TLDR: Japan requires pets to arrive at least 180 days after the titer test blood draw date, with the blood draw counted as Day 0. Arriving even one day before the 180-day window closes triggers detention quarantine for the remaining days at…
TLDR: Japan requires pets to be at least 91 days old at the time of the first rabies vaccination, with the date of birth counted as Day 0. US veterinarians standardly vaccinate at 12 weeks, which is 84 days. Any vaccination given between 84 and 90…
TLDR: Sedating a pet for a long-haul flight to Japan is not recommended by most veterinarians and is prohibited or strongly discouraged by most airlines. At altitude, sedated animals have reduced ability to regulate balance and cardiovascular function, and respiratory…
TLDR: Moving a pet from Japan to the United States is significantly simpler than the reverse. Japan is classified as a low-risk country under CDC rules, which means dogs only need a CDC Dog Import Form receipt, an ISO-compatible microchip,…
TLDR: JAL operates the only nonstop flight from Boston to Narita at approximately 14 hours. Connecting options via Seattle, Dallas, Chicago, Denver, and Houston are available through JAL and ANA. United no longer accepts general pet cargo. All flight selections must…
TLDR: Japan requires an ISO 11784/11785-compliant microchip implanted before or on the same day as the first rabies vaccination. Japan also only accepts inactivated or recombinant/modified rabies vaccines. Live virus and RNA vaccines are not accepted. An error at…
TLDR: Japan does not quarantine every pet that arrives. Dogs and cats that complete all requirements correctly are inspected on arrival and typically released within a few hours. The 180-day detention quarantine is the penalty for arriving without meeting the…
TLDR: For New Zealand, the microchip must be implanted before or at the exact same time as the rabies vaccination and titre test. An RNATT or rabies vaccine conducted before a microchip is confirmed in place is entirely invalid. This…
