Warning: My kids' coloring books got seized at the Osaka airport, here's what happened

Took a family trip to Japan last month and packed a few US coloring books for the 8 hour flight. Customs pulled me aside for about 45 minutes because one had a page with a cartoonish gun in a detective scene. They said it violated their weapons depiction rules, even though it's clearly a toy for a 6 year old. They kept three books and gave me a receipt, which was weirdly specific, like itemized confiscation. Has anyone else had harmless kids' stuff flagged at border control, or did I just hit the wrong agent that day?

2 comments

2 Comments

phoenix_campbell889d ago

Yeah, this is pretty much a known thing with Japanese customs, they treat toy weapons way too seriously and the receipt is their standard move so you can file a claim later if you're bored. @clark.iris nailed it with the tablet tip, that's been my go-to since I got a plastic dinosaur with a tiny sword held up for 20 minutes back in 2019.

clark.iris14d ago

Check out the Japanese customs website before you fly next time. They have a full list of what counts as a weapon depiction and it is WAY broader than you'd think. I got my kid's toy sword flagged in Narita two years ago, same kind of thing, totally harmless plastic thing. The receipt thing is normal, they itemize everything so you can appeal it if you want, but honestly it's not worth the hassle. Just download coloring pages onto a tablet instead, that's what we do now, way easier than dealing with their rules.