Taking my rabbit from the US to Japan- What to do

This is a very frustrating process for both you and your bunny, so make sure to prepare as much as possible!

My bun Tristan who bravely went on this journey!

Basic outline of things you will need :
1) A crate to carry your bun that follows IATA regulations
2) Airline ticket for human and reserved cargo space for your bun (and choosing the best airline)
3) APHIS form 7001 from USDA accredited veterinarian
4) Animal quarantine spot reservation when you arrive in Japan 

Now I will go into details on 1-4 based off of my experience in June 2016.

1) A crate to carry your bun that follows IATA regulations
I tried to make my bunny's space as comfortable as possible since he will be in this small box for 15+ hours. At the same time, it has to be durable and secure and has to comply with IATA regulations. Cargo space is heated but I was still worried so I filled the crate with wet pad, blanket and lots of hay to make it warm as possible.  You can look for good crates on Amazon by searching "crate" and "IATA" but I recommend the Petmate Sky Kennel series for its durability.

You can also attach water bottles (make sure it's not a water plate since it will spill/evaporate) and crock for pellets.
For some airline, size of crate is limited so make sure to check your airline regulations.


2) Airline ticket for human and reserved cargo space for your bun
I chose All Nippon Airlines(ANA) for my flight regardless of the fact that my company covered the whole fare if I went on Japan Airlines(JAL).

They both have direct flights from SFO to Tokyo. United also has direct flights from SFO to Tokyo but I personally don't recommend United for their regular delays. Japanese Airlines tend to be more punctual so it was a choice between ANA or JAL.

The reason why I chose ANA was the freedom on the regulation of the crate size. JAL's regulation seemed way too small and inconsiderate towards small pets other than dogs and cats.
JAL's regulation on crate size for bunnies falls under "rodents" (but bunnies aren't even rodents so meh😩). Max size is 45×45×41cm (https://www.jal.co.jp/en/inter/support/pet/) which would be completely fine if your bunny is size of a rodent. But if your bunny is not a flemish giant but even a holland lop he/she will not have enough space to stand upright. Although my bunny is a Polish Dwarf and is relatively small, I said no-no to JAL for this reason.

ANA's crate regulation is kind to small animals and there is no difference between a cat cage, dog cage or rabbit or any other animals' crate.
"◆ ANA accepts carriage of dogs, cats, birds and other small animals such as rabbits, hamsters and ferrets."
It just has to be under 115 in. when you add up the 3 dimensions (height, length, and width) of the crate and has to be under 100 lb.
https://www.ana.co.jp/en/jp/serviceinfo/international/support/pets/

So I chose ANA for my bunny's safety and comfort and rang them to secure a cargo space after I got myself an airline seat. It mentions that there can only be 3 crates per flight so make sure to call them early. It may be best to check in advance if there is still space before you actually reserve your seat.

3) APHIS form 7001 from USDA endorsed veterinarian
You have to take your rabbit to a USDA accredited veterinarian for health examination (most airlines and many countries require that the examination be done within 10 days prior to the pet’s entry into the destination country). After the examination, the veterinarian will complete the health certificate and give it to you. You then take the health certificate to a USDA office for endorsement/government stamp.
I went to All Pets Hospital (https://vcahospitals.com/all-pets) for exam since this was my regular vet and the staff there is extremely helpful and experienced in preparing the form 7001.

For the USDA office appointment, you will need to bring the signed health certificate and any required supporting documentation. Your rabbit does not need to attend this appointment. The fee for endorsement is $38.00 per certificate and they accept credit/debit card or check.
If there is no USDA office near you, you can send it over.
Since I lived in San Francisco, I went to
389 Oyster Point Blvd., Suite 2-B, South San Francisco, CA 94080
for my appointment.
For more details on APHIS pet travel go here: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel

4) Animal quarantine spot reservation when you arrive in Japan 
You can do this by contacting animal quarantine in Japan by submitting an application form.
There is a webpage dedicated to entering Japan with rabbit(s) http://www.maff.go.jp/aqs/english/qanda/qan10.html#1-1
Your bunny will have to go into quarantine for 2 nights at the airport so you will need to book his/her place by submitting a form called an "Application for import quarantine" by email or fax.
The whole process is free but you will need to go and feed your bun so I decided to stay near Narita Airport (and did touristy things around the area visiting shrines) for 2 nights after my arrival.
◆Itinerary
1st Night: Arrive at the airport and check-in at Animal Quarantine
2nd Day/Night: Bun stays at Animal Quarantine for observation
3rd Day: Check-out in the morning
 Overall the staff was helpful at Narita airport and there were no hiccups.

This was my second time importing my bun to Japan, but the whole process had not changed from 2012 to 2016. But make sure you are up to date with the process! Good luck traveling with your bunny!💕🐇🐰