From Vladivostok, Russian Federation to Toyama, Japan - October, 2004

Mostly as the others found it, with the following updates and differences.

Irena has taken over from Diana, and is also very helpful.

The Rus sails on Mondays and the Antonina Nezhdanova on Saturdays - they both go to Japan empty except for Russian used-car salesmen (they come back full of used Japanese cars).

My fare was $210, which included 3 meals a day - and as a Western female I ended up with a 1st-class 4-berth cabin to myself. The voyage should be around 48 hours, but we were delayed by a typhoon, which is why the Captain declined to charge me for the bike when we got to Japan.

Irena is very helpful, and did all the Customs stuff for me (don't try this without a carnet). She ferried me around at high speed in her white Pajero (no nervous passengers, please) and extracted a few roubles from time to time. Her 'fixing' fee was $100, and she was worth every cent.

At the Japanese end the Customs chaps were very helpful, as it was a rather excruciating procedure. I had to take a taxi (total cost around $100) from the port to the Japan Auto Federation office (via a bank) to have the carnet validated, then back to Customs, then finally to the ship to have the bike unloaded. The Customs chap on the ship explained to the taxi driver where I was to go and everything so my complete lack of Japanese wasn't a problem. However, once all the papers had been seen and stamped all was fine, the bike was unloaded, and off I rode. I think a mistake was made, though, as I didn't have to pay anyone anything, so I think I was uninsured all the time in Japan.