackle The Paper Work (PW) you'll be hit with, even before you make landfall.



Other boats have been here before and:



ALL complained about the PW (hey, the officials just do their job) but it's all done for free,

ALL are so pleased they have come here...so most have come-back plans.



If you need more info, go the right hand side of this Blog, there is a list of Blogs...


As yet the links are to the boat's HP and so you'll have to roam around a bit to find that Japan Info.



Happy reading and see you at the sushi bar!



Thursday, November 8, 2012

Better News

Last week we had NZ sailing yacht PATEKE with owner Fenton here in Odo Yacht Harbor (Fukuoka).
The good news he is happy and Genki.
And on his way down south, Okinawa area and after that the PI.

After his stay in the Inland Sea  he had cruised north to Hokkaido.
Of course he had gone through all the Paper-Work hassles
 ( and listening to his stories those hassles were huge)...... You know, to get the cruising permits for that trip. 

Now the BETTER NEWS.
In Hokkaido the customs office there gave him a piece of paper what comes down to a 

DOMESTIC REGISTER



With this paper he can come and go anywhere without the need of having to contact the customs al the time.
After Hokkaido he had been checked out by Coast Guard and Customs at various ports...
No Worries.

BUT..you still need the cruising permit issued by Min Transportation.

(Contact me if  you like a paper-copy of this paper.)

Sayonara

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Re Mobile telephone and cruising permits

As written before...
Being an overseas visitor = Non Resident, (as in Not Having a Japanese Address) you can't  get a Mobile Voice Telephone.  Usually a friendly resident will jump-in, but listen to what sailing yacht DAGON managed! (june 2012):
As you'll need a cruising permit to cruise around in japan...YOU somehow HAVE an address!!
So with their cruising permit in the hand they were able to obtain a SoftBank Mobile phone.

Funny enough, for a Mobile DATA (only) Phone you don't need an address...and so you can get easily a SIM card.

Next, The Cruising Permit.
Sailing Yacht Anthea applied for their cruising permit, June 2012 @ Naha, Okinawa. They were told: 
"Here is your cruising permit with starting data &  place (Naha, Okinawa) and finale data & place (Nagasaki).
You can stop anywhere as long as you stay between these dates and places"
Wow,  that's Good News, but will have to see if other prefectures will do the same.

AND indeed, it doesn't work. (update June 12th)
Just  got a report from sy Anthea that the JCG in Amami Ohshima ( that is Kagoshima prefecture) gave them a hard time not having the "right" papers. So make sure you have a cruising permit with all the ports printed where you like to stop at.

Also, if you'll have to make a stop at a port that's not on the list, call 118 (so you'll need that telephone) and tell Japan Coast Guard why you like to stop.

Latest cruising updates Honshu by sy MARIDA


Sailing yacht MARIDA (see also their blog-linkstayed  for a few months in Pusan, Korea. 
Main reason to go to Korea was their visa run.

The rule: 
*the 3 months visitors visa CAN"T be extended with-in Japan,
*a tourist stay can't be more  than 6 months in a 12 month period.
Enforcing that last one depends a lot on the immigration official you deal with when re-entering Japan.


 MARIDA sailed directly  from Pusan to Sakai Minato, Japan.
Their update (here below) is to be read next to sy BANNISTER's report from 1 year ago.

