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Latest update on issues in Japan

3/15/2011 2:06:52 PM

Latest updates on travel advice in Japan

• The Foreign and Commonwealth office advise against all non essential travel to Tokyo and north eastern Japan given the damage caused by the 11 March earthquake and resulting aftershocks and tsunami. 
  
  
• Japan Meteorological Agency announced on 14 March that the risk of a future earthquake over magnitude 7 decreased to 40% from 0500Z on 14 March for the next three days.  
  
  
• All British nationals are urged in areas affected by the earthquake to: check your immediate surroundings for fire, gas leaks, broken glass and other hazards; and open doors and/or windows to avoid being locked in if there are aftershocks. 
  
  
• The British Embassy has established a Consular Response Centre in Sendai, at the ANA Holiday Inn, located at 1-4-1 Shintera Wakabayashi-ku, Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, 984-0051 Japan.  The Holiday Inn’s telephone number is (+81) 22 256 5111, if calling from the UK, or 022 256 5111, if calling from Japan.
  
  
•  The UK Goverment is actively monitoring the situation at nuclear facilities and urge British nationals to observe the advice being given by Japanese authorities, including the 20km exclusion zone around the Fukushima facility and to remain indoors, keep windows and doors closed and not use ventilation if you are between 20km and 30km from the facility.  This is consistent with the severity of the reported incidents across reactors numbers one, two, three and four, with the independent information that we have, and with international practice. 
  
  
• On 15 March the Chief Scientific Adviser, Sir John Beddington, spoke on the Today programme.  He said that this was an entirely different situation from Chernobyl; and that: "the exclusion zone of twenty kilometres… is entirely proportionate."  He stressed that people should not go into the exclusion zone set up by the Japanese authorities.  He went on to say that, apart from those living in the 20 km area around the reactor, there is no real human health issue that people should be concerned about.

Any emissions are being monitored in real time by the Japanese authorities which enabled appropriate advice to be issued.  This also directly informs our travel advice

• British nationals in Japan should contact the Foreign Office helpline in London both if they require assistance and to report that they are safe: +44 20 7008 0000 (from Japan) or 020 7008 0000 (in the UK). You can also e-mail the Foreign Office on  japan.earthquake@fco.gov.uk or skype (text not call) on "fcojapan".  British nationals currently in Japan should also contact family and friends in the UK to confirm their well-being at the earliest opportunity. Where telephone services are not available, it may be possible to contact people using e-mail or social media such as Twitter or Facebook. Remember to confirm travel insurance details
  
  
• Please also monitor local TV and radio for information. Radio stations in the Tokyo area that have emergency information in English include the US Armed Forces station at 810Am and InterFM (76.1FM).
  

• Travellers should be aware that Japan's transport systems are experiencing severe disruption.   We understand that:

- Japan Rail trains from Tokyo station are not operating or are subject to severe delays. 

- Narita Express services are not running.  The Tokyo metro is operating a reduced service.

- The Bullet trains and the Tokyo monorail remain in full service. 
 

• Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) plan to rotate power cuts in five groups which could affect roughly three million people in Tochigi, Gunma, Ibaraki, Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa, Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures.  Tokyo is also affected, except for the twenty three wards that make up the central part of Tokyo. There are likely to be power cuts without prior notice.
  
  
• We understand that mobile and landline telephone reception in the affected areas is intermittent. 
  
  
• Further information on the earthquake and subsequent tsunami can be obtained from the US Geological Survey : http://www.usgs.gov/  and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre: http://ptwc.weather.gov/.  The nature of the disaster means that the threat of a tsunami is regularly changing across the region.  The FCO are endeavouring to provide information which is as up to date as possible but people in the region are urged to check the regular threat update on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Website www.NOAA.gov and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre http://ptwc.weather.gov/  
  
  
• The British Embassy is focused on assisting British nationals in the affected area in north east Japan.  British nationals wishing to leave Japan should contact their airline operator to check for details of flight times.  Further general advice can be found on the British Embassy website.
  
  
• The FCO is aware that the following airports are currently closed:
  - Sendai - Closed
  - Sado - Closed
  - Iwate-Hanamaki - Closed
  
  
• T he FCO is aware that the following airports are open or partially open:
  - NRT/Tokyo Narita - Open, although flights to and from the airport are experiencing some disruptions.  But onward transport is difficult; Narita express is suspended on 14 March and Skyliner will also be suspended from 11:00 - 17:00.  Buses are, however, available.  1700 people are currently at Narita airport; airport authorities are distributing sleeping bags and food. 
  - HND/Tokyo Haneda - Open, though flights are subject to cancellation.
  - UKB/Kobe Airport - Open
  - KIX/Osaka - Open
  - KIJ/Niigata - Open
  - Amori - Partially open
  - Akita - Partially open
  - Misawa - Partially open
  - Yamagata - Partially open
  - Shonai - Partially open
  - Odate Noshino - Partially open
  - Fuksushima - Partially open
  
  
• We understand that British Airways, JAL, Virgin and ANA are operating. However, travellers are strongly advised to contact their airlines before they travel and refer to their travel cover
  
  

Paul Quigley

UK travel insurance

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