How to take cats from UK to Japan

Hello all,

I'm looking at moving to Japan for a year with my partner at some point in the near future. We are really excited by the idea, but the only thing stopping us is the fact that we have two cats. We both love our cats to pieces and I couldn't bare to be apart from them for a year, so I wanted to look at the options of taking them with us.
I have just no idea where to start.

If anyone could give me any guidance taking them from the UK to Japan and back I would really appreciate it.

Would they need to be quarantined? Would they struggle with the long distance? Would they need to have a passport to travel?
I currently work in a lettings agent so I am aware that it will be difficult finding a property to rent that will accept cats over there, but once we find a place that will we are more than happy to put down a bigger deposit so that isn't an issue.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!

If it's only a year, I would not recommend bringing cats.

I believe this is still the current procedure into Japan:
http://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/english/animal/dog/index.html

Also since you plan to go back in a year, you should check the procedure INTO the UK as well. I know that our relatives gave up on the idea of bringing a cat from the continent into the UK due to the procedures.

When it comes apartments that allow pets, it is not just paying more deposit (I have seen 3 months' rent for pet owners instead of the regular 2 months' rent), but finding the right place. On top of it, in your case, since you will be moving from overseas, you will need to see if you can find such a place in advance, ahead of your (and your cats') arrival, because you will not be able to stay in a hotel with your cats. Also, if your stay is just for one year, you are likely to be looking at guesthouses and apartments catering to non-locals (as the regular apartment rent agreement runs for two years, and the apartments come completely unfurnished), and I wonder if there are many that allow pets.

Generally speaking (we live with two cats in Tokyo), if I may say this though I'm sure you are aware of this, if possible it is better not to move houses with cats - so far we've moved with cat(s) within Japan twice, and one long-distance move was OK when we had just one cat and he was very young, and one short-distance move was not easy when we moved with two mature cats. Do you have a family owned house/apartment in the UK so that someone in your family can continue to live where the cats are living now? If that is possible for one year, I would recommend that.

I have heard from a friend of mine that it is possible to carry a cat in a carry-on, right in your cabin, but this needs to be checked with the airline and also availability (they seem to place a limit on the number of pets in-cabin per flight).