Importing prop/toy replica guns from Japan [Need help!]

[Andrea77]

Last month I won a Tomenosuke Blade Runner blaster replica on "Yahoo! JAPAN Auction" via Buyee proxy service. The problem is that once it arrived at the Buyee
warehouse I was not allowed to ship it as the option was blocked. I contacted customer service highlighting the incident and they responded as follows: "in accordance
with the Aviation Law and International Postal Regulations, toy guns that shape is similar to real guns are prohibited from being shipped internationally using any
couriers including Japan Post (including EMS, AIR, SAL, and Seamail), DHL, FedEx, and UPS."

The options they gave me are to send the item to a domestic (Japanese) address or to discard the item.

I wish discarding the item wasn't an option so I'm wondering if there are any RPF members living in Japan who can help me by receiving it for me and shipping it via sea
courier or if anyone knows a way to solve the problem. Thank you.

 

[simiouno]

Last month I won a Tomenosuke Blade Runner blaster replica on "Yahoo! JAPAN Auction" via Buyee proxy service. The problem is that once it arrived at the Buyee
warehouse I was not allowed to ship it as the option was blocked. I contacted customer service highlighting the incident and they responded as follows: "in accordance
with the Aviation Law and International Postal Regulations, toy guns that shape is similar to real guns are prohibited from being shipped internationally using any
couriers including Japan Post (including EMS, AIR, SAL, and Seamail), DHL, FedEx, and UPS."

The options they gave me are to send the item to a domestic (Japanese) address or to discard the item.

I wish discarding the item wasn't an option so I'm wondering if there are any RPF members living in Japan who can help me by receiving it for me and shipping it via sea
courier or if anyone knows a way to solve the problem. Thank you.

It is not in the likeness of a real world firearm but a fantasy blaster...the rules that they are quoting do not apply ! Contact them and demand your item !! What country are you in ? There is no actual firearm with this shape. Fantasy style toy guns are shipped every day worldwide .

 

[TazMan2000]

"shape is similar"
That vague term can cover everything from gun parts to garden hose parts. Ridiculous, but true. You could try to "demand" your item, but going in with that kind of wording is like demanding a policeman to not give you a speeding ticket. Anybody in a position of authority does not like getting their decisions questioned regardless of whether they are right or wrong. I'd go with facts that it is a water pistol that is sold freely in that country, and which does not have a real world equivalent. It can not be made to fire anything but water.

There is most likely a time limit on the decision, as customs or shippers confiscate a lot of items every day and they take up lots of room. So destruction of the item will soon happen.

TazMan2000

 

[Psab keel]

I ran into this problem a few years back with replica firearms I purchase from overseas being seized and destroyed, and this is one of the many reasons why I won't sell blasters (fantasy guns) or other firearms replicas outside the U.S. It's the same for people overseas trying to sell outside their country too.

I know one of the ways that some vendors get around these kinds of issues is to mask any markings on the prop that would violate copyright infringement- or to label the item as a model/ toy in the description section of the import/ export documents to avoid flagging the authorities to examine what they could deem as "too realistic."

I just sold an item to a member in Japan only yesterday. I'll tag him in this post as he seems like a nice guy and might be able to help you out. I can't make guarantees- but I don't see the harm in asking him.

ivuchan is this something you might be able to help Andrea77 with? I was fortunate to have another member import similar items for me a few years ago and I never forgot it.

 

[simiouno]

"shape is similar"
That vague term can cover everything from gun parts to garden hose parts. Ridiculous, but true. You could try to "demand" your item, but going in with that kind of wording is like demanding a policeman to not give you a speeding ticket. Anybody in a position of authority does not like getting their decisions questioned regardless of whether they are right or wrong. I'd go with facts that it is a water pistol that is sold freely in that country, and which does not have a real world equivalent. It can not be made to fire anything but water.

There is most likely a time limit on the decision, as customs or shippers confiscate a lot of items every day and they take up lots of room. So destruction of the item will soon happen.

