Bear in mind that we live in Japan, we aren't going to be attending any cons or anything like that. Thanks!
If you have additional questions, let us know.
Japan is a fun country, by the way. I enjoyed my visit.
All the best!
If that's not possible, your players will each have to sign up online. There's a form in the online customer service system you can fill in.
The process is this:
Go to this page: http://wizards.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wizards.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=49&p_created=1109368241&p_sid=5nJWg7Aj&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9NjcsNjcmcF9wcm9kcz0xMTQ0LDExNTAmcF9jYXRzPSZwX3B2PTIuMTE1MCZwX2N2PSZwX3NlYXJjaF90eXBlPWFuc3dlcnMuc2VhcmNoX25sJnBfcGFnZT0x&p_li=&p_topview=1 (or, if that doesn't work, go to www.wizards.com/customerservice and choose 'WPN (DCI/RPGA) Players' from the first drop-down box, 'Membership Request' in the second drop-down, clicking Search and choose 'Joining the RPGA' from the results)
Collect the information needed, and click 'here'. You should get a form to fill in. When you click Submit you may get a 'do you really need to send this email? screen - if so, click the send email option. Then, sit back and wait for WotC to get back to you - they tend to take no more than a few days.
If the Email system reports an error, have a look at this thread: http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1133626
The next step will be reporting, what do the players actually do? Is it spelled out in idiot proof terms anywhere? You need a minimum of four players for each session, right?
The players won't be reporting anything, you will. In order to report play, there are either the D&D Home Campaign options, or the Living Forgotten Realms adventures, downloaded when you sanction the events and using characters that are legal in that campaign and only usable for the LFR adventures.
It will be great, it just takes a bit of time messing around with the website to get it right. Oh, make sure you sign up for the D&D Rewards, or you won't get the tiles.
The cards are much better.
However you're absolutely right that the cards are best. I forgot to mention that you can get cards from the DCI. There isn't a local Japan office listed among the contacts on this page: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dci/sanction/tocontact so emailing Customer Services and asking for them to arrange to send you a pack is probably best. There is a way of requesting some using the sanctioning system (use the "WPN Play Materials" logo) but I do not know if that works outside the USA.
http://wizards.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/wizards.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=579&p_created=1113516866
you have to be a WPN organizer to order cards for your players. I passed the Herald exam too, and thought that would qualify me, but it appears that the only way is to get involved in sanctioned WPN events at your local game store or at a con.
My understanding is that if you are a Herald-level GM you are automatically a WPN organiser. You may have to sign up for that here: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dci/wpn or you may have to contact customer service to get them to turn that on in your account. Just because you may not yet have run a public WPN event, you are still entitled to organise D&D ones because of your GM status. I think!
Ideally - and if everything is flagged right when the WPN system updates someone's account everything you said is correct.
Of course, when data goblins get involved, who knows what may happen.
By default, yes, being a Herald-Level GM should be all it takes to order a packet of DCI cards (in fact a packet should get mailed to you in ~6 weeks by default).
To sanction an even at a public venue you WILL need to get that venue (or venues) added to your profile - please see this thread for details. This takes about 2 business days on average.
If all else fails, you can always contact Customer Service for a closer look at your account.