Jonathan McDonald
Teacher, 35 (English)
Never. I find that if I'm well-dressed and polite, things go well. I always try to chat a bit to the staff. This makes the process less of a formality and more human. That way if something does go wrong, the staff are less likely to follow protocol and more likely to do what they can to help!

Sandra Meyer
Bar staff, 22 (French)
Personally I have never had a problem with the immigration services in Japan — either in Shinagawa or at ports of departure — because I have never done anything wrong or illegal, and I am of course trying to keep it that way. It is of course easier to live if we have done nothing wrong.

Alfie Goodrich
Photographer, 44 (English)
I've encountered the usual dilemma of "the wife is Japanese, she goes through her line; I am English and need to go through a different line," which has been solved very quickly by an immigration officer, usually, by opening up a new line, taking us through in double-quick time and bypassing the whole [conundrum].