Japan Trusted Travel Program Update: Password Reset & Arrival Card Renewal Required

The Japanese Immigration Service, which handles the Japan Trusted Traveler Program, has executed a system update that requires all TTP participants to reset their profile information.

Travelers enrolled in the program need to set a new password and then re-enter the arrival card information in the system so it can be saved for future use.

You can access Japan’s page for the Trusted Traveler Program here.

While the digital arrival card information technically has to be updated prior to each trip, I realized that the system pulls the correct flight number anyway regardless of whether I enter it beforehand, and the hotels which I stay at in Japan usually remain the same, so I just pick one from the list.

I had to update something and noticed a message on the login screen:

Apparently they did some kind of an update that deleted all saved data including password and you have to request a temporary code through the “Forgot Password” function and then set a new one. Easy enough.

You also have to re-fill the entire arrival card for future trips to Japan:

I punched in the five hotels I usually stay at when in Japan. When you land and use the machine, select the one you want to select from the list per fingertip.

You have to enter everything in Capital letters, and no numbers are allowed. Otherwise, it won’t accept the data, and you get an error message.

After I finally figured it out, an email arrived straight away:

It didn’t take very long, but nevertheless, it surprised me that this happened without any program update via email.

We have documented the Japan TTP Program experience here:

Japan Trusted Traveler Program (TTP) Haneda Entry Experience

If you wish to sign up, make sure your passport has a long enough validity, or you have to do it all over again when the passport gets renewed. An experience John had to make recently – annoying!

While these machines have worked quite well for me at Tokyo-Haneda, Narita, and Osaka-Kansai, there were also situations where I couldn’t use them, such as after a recent Haneda bus arrival where they dumped us into a tiny makeshift arrivals area that was attached to Terminal 2. It was surreal because nobody knew what was going on and there were no machines.

Conclusion

If you’re enrolled in the Japan TTP program make sure you log into your profile and then reset your password and arrivals data as the immigration service has deleted everything while running some kind of an update.

I really like the TTP program, especially as the small card serves as an ID document while in Japan, and you don’t have to carry your passport with you.

The application process was a bit tedious but not having to wait in line saved me hours by now. It’s also a good insurance policy in case of very late arrivals and short domestic connections.

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