Tokyo Customs Officials Confiscate Gift Turkey

BURBANK —  Thanksgiving is not celebrated in Japan, but Tokyo customs officials may be enjoying a turkey dinner anyway, thanks to a well-intentioned local businessman.

Rick Watanabe thought he would surprise a colleague stuck in Japan for Thanksgiving by sending him a frozen, precooked turkey. But because the 12-pound Butterball turkey was sent without the proper documents from the U. S. Department of Agriculture, Japanese officials will not allow the bird to clear customs at Narita International Airport, outside Tokyo.

Any meat sent to Japan must have a special label on the package in addition to the USDA stamp of approval found on all meat sold in grocery stores, said Amelia Sebastian of the Japanese Consulate in Los Angeles.

Sebastian said the consulate does not get many inquires about sending meat to Japan. But of the few who do call, “most usually forget it after we tell them how hard it is,” she said.

Dave Goodman of Box Brothers in Glendale, who Watanabe hired to ship the bird, said he tried several overseas shipping companies before finding one that would make the delivery.

The frozen turkey--which was packed in dry ice and shipped Friday--arrived in Japan on Saturday, where it has been sitting ever since.

“That bird is slowly becoming sushi,” Goodman said.

The overnight shipping company admitted its error and has apologized, said Watanabe, who works for Dassault Systems of America, a software firm in Burbank.

“But I can’t help but laugh when I picture this frozen bird sitting in the airport, slowly defrosting,” he said.