PCSing with Pets to Japan
by Rachel Slack - March 2nd, 2022
PCSing with a fur baby is stressful for sure, especially when you are moving overseas. I have traveled CONUS (inside the Continental United States) and OCONUS (Outside the Continental United States) with my dog. Together, we went from North Carolina to California, California to Japan, and finally Japan back to sunny California.
PCSing to Japan with pets
There are some requirements that have to be met for pets to accompany you on OCONUS moves. There are a few things you should always have prepared and ready to go before PCSing with a pet. These three steps will save you headaches in the long run.
Stay up to date on all vaccines
Have copies of all vet medical records
Microchip your pet as soon as possible
You can read more about preparing to move overseas with pets here.
Step 1: Preparing to fly pets to Japan
As soon as you get orders, book pet spots on the AMC flight, which is the military airlines. These spaces are free, but limited, and they do fill up quickly, especially during the summer move season!
Get a head start on the move by having your pet microchipped beforehand and having two Rabies shots administered after the microchip was placed. That is a requirement for most countries when importing a pet. You can also request a FAVN-ONE test right away if your pet has had two Rabies shots after the microchip. Japan specifically requires this.
Start the quarantine process right away. Japan requires 180 days of quarantine (yes, that is 6 months!) and it can be finished on base. However, if you get off-base housing, you will need to board your pet at a boarding facility on base, or have a friend watch your pet on base at their house until the end of quarantine.
Look into Pet Transportation Companies. You may need to use these if there are no AMC pet spots, or if heat embargoes black out commercial flight cargo areas. This is a 3rd-party company that moves your pet independently of your own flights. Here are some that transport to Japan:
Pet Air Carrier: They offer military discounts.
Sarah’s Pet Paradise Transport Services: They offer transportation service to and from Hawaii, Europe, USA, and Japan seven days a week, all year long.
Pender Air Pet Travel: They are based in the DC area and ship pets internationally.
Start saving money immediately, since the military does not cover any costs of moving a pet during a PCS. Flying a pet to Japan can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 and up, depending on their size. If you need financial assistance for moving your pet, you can enter into the PCS with Pets monthly $500 giveaway and find other financial resources on the same page.
Step 2: Traveling overseas with pets
Before you fly to Japan, you will probably travel within the United States. Some people decide to drive to Seattle to catch their AMC flight. Those flying commercially to Japan will leave from a local public airport. Either way, you will eventually need everything on the flight list for your long flight to Japan.
If you are leaving from Seattle AMC to Japan--specifically Okinawa--it is about a 16-hour flight to Tokyo, then you will have two layovers before arriving on the island. At the first layover, they do allow you to let your dogs out and will unload all animals from cargo for you to check on them.
When driving with pets you will need:
Vet Records
Collapsible Kennel (recommended but not necessarily needed)
Food and Water
A Few Toys
When flying with pets you will need:
Vet Records
Health Certificate within 10 days of travel
Airline Approved Kennel
Food and Water
Travel Bowls for Kennel
Check Heat Embargos
When I fly with my dog, I also bring his cooling vest so he does not overheat on the plane. If you have everything on these lists, then you already have eliminated 90% of the stress that comes when moving with a pet in the military.
Pet-friendly hotels when PCSing to Japan
To make things easier, here are a few pet-friendly hotels you can use while moving to Japan with pets.
Stateside hotels
Best Western: Most Best Western hotels allow pets. Japan’s Best Westerns allow pets too.
Extended Stay America: You can find ESA’s all over the United States and this chain allows pets.
Hilton Hotels: Many Hiltons in America now allow pets. The Hiltons in Japan also allow pets.
Kimpton Hotels: Kimpton boutique hotels allow pets.
Check the local bases for availability at their hotels, as they also allow pets.
Okinawa Hotels
Navy Getaway Inn & Suites
Shogun Inn
West Pac Inn
Inn of the Corps Camp Hansen
Mainland Hotels
Navy Lodge Atsugi
Navy Lodge Sasebo
Navy Lodge Yokosuka
Misawa Inn
Kanto Lodge Yokota
Zama Lodge
Monzen Lodge Iwakuni
Nishiki Lodge Iwakuni
I hope this information helps ease the stress of PCSing to Japan with your fur baby!
Rachel Slack is an actor, dancer, writer, and Marketing+Social Media coordinator. She spent years traveling around the world with the Marine Corps, also working for MCCS, and has first-hand experience when it comes to traveling with dogs. You can follow her on Instagram at @rachelslackkkk.
