Bringing a swissarmy knife

I have been told that it is illegal to carry a knife with a blade longer than 5.5cm, I assume this is still the case?

I wonder if this is also true if the knife is in your luggage behind a locked zipper. I will not be carrying it with me all the time, in fact, I'll keep it in my suitcase at all times.

What's more, last year I did not yet know about this rule, and I was picked out at airport customs to have my luggage searched. The guy found my swissarmy knife and didn't even think twice about it, he put it aside as if it were a toothbrush or something.

So the question here is: what are the exact rules on bringing a swissarmy knife? If it is allowable only under certain conditions, then what exactly are they?

For reference, I own this one:
http://www.victorinox.com/ch/product/Swiss-Army-Knives/Category/The-Or...

See this thread http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+87547

The thing is this, and I haven't seen a clear answer. What if the tool I'm carrying is not *just* a knife, but much more, like a pair of scissors, a vile, a screwdriver, a can opener, etc. Is that still considered a "knife"?

It also makes me wonder about normal-sized scissors? A normal-sized pair of scissor has *two* blades, mine happen to be about 80mm. Illegal?

So, I'm not talking about a knife, but *speciafically* a swissarmy knife, which in my point of view is not really just a knife. The law leads me to believe that it covers "knifes", while a different law might cover "tools with a knife-function". Am I wrong?

Btw, the blade on my swissarmy knife (the knife-part anyway) is 57mm. I've seen references to 60mm and 55mm. Dear me.

Another thing is, why did the customs officer not say anything about it if it was illegal? He didn't even measure the thing, knowing that it's so close.

Also like I said, it will never ever be within reach, when I'm out in public. It will be tucked away in my suitcase at all times, and I only take it out (alone) in the hotel room.

You will be stopped if you are carrying with you or in your carry-on or maybe stopped by the airport x-ray screening in the checked baggage even before you leave to or from Japan.
A long time ago even before the recent strict rules, I had a small Swiss Army knife in my carry-on at Fukuoka airport flying with my family to Hawaii to SF. The woman security found it and passed it onto her supervisor. He walked with me the gang way and gave it back before the plane when nobody was around, maybe because he trusted I was no risk. You may not be as lucky.

The thing is this, and I haven't seen a clear answer. What if the tool I'm carrying is not *just* a knife, but much more, like a pair of scissors, a vile, a screwdriver, a can opener, etc. Is that still considered a "knife"?

Its extremely clear. If it has a knife blade it is a knife, regardless of its other functions.

It also makes me wonder about normal-sized scissors? A normal-sized pair of scissor has *two* blades, mine happen to be about 80mm. Illegal?

No, the law specifically states knives. Scissors are not knives and do not seem to be covered by this law.

So, I'm not talking about a knife, but *speciafically* a swissarmy knife, which in my point of view is not really just a knife. The law leads me to believe that it covers "knifes", while a different law might cover "tools with a knife-function". Am I wrong?

You are reading too much into this. The law covers knives (daggers, swords, etc.) with blades between 5.5 and 15cm long. Your knife squarely fits this description, and is therefore illegal to carry around in public.

Btw, the blade on my swissarmy knife (the knife-part anyway) is 57mm. I've seen references to 60mm and 55mm. Dear me.

The limit is 5.5cm. You will either have to shorten the blade or simply leave the knife at home (or in your hotel).

Another thing is, why did the customs officer not say anything about it if it was illegal? He didn't even measure the thing, knowing that it's so close.

It is not illegal to possess knives, its just illegal to carry them around in public. There are exceptions provided you had a reasonable reason, and it could be argued that you were transporting the knife to your private residence (hotel) to be left there.

Also like I said, it will never ever be within reach, when I'm out in public. It will be tucked away in my suitcase at all times, and I only take it out (alone) in the hotel room.

Doesn't matter. If you have it on you while sightseeing and happen to be searched (highly unlikely), there is a good chance that you will go to jail. Do yourself a favor and get a knife with a shorter blade.

if it stays in your suitcase in your hotel room...not a problem. if you plan to carry it make sure it's not over sized on the legal limit. I always travel with knive in my suitcase even when traveling to Japan. not a problem going through the airport either direction. have received nice knives as gifts while in Japan.

I don't know the strict rules, but I can give you some anecdotes:

Your link didn't work for me, but I own a Victorinox with a 6 cm blade (and other shorter blades and tools).