TazMan2000

Not my first rodeo on this score and I got the person's item sent to them, but each must do what's right for them...All authority is assumed,all uniforms are fancy dress !

 

[TazMan2000]

Not my first rodeo on this score and I got the person's item sent to them, but each must do what's right for them...All authority is assumed,all uniforms are fancy dress !

Each country is different, but it seems like all customs agencies are aligning. What was inexpensive (shipping) before is now almost unbelievable. What was allowed before is now facing more stringent rules. One might take their toy water pistol blaster, paint it up and commit a robbery, so that is enough justification to ban all water pistols, even though they can go to the airsoft store and purchase an almost exact outward reproduction of a machine gun and do the same thing.

TazMan2000

 

[simiouno]

Yeah, they ban toys but love the M.I.C.

 

[stevecru]

There are a lot of mail forwarding services. I use Blackship.
Just google Japan mail forwarding and you’ll get a bunch of hits. For whatever reason lots of Japanese businesses won’t ship internationally, not just guns, but anything. The forwarding services are reliable and not overly costly.

 

[Sundowner]

I sent one of my Carnwennan Kingsman replicas to France. I got an official notice that French customs “destroyed” it. But then it ended up on an auction site a few months later lol

 

[simiouno]

I sent one of my Carnwennan Kingsman replicas to France. I got an official notice that French customs “destroyed” it. But then it ended up on an auction site a few months later lol

Yup, customs steal things...who knew !

 

[ivuchan]

Hi,Andrea77

Hello I'm a Japanese person living in Japan.
I will assist you if there is anything I can do.

First, please send the item to my address in Japan, and then I will ship the item to you.

One idea, but is it something that can be disassembled so that it won't be recognized as a gun?
If so, I will disassemble it and send it to you.
Also, with UPS, there is a higher chance of delays.
This is because I previously purchased a Star Wars blaster from America to Japan using UPS. However, the shipping cost was tens of thousands of yen. I think the shipping costs will be quite high again this time. You should also consider the possibility that your shipment will be stopped at customs.

Best Regards,
Tsuyoshi

 

[ivuchan]

Hi,Andrea77

I will contact you with additional information.
First of all, I think you should consult with the company you purchased it from. Sorry if this has already been discussed.

Best Regards,
Tsuyoshi

 

[Andrea77]

Update:

On January 22nd and 24th I tried to contact the following shipping services:
- forward2me
- Blackship
- BENLY Express

Only the last two responded asking me to send them the link to the auction I had won to see if they could help me. Once I sent them the link, only BENLY Express responded to me and said they could ship the blaster so I had Buyee ship it to them. The problem is that now they tell me they can't ship the blaster because the Japanese postal service refuses to ship anything that even vaguely resembles real weapons (regardless of whether they're fake or not) either by airmail or by sea and that FedEx and DHL also refused.

I contacted BENLY Express again asking them if they can try using UPS. I added also saying that Italian customs have no problem with importing weapons as long as they aren't real and I also told them that there must be some way to ship the blaster since the American distributor HCG has already done so.

Thanks ivuchan for your assistance. Now I'm waiting for the response from BENLY Express, if they can't help me I'll try to send it to you. Do you know for sure that UPS can ship it or do you know other carriers that have no problem shipping "toy" guns?

This thing is absurd, I have imported replicas of sci-fi weapons from all over the world and I have never had any problems; after this experience I will no longer buy replicas from Japan, from now on only manga, anime and figures...

P.S.: I would like to avoid dismantling the blaster and in any case at customs they can just pick it up and handle it to see that it is not a real gun.

Thanks guys for your support and help, the RPF members are always fantastic!

 

[ivuchan]

Andrea77

Hello.
I hope things are heading in the right direction.
If you decide to send it to me, I will do my best to help.
I don't know if it is possible to reliably ship toy guns using UPS, but I have had a Star Wars blaster shipped from America to Japan using UPS.

Best Regards
ivuchan/Tsuyoshi

 

[IFA]

Andrea77.

