Overview
Renewal:
Schools:
|
Welcome to the January newsletter! Here are the topics for this month
January 2nd Office Closure The Embassy and Consulates will be closed on Tuesday, Jan. 2, for a National Day of Mourning for former President Gerald R. Ford. Our offices will reopen on Wednesday, Jan. 3.
Upcoming Holidays The Embassy and Consulates will be closed for the following holidays:
As you can see, the Embassy and Consulates will be closed for four special days this month, so please plan ahead on your visits. Remember also that the days just before and just after a holiday are often extremely busy and you can expect significantly longer waiting times. Visit us outside of these times and you should have a shorter wait. A full list of all of our holiday closings is online here. American citizens who require emergency assistance during holidays should contact the office serving their part of Japan. If you do come to see us at the Embassy in Tokyo, note that we have two lines to enter the building; a (usually) longer line for visa applicants and a much shorter line for customers coming for American Citizen Services help. Check the signs by the Embassy entrance, which will direct you to the appropriate line. Please note that we are now using a computerized customer ticketing system; so upon entering the Consular section, you can select the type of service you require (e.g. Passport, Notary, etc.) and wait in the ACS Waiting Room for your number to be called. Security Situation The security situation in Japan remains the same with no new credible threat information. The Government of Japan has maintained heightened security measures at key facilities and ports of entry, as counter terrorism precautions linked to the increased tensions in the Middle East. The October 11, 2006 Worldwide Caution Public Announcement we distributed via this channel remains in effect. Please view the full text online here. You can always read the most current information at http://travel.state.gov. Since our last newsletter, the Department of State has issued eight new Travel Warnings (Lebanon, Algeria, Central African Republic, Saudi Arabia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Nepal, and Pakistan) and one Public Announcement (Fiji). Please review them online here. The most up-to-date information regarding Permitted and Prohibited Items on flights can be viewed online here. For additional information, please visit "International Travel for American Citizens" on the State Dept. website. To obtain up-to-date information on security conditions, call 1-888-407-4747 (toll free in the United States), or 1-202-501-4444 if you are in Canada or outside the United States. Ringing in 2007 – Upcoming Festivals and Celebrations The Embassy and Consulates would again like to wish everyone Happy Holidays and a Safe, Happy New Year! There are some exciting festivals and celebrations in store in early 2007. The Japan National Tourist Organization (www.jnto.go.jp/eng) offers comprehensive information on upcoming events throughout the country, but here is a brief sampling of events to come ... Jan. 2 is one of only two days all year that the general public is allowed to enter the inner grounds of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo (the other day is the Emperor's Birthday on Dec. 23). The famous annual Archery Contest (Toh-shiya) at Sanjusangen-do Temple in Kyoto will be held on Sunday, Jan. 14. A little further down the line, the 58th Sapporo Snow Festival will be held from Feb. 6-12; you can find more information at this site. Other fun and intriguing events in the near future include:
New Feature! "Ask the Consul" In the past, you (our customers) have provided us with great feedback on our newsletter and on the information we provide in American Citizen Services. As we kick off the new year, we would like to announce a new column in this newsletter that will allow us to address even more of your questions/concerns, and to better serve you. The new "Ask the Consul" column will give customers an opportunity to email us questions you have that are of general concern to Americans in Japan, and each month we will select and address one or more questions in the monthly newsletter. To submit questions for our review, simply reply to this email address and paste your question into the text of the email. At the end of each month, we will review the submissions and select the questions of broadest interest/concern to Americans in Japan, then provide answers in the next newsletter. Please be advised that, due to limited resources, we are unable to reply to your individual emails as we receive them; however, this new "Ask the Consul" service will hopefully enable us to address your most pressing questions/concerns in a widely-read format. Looking forward to reading your submissions and to kicking off the "Ask the Consul" column next month! Norovirus Epidemic Residents of Japan should be advised that the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has issued warnings in Tokyo and 44 prefectures – all except Aomori and Okinawa prefectures – regarding an epidemic of highly infectious gastroenteritis ("stomach flu") that is spreading rapidly across the country. This year's epidemic, mainly caused by the norovirus, has spread rapidly eastward after a warning was issued in Kyushu in early October. The symptoms of norovirus illness usually include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramping, and may also include fever, chills, and headache/muscle aches. Although the spread of the virus is primarily linked to food poisoning, especially through foods such as raw oysters, people can also become infected through direct contact with infected individuals or from touching surfaces or objects contaminated with norovirus, and then placing their hand in their mouth. According to the Japanese National Institute of Infectious Diseases, the outbreak may already have peaked, however the public still needs to exercise caution. The virus is very contagious, and only a tiny amount of the virus is required to make someone