American comedian Sammy Obeid denied entry to Japan, held in cell for 24 hours

Entry denied before shows

Obeid said he arrived in Tokyo two days before scheduled performances with two other comedians. They were allowed into Japan, but he was refused entry and sent back to the United States.

He said immigration officials took his US passport and questioned him about his itinerary, his work and his plans for later trips. He had the option to appeal, but said officials warned that the process was unlikely to succeed.

Visa rules and sponsorship

Japanese rules require foreign performers to have permission to work, with requirements that vary according to how an event is arranged. One route applies to venues with at least 100 seats; another covers certain short engagements paying at least ¥500,000 a day.

For other performances, a contract with a qualifying Japanese organisation is generally required. Applications must describe the performance arrangements and payment, which may pose difficulties when a US promoter and a third-party ticketing app are involved without such an organisation.

Obeid said he could not secure the sponsorship needed for the smaller venues where he was scheduled to perform. He said those he consulted believed he would be allowed in, as on earlier trips, but that did not happen.

Detention and his suspicions

Obeid said officials required him to return to the United States on the same airline he had taken to Japan, rather than fly to Hong Kong or Taiwan. He recalled being told the next flight was 24 hours away and that he would remain in solitary confinement until then.

He described the detention as solitary confinement and said he felt targeted. He speculated that officials may have flagged him as suspicious or may have known in advance he was coming, while acknowledging he did not know which explanation was correct.

The Independent sought comment from Obeid and Japan’s foreign ministry. The Japanese government has not made a public statement or comment on the matter.