I sent an email to Hobby Link Japan yesterday inquiring about the restrictions for buying model painting supplies from their online store since I didn't want to go through the experience of adding stuff on my basket not knowing that these items can't be shipped to me. Based from my own experience from sending stuff overseas I know that you aren't allowed to ship anything via airmail that comes in compressed form so I was pretty much sure that as long as I lay off the spray paint cans there wouldn't be any problems.
An HLJ rep quickly and politely replied to my email saying:
Due to tightening restrictions placed on the international shipment of spray can based paints and other solvents, HobbyLink Japan will no longer be able to offer these items for sale to our international customers. Because of this, these items will no longer be available in our catalog.
Bummer, no wonder some stores are already putting up signs that they do not sell paint stuff. I surfed around the Japan Postal website looking for a loop hole, but it specifically says there that "paints" aren't allowed.
More official word from the Japanese Post Office on this issue:
With the tightening of air travel security measures, received mail will have its contents inspected by X-ray or the like for the presence of goods that cannot be sent as international mail, such as those dangerous for aviation. In the case that goods are suspected to be enclosed that cannot be sent as international mail, the sender may be asked to clarify the contents.
For this reason, time may be required for the sending of goods from Japan to overseas.Furthermore, any mail confirmed as containing goods that cannot be sent as international mail, such as those dangerous for aviation, will be returned to sender.We appreciate your understanding in advance.
For the sake of the safety of international mail, we request the understanding and cooperation of our customers in not sending goods that cannot be sent as international mail, such as those dangerous for aviation.
Also, to expedite the accurate and quick confirmation of the content of postal items, customers are requested to specficially describe the goods enclosed on the required label in a way that clearly identifies what kind of goods they are and their properties.
I wonder now where I will be able to buy paint for my recently resurrected model kit building hobby? Looking at the bigger picture however, its good that the authorities are clamping down on the possibility of it being used for aircraft based terrorism as well as it being the cause for the sudden increase of commercial aircraft crashes. Just this year the world had played witness to a lot of unnecessary lives lost due to aircraft disasters.