ill. Persons working in schools, day-care centers or nursing homes should pay special attention to children or residents who have norovirus illness. For more information about the norovirus, along with suggested preventive measures, please visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Q&A on noroviruses. Tighter Air Restrictions for Flights Departing Japan The Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau has announced its intention to tighten air travel restrictions starting next March, in accordance with the latest guidelines put out by the International Civil Aviation Organization. The new regulations will require passengers on international flights originating in Japan to limit the amount of liquids and gels in carry-on baggage to 100 ml per item, and place them into a clear plastic bag. The new security regulations come after the United States, Canada and members of the European Union introduced similar measures to combat possible terror attacks on airliners using liquid explosives. Japanese Crackdown on Drunk Driving The Japanese government recently announced that it is enforcing new, stricter laws pertaining to drunken driving. The new crackdown on drunk driving comes in the wake of a series of fatal accidents, including one in August that killed three children, and follows up on increasing public awareness of this serious problem. Punishment for drunken driving, or inciting or aiding someone to drive drunk, can result in imprisonment with forced labor for up to three years and fines up to 500,000 yen ($4,272). If a death or injury is caused as a result of drunken driving, the person responsible can receive up to 20 years in prison with forced labor. At a time when drunk driving is coming under increasing public scrutiny, it is important for all of us to be aware of, and to abide by, the relevant traffic rules of the Government of Japan. Keep Those Immigration Documents Handy The Embassy has been advised that Japanese police and immigration officials are currently conducting random identification inspections in several different areas of Tokyo to ensure that all visitors to Japan possess the appropriate immigration documents. Most inspections occur at or near Tokyo metro stations, and the police are both uniformed and in plain clothes. To all of our customers in Tokyo and beyond, be sure to carry your key documentation with you at all times in the event that you are the subject of an inspection. Social Security/Federal Benefits: New Website On the Way, Tokyo Appointment System Great news for our Social Security and Federal Benefits customers! The Embassy and Consulates are currently undertaking an overhaul of the Federal Benefits section of our website to include more focused information and to give customers the ability to select from a list of common services and then drill down for more detailed information. Whether you're replacing your lost Social Security card, or applying for your newborn child's Social Security number, or inquiring into retirement/disability/survivor benefits, we will have the information clearly laid out for you, along with an expanded list of Frequently Asked Questions. The new web pages will be available in both English and Japanese. Stay tuned for the launch of this new site sometime in January ... ! For Tokyo-area customers, please be advised that the Embassy's Federal Benefits Unit recently moved to an all-appointment based system. We will no longer be accepting walk-in visits, so please call or email in advance to set up an appointment. Unsubscribing We make every attempt to include in our newsletter information of real value. We know that should world events dictate, we can use this email channel to get important information to you, as we did in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. That said, if you are leaving Japan or otherwise wish to unsubscribe from this list you can unsubscribe by writing from the same email address you used to subscribe, and send a blank email to:
leave-tokyoacs@mh.databack.comIf you need to receive these newsletters at a different email address, unsubscribe first, using the old address, and subscribe again from the new address.
Contact us:
The American Embassy in Tokyo The Embassy helps Americans in Tokyo, Chiba, Fukushima, Gunma, Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Nagano, Niigata, Saitama, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Yamagata and Yamanashi.
American Consulate General Sapporo The Consulate in Sapporo helps Americans in Akita, Aomori, Hokkaido, Iwate and Miyagi. As there are times when both officers are away from the office, we ask that you make an appointment before coming to the Consulate General.
American Consulate Nagoya Consulate Nagoya provides emergency consular services including death and arrest cases for Americans living in Aichi, Gifu, and Mie prefectures. Please call Nagoya or Osaka for confirmation before traveling to Nagoya if you believe you have an emergency situation. Routine American Citizen services are provided by appointment only. If an appointment is not available, American residents may also receive service at the Consulate in Osaka.
American Consulate General Osaka-Kobe The Consulate in Osaka helps Americans in Osaka, Aichi, Ehime, Fukui, Gifu, Hiroshima, Hyogo, Ishikawa, Kagawa, Kochi, Kyoto, Mie, Nara, Okayama, Shimane, Shiga, Tokushima, Tottori, Toyama, Wakayama.
American Consulate Fukuoka The Consulate in Fukuoka helps Americans in Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, Nagasaki, Oita, Saga and Yamaguchi.
The American Consulate General Naha The Consulate in Naha helps Americans in Okinawa, the Amami Oshima Island group, and parts of Kagoshima Prefecture. Travel, safety and security information is also available directly from the Department of State.
Inclusion of Non-U.S. Government links or information does not imply endorsement of contents. This subscription list is maintained by a private company and the U.S. Government cannot guarantee the privacy of any e-mail address.
|
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.
