If it can be useful for you, i'm going to put my own experience.
I was in Bali, june 2011, managing the bike shipping to Tokyo.
First of all i was in touch with JAF (Japan Automobile Federation), to know how to proceed to get the bike in, and with Chis of course.
I was told by JAF to send them, at least 10 days in advance, all the papers copies (including passport copy), as they have to check the CDP data to release the temporary permission. Once at the JAF Tokyio office, i had to show them the original papers, then tehy've gave me what i need, not before told me you must sign up an insurance policy before get to Narita airport to get the bike ready to roll.
At Narita they've checked frame, engine, plate, CDP and a valid japanese insurance, they are use to put a small insurance sticker on the bike plate, wich it is still in place nowadays...
The process was, more or less, the same to get out from Wakkanai to SAkhalin. Russian side fixer required same paperworks copies in advance to clear the custom "easily" in Korsakov harbour.

insuranceadventure
 

my point is simple:
ride carefully in Japan and you should be out of most trouble.
And,
making a world travel, there are way more dangerous spots on earth than Japan. How about riding in India? Insurance? Traffic rules? Mexico ... Gunpoint? ...
So,
making a 100% risk free journey around the globe is probably not possible. The risks in Japan are quite low if you stay within your limits and limits of the rules and you are probably fine without any insurance or even a driving license, because the police will not stop you if they have no reason.
Riding since January with a German license plate I got stopped 2 times, once speeding, once riding into a closed street, both my own mistakes and they did let me go while I apologized respectfully and honest. Each time they saw the insurance, they were happy and saw that I did an effort to be legal. Even the JAF translation of my driving license didnt catch much attention. About the German licence plate they didnt now at all what to think or do. And in general: foreigner: too complicated to deal with.
So,
I understand the efforts to be legal as possible in another country, but please dont wake up sleeping dogs at the same time.
So maybe we just have to communicate to everyone who is coming, that riding in Japan with the wrong plate is possible but has certain risks, you decide yourself.

So far lucky and hope to see one or the other rider on my travel starting soon,
Thomas

Thank you for this post.

This is something what everyone should have in mind when he start a RTW

Let me ad something that most travelers are not knowing that general rule to be used in attempts to temporary import a motorbike or automobiles in to the some country is not to pack it in the container if possible ...whole idea is to arrive with motorcycle on the ship,train..then technically custom must consider your car or bike as part of luggage or something Whit is your tools to travel.....some Germans shipped a bikes to Taiwan and head huge problem and on other occasion German gay arrived to Taiwan on the ship with a bike and BINGO>>>>they issue temporary import papers.

BBC News - Gunther, Christine and Otto: A love story

Then Japan. For seven years Holtorf had been running up against the same problem - Japan's refusal to recognise German car registration. That’s because in 1926, when the first multi-national agreement on car registration was drawn up, Japan refused to sign it. It did sign the follow-up agreement in 1949 – but this time Germany didn’t, on the grounds that it had signed and ratified the first.

Once again, German diplomats swung into action on Otto’s behalf, but this time they hit a brick wall even harder than North Korea’s. It seemed that nothing could be done.

But then Holtorf got wind that customs officials at Shimonoseki, a port served by a lorry ferry from South Korea, might turn a blind eye and accept Otto’s carnet de passage. He took the risk.

Holtorf says: “Technically Otto was illegally in Japan. It was a gamble and there was a danger that the car would be confiscated.”

Everything went smoothly, however, and Japan became country 166.

Hey guys, going off at a slight tangent here but ...

"It is possible to register a bike in Japan, if you have a Japanese resident who will allow you to do in their name. It costs around $600 ( excluding any agent fees ) including Jibaiseki, and some of that, possibly up to $200 can be got back when the Jibaiseki is cancelled. This applies to older bikes only, like the Africa Twin ( 90's and earlier bikes ). "

Can anyone confirm the exact year of manufacture this applies up to?

The reason I ask is that my 2003 XT600 (UK reg) is here in Japan and is totally knackered - ready for the scrap heap. the problem is that its on a temp import so customs are saying it MUST leave Japan once the 12 months time limit is up (August 2015) so im thinking to send it on a return trip to Korea and back (thus leaving Japan) and get it fully imported under my friends name then scrap it here.

I cant just pay the tax and switch from temp to full import they wont allow it.

Sending it back to the UK looks like it will cost £2000 so anything cheaper is a bonus.

Any help is much appreciated.

Dom

Import and registration are two different subjects. You can import the bike without registering it. You only pay the taxes. You can't ride it in that case, but then you just want to scrap it, so this doesn't matter.

Now, if the bike was stolen and you get a police report, you won't have to/be able to export it. (Probably still liable for taxes though.) Unfortunately, there isn't much of a market for dead travel bikes, so it probably won't be stolen even if you park it on the street with the keys in the ignition.

Sending my bike back from Kobe to europe cost me 1700usd + 320usd collection fee.. thats a lot less than the 2000£... Interfracht is the company.. let me (or chris for the matter, he gave me their details) know and ill look it up..

Yup, Interfracht is the company you should contact!
If you need their contact info, please send me an e-mail:
klausdorth(at)web.de!

I did a trip from Serbia to Japan with stop to S.Korea on DR650 and shipped bike back to Holland, this October for 1700 Euros.

Interesting info!

Can anyone confirm if a motorcycle from Belgium needs to be registered?

I read about Germany, Switzerland, Monaco and Slovenia, that would require registration.

If Belgium is party to only the 1968 treaty and not the 1949 treaty, they your technically need to register (however, this is impossible as previously mentioned).
This shows what Belgium is a party to the 1949 Convention on Road Traffic
https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDe...mtdsg5&lang=en
And also the 1968 Convention
https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDe...lang=en#EndDec

So, your vehicle is probably OK to use without the mysterious registration that I have never seen in almost 20 years of helping travelers.
Ask JAF for details
JAF For Visitors Bringing Vehicles with Carnet de Passages en Douane

Your IDP, however, may be issued in 1968 format (valid for 3 years). In which case, you will probably need an official translation from JAF because Japan only accepts the 1949 one year format.

Hello everyone,

I know this is an older thread but hopefully someone will be able to help out.

I'm planning on going to Japan on a 1-year Working Holiday Visa and would like to take my 2011 Triumph Tiger 800 with me which is in Australia, where I am also doing a Working Holiday Visa. I'd enter Japan with my Portuguese passport (in case that would matter for import matters).

Any suggestions?

Thank you!

Get a carnet and don't keep your bike in Japan for a day longer than one year.
Other than that, you should be fine.

However, considering the costs, I would recommend you buy a used bike in Japan and sell it when you leave. (Unless you plan to ride back to Portugal).

Hi Chris:

My motorcycle was manufactured in Japan: do you think I would be able to import it trouble-free based on the legal principle of Jus soli (citizenship by place of birth)? :cool4:

Michael