I've not been questioned in U.S. airports about the shakuhachis I've
carried, but several times in Japanese airports I was asked what they were
(always only the one piece shakuhachis which don't fit into a bag and which
I carry in separate cases) after they were passed through those x-ray
machines. When I said shakuhachi they just waved me on though once I had
to take my 2.1 out of a plastic case and show it to the airport security
person. As for martial arts equipment, which was also mentioned in several
recent messages, I volunteered the information that I was carrying an iaito
some years ago (practice sword with no cutting edge) when I arrived at
Osaka's Kansai airport from the U.S. and my wife and I were taken into a
small room, all our baggage was searched, including medicine bottles, my
wife's make-up kit, all pockets on our backpacks, we were asked if we were
carrying drugs, and only when the police detective arrived and confirmed
that it wasn't a real sword, were we released from custody.
Dan (Ribble)
Kochi, Japan
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