Minimum age of entry into Japan?

[thepainneverends...]

I'm 16 and considering visiting Japan for 9 days in August, I'm a British citizen, would I be able to enter Japan being only 16 without anyone over 18?

 

[MySweetYossie]

Bad News, From reports and info that I've got. You can only go to to somewhere as far afield as Japan when your 18. 16 is just too young.

Well at least when your 18...I suppose

 

[Kara_Nari]

I wonder if they would be more accepting if you had a complete itinerary... or perhaps a Japanese or someone residing in Japan who could act as your 'guarantor.'
Would you be going as a part of a tour group, or soley alone?
If it were a part of an exchange, that would be different.
If you were so inclined you could just make friends with someone on the plane and have them act as your 'travelling companion'.
Are you running away, using Japan as a stopover, or just going for the fun of it?

Afterall youth often travel abroad to have someone meet them at the airport, who's to say that you arent having someone meet you?
One thing though, is that generally you will need to have addresses and or phone numbers of contacts in Japan.
Each time I have been there, I have found that they like to know my whereabouts... and Im ten years older than you.

If you are serious about this trip, there are things that you can do.
When I was younger than you, my mother was trying to ship me off to Europe for a few months of schooling, and then traveling solo to Holland and Switzerland. It was a fair distance from my home country.

 

[thepainneverends...]

I wonder if they would be more accepting if you had a complete itinerary... or perhaps a Japanese or someone residing in Japan who could act as your 'guarantor.'
Would you be going as a part of a tour group, or soley alone?
If it were a part of an exchange, that would be different.
If you were so inclined you could just make friends with someone on the plane and have them act as your 'travelling companion'.
Are you running away, using Japan as a stopover, or just going for the fun of it?
Afterall youth often travel abroad to have someone meet them at the airport, who's to say that you arent having someone meet you?
One thing though, is that generally you will need to have addresses and or phone numbers of contacts in Japan.
Each time I have been there, I have found that they like to know my whereabouts... and Im ten years older than you.
If you are serious about this trip, there are things that you can do.
When I was younger than you, my mother was trying to ship me off to Europe for a few months of schooling, and then traveling solo to Holland and Switzerland. It was a fair distance from my home country.

I'm not running away, if I went, I'd be going for 9-10 days, I've breifly spoken to my parents about it, they don't appear to have any problem with it - yet. A complete intinery isn't actually a bad idea, because they wanted one when my dad went to Canada and he's 48, heh. Any idea who I'd have to contact to get the offical rules of it? Airport authority, maybe?

 

[MySweetYossie]

I was thinking about this and I think that maybe, contacting an airport authority could help.

I did this once when i was 14. Although, this was just a short hop from the UK to Ireland. Maybe consulting The Japanese airport authoroties could help to put you in the right direction. Maybe Under a minor entering Japan. Whether they understand or not is a different matter.

Good Luck

 

[Mike Cash]

Bad News, From reports and info that I've got. You can only go to to somewhere as far afield as Japan when your 18. 16 is just too young.

Could you possibly be just a bit more specific regarding the source of your information?

 

[Kara_Nari]

You could start with the Japanese Embassy perhaps... im not too sure.

 

[MySweetYossie]

From Airport Authoroties. When I went to Ireland. I was told that yes, i could travel from the UK to Ireland, I asked about travelling to a different country not in the EU . But if i wanted to Go to the US, or the Far East, i would need to be 18 or with, of course, a parent or guardian.

 

[playaa]

To get into Japan you are SUPPOSED to be 18, though I had a friend who went being 16 and 17 and had no problems. The only one you may run into is getting a plane ticket, but if the company you buy your ticket from doesn't card you then your fine. If you are not a citizen in Japan, and you are a different race, you will even be able to enter bars/clubs/and drink.

 

[Riyko]

You might be able to get over to japan at 16, but I really doubt that they'll let you stay in a hotel alone because you have to be 18 or older to check into a hotel. I believe even if you do pay with cash you still have to be 18.

I'd say ask a family member or friend who's 18 or older if they can acompany you on the trip, that's the only sure fire way I can think of that you can get over to japan.

 

[playaa]

Actually.. about the hotel thing, if you have a credit card you don't have to be 18.. My friend stayed at many hotels during our trip, even the Pan-Pacific in Yokohama in his own room (I did not vouch or anything.) with no trouble.

 

[Mike Cash]

From Airport Authoroties. When I went to Ireland. I was told that yes, i could travel from the UK to Ireland, I asked about travelling to a different country not in the EU . But if i wanted to Go to the US, or the Far East, i would need to be 18 or with, of course, a parent or guardian.

But were those age restrictions based on a minimum age to leave the UK? Or on a minimum age to enter Japan? The way you word it, it sounds like the former.

 

[yukio_michael]

As far as I know, you would need to contact the travel agency and they would have an idea about how airport security works. What I've read is that people under a certain age not traveling with parents are escorted by airport security...

They may not have these similar resources everywhere, and overal, they may not have an issue, so I would suggest contacting the airline, travel agency, or airport to find out... I got this information from a travel agency online.

 

[Riyko]

Actually.. about the hotel thing, if you have a credit card you don't have to be 18.. My friend stayed at many hotels during our trip, even the Pan-Pacific in Yokohama in his own room (I did not vouch or anything.) with no trouble.

I was just saying what I knew from experience when I was over in Japan last September a friend came with me but she couldn't stay in a hotel even with a credit card because she was under 18... Also people don't realize that your still a minor over in japan until your 20. ^_^ just stating from my own personal experience is all

 

[Tollen]

hmmm this is relationg not so much to the OP but still whast the legal drinking age in Japan? and why is it different for foreigners? simply because it's harder to judge ages??? and yeah I'd love to go to japan too but fortunately by the time i have the cash I'll be 18 ^_^ lol would liek to drag someone with me though... i always worry I wont be able to have fun alone lol damn not knowing anyone interested in JP

 

[Ewok85]

The legal drinking age in Japan is 20. I wouldn't recommend going out drinking if you are underage in your own country, mainly because as safe as Japan is if you do get into trouble, you are really going to get into trouble (both breaking the law and language issues).

More and more places do check at the door, but places that dont check generally wont bother you as its too much fuss.