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

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.