Bob WM

@ Hlitner thanks for your feedback. My question was actually prompted by our recent experience on a Westerdam cruise from Yokohama to Taiwan. The last Japanese port before Taiwan was Ishigaki but because it is only a small island, Japanese exit procedures were done a day earlier in the larger port of Naha, Okinawa. It’s hard to make plans for ports, especially any private tours, without knowing where or when we need to clear immigration control.

So Kushiro does have border control staff stationed there despite its modest size. That’s helpful to know for planning our port day there. Thanks for the information!

Thanks Essiesmom. I will look at the thread and if the info is not there I’ll try reposting as you suggested. Your kind advice is greatly appreciated by this CC newbie.

We are pretty new to cruising and are on Oceania Insignia from Tokyo to SFO from late June. After Tokyo we will be going north to Aomori, Hakodate and Kushiro before heading to Alaska. If you have cruised this itinerary before can you please let me know where the Japanese immigration officials are going to require exit procedures. Although Kushiro is the last port of call I thought that it’s unlikely to happen there since it’s a very small city of around 170,000, but I don’t know. Thanks in advance.