Visa needed?
 

Sorry for another topic.

Some things changed. I will be in Japan for longer than two weeks.

A month at most.
Do I need a visa? I tried looking online but my internet is being weird.

I keep hearing that after two months I would need a visa by some, yet others say after two weeks...

As an American, you've got 90 days without a visa, but you must have a return ticket when entering the country.

Here's a link:
Japan

How does one prove that? Both times I entered via Narita, I don't recall telling the immigration officer when my return trip was going to be. Perhaps I filled out the info in the card given to my by the JAL flight attendant, but I honestly don't recall....

"You must have a valid passport and an onward/return ticket for tourist/business "visa free" stays of up to 90 days." That's the first line of the link in case you didn't check it out.

As far as I know, airline is actually supposed to ask you at your home/departing airport for proper documentation of a return ticket, such as your official printed itinerary, before you even check your bags. This was the case for me in Washington DC; the woman at the ANA desk asked for proof of a return ticket, in which I explained to her that I hold a visa and showed it to her in my passport, exempting me from this rule (since I'd only purchased a one-way ticket to Japan).

Yeah, that may have happened at O'Hare, since I have the JAL card and my itinerary was booked through them. I guess those first few minutes of my trip went by quickly and I was a bit anxious to clear security.

I was perfectly aware of the requirements and length of stay and that's why I didn't check the site. I was just fuzzy over the departure ticket requirement and how they were aware of it. Now, in retrospect, I must perform a face palm.