Japan Visit

[Guest]

The wifes oldest friend lives in Kobe, Japan, and we are going over there for 3 weeks in January next year, as the wife hasn't seen her in 3 years ( if she didnt call her as much,and run the phone bill up we could have afforded to go years ago...lol).

Now I intend to buy as much supplies as possible, not models as much but things like the Tamiya enamel range (plus their extra thin cement..yummy), mr hobby supplies, Gunz sangyo supplies and anything else thats tough to get over here, but would I be able to bring this stuff in my luggage back here, I know we can get supplies via mail from Japan but I have no idea about it in your luggage.

The wife said if its difficult then she will get her friend in Japan to FedEx it home before we leave.If this is the only way am I right in thinking it has to be marked gift. She has posted stuff to me before from Japan but nothing large and its never been marked Gift.

[Guest]

Big can of worms Ray and no matter what anyone says the rules are interpreted by the individual you come across checking your bags so there are no guarrantees. Technically if there is anything there that could be construed as hazardous or flamable then you can't carry it but the trouble is most customs officers don't know the difference between acrylic and cellulose so if in doubt they simply deny it because that's easiest.

If you want to chance it I would have to hand every piece of information you can find to prove that the items you are carrying are non hazardous so if things get picked up on the x-ray and you are asked to open the case up you can explain everything. Unfortunately polystyrene cement is very flamable and usually has a little symbol on the bottle to tell everyone.

On the one extreem you may get everything you want through without a problem, and that is a reasonable risk so a good chance you get away with it, however the other extreem is that you get the stuff confiscated, fined and even locked up for a period while they investigate everything, and that is a real possibility.

If it was me, I wouldn't take the chance, boxing it all up and getting your wifes friend to ship it is far safer.

Also marking boxes as a gift is only tring to get past paying duty and is a tactic employed by people buying items mail order and free of tax. If customs decide to have a look and decide that you owe duty then you will have to pay it to release it. What I would do there is put a copy of the reciept on the outside of the package so it's obvious to anyone who looks that duty has been paid at source. I think it would be much better to write on the declaration label that the items have been purchased retail so duty has been paid.

[Guest]

I appreciate your input Richard many thanks, your words of wisdom make very good sense.Now I understand the "gift" idea, I feel a better understanding of whats going on now, after you shed light on the matter.

Your advice of posting and attaching the receipt is a very good idea, and thats what I will do, that way I would feel at ease and I dont mind paying any import duty, as I can never source in the UK alot of the stuff I would like to try and have, paying the extra is worth it.

Last thing I need is getting to customs and been labelled the "Tamiya Bomber".:redface:

Thanks again Richard, solid advice as always.:bow:

[Guest]

Very welcome Ray, I couldn't imagine a fellow Yorkshireman deprived of his Tetleys and Fish & Chips!

Mind you one Yorkshireman against 50 million Japanese isn't very fair, they'd have to bring in reserves!:laughing:

[Guest]

lol...........I still have fish and chips on Friday for my tea, have done for years......plus I think they serve Sushi 3 times a day in Japan prisons...lol

[Guest]

I would go with what Richard said.... Sushi and chips? Naaaa, a good bit of Cod or Haddock, cannot beat it...... Mmmmmm Fish & Chips my Friday night tea of choice to.

Just noticed, there are three of you in Halifax, bit of a hotbed of Scale model Members isn't it?

[Guest]

We can can always push up for one more Graham............lol...especially if your buying the Haddock.

[Guest]

It's a tradition Graham, the non Yorkshireman buys the fish, always been like that, ever since I saw my first bread man pushing his bike up a steep cobbled street, don't want to break with tradition, more than my lifes worth.

[Ian M]

Hmmmm Fish and chips!

I would go with Richards advice and send it via fed-ex or the like.

I think If I was you I would be looking at the modle shelfs as well. There are many kits you can get "over there" that never made it here, or are no longer sold here. You might find a few good uns laying around.

Ian M

[Guest]

Well Im away tomorrow dinner time guys, so just a quick see you all in 10 days note, hope to have a quick read of the forum in the morning, just to get my fix, so keep busy guys and make sure I have plenty to read when I get back...lol......got to go get my daughter now who is house and dog sitting for us, so the cupboards will be empty when I get back....lol.

Hope to catch a bit of the forum before I go,but if I dont then, I will see you all soon....god willing as my old aunt use to say....

Ray

[Guest]

Safe journey Ray and I hope you two have a great time. Be interesting to see what 'native' plastic you bring back.

[stona]

Safe journey,don't get too cramped on the flight. Have a great time and we'll "see" you soon.

Steve

[Ian M]

Have a great trip. You will flip out when you get into a Japanese Model shop.

Remember Wasabi is NOT Japanese for mushy peas!

Ian M

[Guest]

I envy you the browsing, having seen some of those Model emporiums in Japan on Plamo Tsukurou.

I'd also love to visit Japan generally, i'd need a few months for all the places i'd need to see, hope you have a great time there.

As others have said, definitely get the stuff shipped it's just not worth the risk of trying to carry it through, (I was stopped fom taking a pair of Circlip pliers on a local flight, East Midlands to Inverness, circlip pliers I ask you, Fortunately I grabbed an envelope and stamp at the WHSmith and asked the guy who was confiscating them if he'd post them for me, which he did.

I've heard tell of folks going to the US and buying electronic gear more cheaply, (SLR's and the like) and a commonly done thing is to unpackage it, post the box and instructions etc and carry the camera etc through as luggage.

This unfortunately wouldn't apply with paints and cement though.

What are the odds you'll leave a store where you've shopped for paints without at least a couple of must have kits

Just thought, I wonder what the price on the Zouke mura TA152 kit will be over there?, hmmmm

[Guest]

Many thanks for the wishes all,

@Graham, aiming to send a load of Tamiya paints, cement,mr Color etc back home, but I have reserved a few spots in the case for maybe some hard to get models...

@Steve cheers, hope your spit will be done when I get back, look forward to the read.

@Ian..lol,I will remember that, cheers.

@M1ks,...I know what you mean, dont want to be on the TV as the Tamiya Paint bomber...lol, I will have a look out for Zouke mura, maybe have a look inside a box...

Not looking forward to the flight 15+hours, I do like a roll up, could always ask the pilot if I can open a window....Im flying by Lufthansa( no suprises there then...) from Manchester, then to Frankfurt, then the haul over to Japan. All I need is clean pants and my credit card.....but the wife seems to think I need a bit more...lol

Hope to have a quick read in the morning, so work hard over night guys and get them models complete so I can see the pics...