New Blog reports by visiting yachts Japan, 2013

There are new (2013) reports to read about cruising Japan.

sy Second Jump:   http://secondjump.wordpress.com/

sy Calliste:  http://funvinyldecals.wordpress.com/

and the following from sy Fifth Season:

We are the last gaijin in Tannowa yacht harbor,  but have many visits from Japanese friends so don't feel alone. We are looking forward to exploring Kyoto next week.

We have enjoyed the inland sea, using Bosun Bird's excellent information to choose ports. We've felt very welcome everywhere we've stopped and have met many helpful people.

 

The Setouchi Rally was a wonderful experience! It was well-planned and organized.

We received a booklet at the beginning with schedule of events, information and drawing of entrances, and slip diagrams with our position marked. And there was guidance on vhf as we arrived  and assistance with dock lines.

There were several parties given in honor of the rally participants. We had receptions, dinners and entertainment sponsored by local merchants and yacht clubs.

We went on tours of temples and a sake factory. We stayed at a beautiful Japanese inn where we had an amazing traditional dinner and breakfast. Sugoi! One tour which included a soy sauce factory had to be skipped due to an approaching typhoon, which in the end passed far enough away to hardly be noticed.

The food was delicious and varied, the drink  flowed freely and the friendship of the Japanese participants was the best part of the rally.

There were 10 Japanese boats and we were one of the two foreign boats. There were 16 guests from US, England, New Zealand and Australia who stayed on the Japanese boats, switching partway through the rally so more friendships could be formed.

 

It was the first rally David and I had participated in, and we sore picked a winner.

Next year they hope to have mostly foreign yachts with Japanese guests and we would highly recommend to anyone who is interested.

Regarding using email to conatct Japan Coast Guard

Looking at the search results, a few of you are searching for email addresses to contact the officials at

Japan Coast Guard, Customs and/or Immigration.

Oops, bad news.

Japan uses modern systems.....but the people that operate those.....well, they are not-so.

Other words...as soon as they see an email from a stranger on their screen that is in English.....the reaction is:

"didn't see that one"

So to make contact, the best is by FAX and

ask them to reply by email...

From then on, you'll get a personal reply and  your are "in bizz".

Our own experience is:

Just phone (and fax) them! ( we used Skype from the PI).

By phone ask them if they received the fax!

There is always somebody in the office who speaks enough English..

True joke:

When we sailed from the PI to Ishigaki we made contact with the JCG, as above. The email reply from them after admitting all the paperwork was:

All okay, you can come to Japan....everything is okay...

Ohhh, just hold-on, you come from the Netherlands...

Marijuana is "okay" in Holland...

BUT don't bring drugs to Japan...

(pfff, like every Dutch is loaded to the gunnels....) 

Huis Ten Bosch Bad News.

In the past, now i'm talking about maybe 5-15 years ago,

 after sailing to Japan, a visit and stay in HuisTen Bosch Marina

was almost a must!

It was cheap, fun and and a very safe place in all seasons.

So many good Blog stories can be read about HtB

 ( see eg Illywacker, Shaddow of Lorelei, Alishan).

But since a few years, the tide has changed.

Maybe because of bad experience with foreign boats,

maybe because of the Total New Management...

now the situation is:

Foreign boats are NOT WELCOME at all.

I just talked to the Marina Manager to arrange a berth 

for an foreign boat and he tells me..

No Visitors Pontoon available..

(he meaned something else of course).

I bet.... if a Japanese boat shows up.....

So, give Huis ten Bosch a Big Miss!

It's a pitty as it is still the best place in all seasons 

 and there are berths available!

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.

Latest cruising updates Honshu by sy MARIDA

Sailing yacht MARIDA (see also their blog-link) stayed  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

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