Japan
JapanWhere you stay
Checking in, what the front desk is required to take, and what a private rental has to show you.
Why does the hotel photocopy my passport?
Because it is required to. If you have no address in Japan, the accommodation must record your name, nationality and passport number and keep a copy of the passport with its guest register — and the official guidance tells staff to contact the police if you refuse and may not be carrying one.
How do I know a private rental is legal?
By the number and the calendar. A registered administrator has to post a sign you can see, and an agent's listing should carry the registration number and the property's address. The other tell is the ceiling: a private lodging may be let for no more than 180 nights a year.