Japan Travel Update

Japan Travel Update post March 11th 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Last updated on April 19th 2011. Good News - most popular areas of Japan are ready for visitors. US Department of State removed their travel warning for Tokyo and surrounding areas on April 14th. Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade removed their “do not travel” warning for Tokyo on April 15th. JAPAN AIRPORTS All main airports are operating normally except Sendai, which is now open for limited services. CENTRAL TOKYO Ready for visitors! No power disruptions. Food & water safe. Train services running close to normal (saving power). Most noticeable change: no advertising signs at night (saving power). Radiation levels at or close to background levels. OUTER TOKYO, YOKOHAMA, KAMAKURA, MT FUJI & HAKONE Ready for visitors! No scheduled power outages (since March 29th). Train services running close to normal (saving power). Food & water safe. Radiation levels at or close to background levels. Some facilities operating reduced hours or closed. Tokyo Disneyland reopened on April 15th. Disneysea to open sometime later. NAGOYA, OSAKA, KYOTO, & SOUTH + HOKKAIDO Ready for visitors! No power disruptions. These areas were never impacted by the earthquake or tsunami so travel has always been great. NORTHERN HONSHU We do not recommend travel to most places north of greater Tokyo. While radiation from the Fukushima Nuclear plant is only an issue in areas within 80Km of the plant, resources (electricity, gas, petrol, water and food) are still limited in some locations. Some areas have been directly impacted by the tsunami and are not safe to enter. Northern Honshu and particularly on the east coast is still likely to affected by aftershocks. REFERENCES World Health Organisation (WHO) advised on 25th of March that no general restrictions on travel to Japan. This includes Tokyo and only excludes areas directly impacted by the tsunami. http://www.who.int/hac/crises/jpn/faqs/en/index3.html International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that radiation levels (inlcuding in the water supply) in Tokyo were safe and were at or near background levels. http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/tsunamiupdate01.html Japan Meteorological Agency is reporting that there are very few after shocks that can even be felt in Tokyo in the last week. http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/quake_singen_index.html Understanding the JMA Seismic Intensity UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office revised their advice on April 6th that it is safe to travel to Tokyo and areas north east of Tokyo. http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/asia-oceania/japan Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) is only recommending that Australians move out of the 80 km zone from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. http://www.arpansa.gov.au/News/MediaReleases/JapanAdvisory.cfm | | |