Sakai Minato (also port of entry )
Marina  Sakai Minato Yachtclub
Entrance
After passing the light house on Jizo Saki steer 240 Degrees towards the Quarantine Anchorage.(35 32.5 N 133 16.9 E)
The marina entrance is at 35 30 86 N    -    133 15 .26 E
Entering the marina in the night is not recommended because it is between the beach and the breakwater. Shallow.
In the night anchor first en  contact the marina VHF 16
After rounding the marina breakwater keep close  to the concrete wall on your starboard side
and turn to port at the end
Just opposite the clubhouse building is the place for visiting yachts
Mooring position         35 30.92 N
                                133 15. 09 E              deep about 3.20 M
Protection                   Good . some times you need an extra anchor to keep the boat free from the concrete cay
Fee                             For 43 ft 2090 yen /day
extra                         Water, fuel , power on the cay  and showers in clubhouse
                                  One of our  friends / contacts arranged tax free fuel
                                  shopping in shoppingcenter "Plant 5 " 10 minutes by bicycle
                                  post office , bank etc in town.
contact                       MBYC yachtclub     Teri  Terasawa  email  tera @sanmedia.or.jp
                                                                 Hiroyuke Sawa           largo02@gmail.com
                                                                 Teru Murakami  commodore yacht club
                                                                                email 8laser216@zwb.ne.jp
Tottori                           See list
                                   The members from the Tottori Ocean Yachtclub ( few 100 meters from the mooring position )are very
                                    friendly and helpful
                                   Mooring just opposite the building from Japan Coast Guard en the Harbor Authority
                                   on a concrete wall .
                                   Protection        ;   Very good
                                   Shopping        ;   In shopping center AON ,close by (10 minutes by bicycle)
                                    Coin Laundry;   Close to AON  shopping center
                                   Fee                     Free
                                   Mooring position       35 32.081
                                                                  134 11. 738 E
                                    Contact
                                                    Mr Nagami vice commodore,  email    ngm1622@infosakyu.ne.jp
                                                    Sataru Kishida  , email                      kishidas@pref.tottori.jp
Shibayama                This is a small fishing port ,Good stop between Tottori and Ine-port
                                 Mooring position        35 39.451 N
                                                                 134 39.611 E
                                 After rounding the lighthouse ,be aware of the 6 fish caissons close on shore
                                 Locals told us that you can pass between the coast and the caissons but we went around.
                                 After passing the caissons  steer  half a mile 200 degrees ,  turn to starboard around the breakwater
                                 On your starboard side are two -not in use- oil barges. We were directed to go alongside this
                                 It is opposite the fishermen wharf
                                 Protection  :    Good
                                  Fee           :    Free
                                  We did not go onshore
                                  Good contact : mr Yoshizu mob phone     080 5707 8656
Ine -Port                    See list
                                  our mooring position                     35 40 488 N
                                                                                     135 17.265 E
                                   Fee                                             Free
                                  Protection                                   Reasonable ,behind the breakwater opposite the boathouses
                                   Extra                                         Small super market close by, the bigger one is 20 min by car
                                                                                    Water from public tap .
Echizen                     see list
                                 We entered the harbor and were directed to the basin on our starboard side ( )
                                 mooring position                  35 56.163 N
                                                                           135 59.707 E
                                                                           on a concrete cay close to building place .
                                 Protection                           Behind this big breakwaters OK
                                 Fee                                      Free
  Kanazawa                  This is a big-busy commercial harbor ,In fact not a place for yachts .
                                    JCG told us better to use Taki Saki  ,19 nm more North .We stayed in the small                 basin described below
                                    Entrance :
                                    Af ter  rounding the breakwater follow the concrete wall on your starboard side
                                    Half  a mile further the fairway turns sharp  to port ( close to the Komatsu buildings) .
                                    Just passed this point you will see a small basin on starboard side
                                   This is one of the fisherman's harbors  , including a slip rail.
                                    We were directed  by JCG to this place  because in the main harbor   is no place for small boats.
                                    On public holidays when the fleet is , in perhaps no place in here also !!
                                     Mooring position     36 37. 189  N
                                                                  136 36. 231  E
                                      Protection               Good
                                      Fee                         Free
                                     Extra                     Supermarket and Public bath are close by
                                                                  Fuel is available on the fuel barges which are half a NM in to the main Harbor on the
                                                                   starboard side.Easy access

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

New Blogs

There are far and few blogs out there Re Sailing to and in Japan.
But, found an other one:

sailing vessel Yohelah


and 1 more:

sailing yacht Velella