From my flying experience, if you keep swiss army knives in your checked luggage, they'll get through without a problem.

Off the plane, I keep mine handy to dice up apples, say, in the park, and no one seems to mind. So I don't think having one on your person and using it for benign tasks is going to cause you any issues.

On the other hand, I imagine that if you flip the blade out and brandish it at people on the street or in front of a police officer, there would be some questions.

Hi, can I post here again to make sure...?

Today's news for reference.
http://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXNASDG03017_T01C12A1CC1000/

OUTLINE;
Yesterday, in Tokyo, about 1 a.m, a Tokyo resident (male, 66y.o.) was arrested by "Firearms and Swords Control Law" for having a folding knife that's length of a blade is 6.8cm.
A policeman found it in dashboard of his stopped car.
And he also gave a vague answer about why he carried it and why he was here.

But folding knife is exceptionally allowable by 8cm. (I didn't know that.)
So police recognize their wrong and release him.

At the same time, he was arrested by "Petty Offense Law" for carrying the aggressive tools without a justifiable reason.

Okay, to wrap things up:

The customs officer thinks it's okay. I've gone through this check twice, and twice my swissarmy friend had been discovered and been laid aside as if it is nothing. In fact, my toothpaste was much more interesting.
I really wonder about this...


I can't be using it in public. I wont't.

I can leave it in the hotel room. I will.

But in order to get it to the hotel room, I *have* to carry it around, be it in tucked away in my big luggage.

But I do understand that Japan is sensetive about these things. After all, things have happened.

Still, what about the customs officer? Why didn't he say anything about it? be that twice?

Still, what about the customs officer? Why didn't he say anything about it? be that twice?

It is both legal to possess knives and to transport certain types of knives across the border. So in this case it is not a customs issue.

Try bringing in a butterfly knife or a sword and it would have been a different issue altogether.

But in order to get it to the hotel room, I *have* to carry it around, be it in tucked away in my big luggage.

It's okay to transport the knife from the airport to your hotel, just like it's okay to transport a kitchen knife from the store to your home.

What you cannot do is carry around a knife (of any length) for no good reason.

I see.

I couldn't see why it wouldn't be allowed to deeply tuck it away in my suitcase.

No I won't carry it around, not even for a good reason. I don't want the trouble. If I need to cut an apple in half, well, though luck - I can ask the shopkeeper who sells me the apple to do it for me. Even in my own country, I never carry a knife around, not even for a good reason.

Still, a sensetive subject. Which is not for nothing, apparantly.

Based on your answer above, then the best thing you can do, Thany, is to leave it at home and not bring it to Japan.

Or buy and bring a smaller swissarmy knife instead. There are different laws applied in different countries; some make sense and other's don't. But it's no use really arguing about it before a police officer who's on duty.

thany,
not a problem with pretty much any knife size in your suitcase or hotet room. You said you won't be carrying it around, so not an issue. I normally have 1 or 2 knifes in my suitcase (even when traveling to Japan), and one knife is a large camping/hunting knife 8 inch blade. Been to Japan 9 times so far without an issues. The knives stay in my room. (or suitcase if I'm traveling)

I look obviously very foreign and luckily no cop requested me to show them my passport while I walked around the streets (I guess at my tiny size at only 5'1 I didn't look even remotely threatening). I don't know if a cop searches your clothes in the case they do request to see your ID in the street but never took risks and had my passport at all times in my bag.

I sincerely don't see the reason to have a swiss army knife unless you have a huge interest to remove clothing tags the second you buy them or something. I find fruit in Japan to be noticeably expensive, they sell insanely large apples but I wouldn't spend 10 US dollars for just 1 apple!! Unless you have a particular curiosity to try out a 10 dollar apple and have a lot of money I don't see why you'd regularly use a knife to cut them.

If the army knife is small I doubt japanese will run around and scream in fear if they see you cutting a fruit with one. They'd probably be more annoyed if you were munching food while walking in a street. I'd avoid putting the knife in carry on luggage, they now x-ray everything and take away anything and you will risk missing your plane or annoy people behind you because they can't get to their gates while cops look at your stuff. Not polite.

I had a teeny tiny little glass case with jam removed from Guatemala airport (forgot to put it in my checked luggage), if such a tiny little ting that was smaller than my hand was taken away, a cop might remove your expensive 70 dollar knife. Why bring a knife on a plane when they give you chopped up food anyways?