I had the same problem buying a Pulse Rifle from a Japanese website long time ago. Same as you, the auction site let me bid on the item (knowing I was not from Japan) and after I won the auction, they told me they couldn't ship the item to me due to Japan laws.......which was completely weird : why do you allow me to bid on such items if you already know you won't agree to ship it to me ????

So, I made contact with a friend's friend there who tried to help me. So, I made the item shipped to him. He was able to see it was a non fonctioning/resin replica.

We discussed the way we could try to have that piece shipped to me. I thought the easy way was first to try with his local Post Office.

So, he went there and discussed during three hours with the postmen here, from the first employee to Director of agency !!! At the end, the Director estimated that the item was not illegal to ship being a replica, a resin and non fonctioning replica of a movie prop. My friend, of course, unpacked the Pulse Rifle in the office to show the employees what it was and finally, everybody there, knowing it was from the movie "Aliens", were smiling and posing with the PR in hands, taking pictures and laughing a lot !!!

The Director wrote on the package, in big red, that it was a toy replica and there was no problem for Customs to let it go !!!

My friend also added the paperwork you can find on Factory Entertainment packages for replica weapons (attached here).

I hope my history will help you and I hope you will be able to receive your item. Receiving my PR in pieces was not an option at all to me !!!

Good luck.

 

[JOATRASH FX]

....... the Aviation Law and International Postal Regulations, toy guns that shape is similar to real guns are prohibited from being shipped internationally using any
couriers including Japan Post (including EMS, AIR, SAL, and Seamail), DHL, FedEx, and UPS."

Heya!

Unless things have changed recently (like, in the last year or so) that information isn't 100% correct.

Around Covid, a friend and fellow RPFer in Japan helped me get hold of two very rare airsofts (Bren Ten and Automag, both in chrome/silver and virtually impossible to find these days in the west). We looked at different shipping options and the usual ones were a no-go. Strangely, UPS and FedEx said anything weaponlike was prohibited, but I've send replicas using FedEx before (they seem to have changed the rules recently) and many airsoft stores use UPS (I suspect that if you have a business account with them, you get less restrictions). IN the end, the carrier we used was EMS. They arrived here in Sweden with no problem. (Note: Sweden doesn't have ANY issue with importing replicas or airsofts, only real firearms need permits here.) A little more than a year ago, I bought an Indiana Jones Tanaka M1917 airsoft from Taiwan and I'm pretty sure that was also sent via EMA. Shortly after receiving the airsofts from Japan, I sent my "backup" Bren Ten airsoft to the US, also using EMS. No issues.

So it might be worth looking into that option again, despite what you were told. (Also, since much of the Tomenosuke is plastic, dismantling it will possibly help. When they run it through the Xray, they will more clearly see the plastic parts and thus realize it's not a real gun.)

I ran into this problem a few years back with replica firearms I purchase from overseas being seized and destroyed, and this is one of the many reasons why I won't sell blasters (fantasy guns) or other firearms replicas outside the U.S. It's the same for people overseas trying to sell outside their country too.

May I ask where you were buying from? As has been mentioned, every country has their own rules. For example, I could send or receive pretty much anything except a real firearm here in Sweden, shipping to/from the US, the EU, Canada and so forth. (Real firearms need special shipping permits and the like, from what I've read, but replicas, airsofts, air guns and so on are fine.)

You just have to deal with someone who knows their local laws. (I'm often surprised that many prop collectors have no idea what's allowed in their home countries!) Long ago, I made it a point to read up on regulations as much as possible, just in case. To date, I haven't had any major issues. I just sent an Orville blaster (3d printed with electronics) to the US a couple weeks ago and it arrived in the US without any customs issues.

 

[Psab keel]

My issue was trying to import two of the same Tanakas airsofts and Smith and Wesson called BS so they were seized on a trademark/ copyright issue because technically they're fraudulent.

Thankfully, by my surprise, I got my money back and el toro was kind enough to get me both from another vendor and he had no issue getting them for me. To which I am so grateful. I never forgot it.