Overview
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Here are the topics for this month
- Influenza A (H1N1) Information
- Security Situation - Travel Warnings and Alerts
- Upcoming Holidays and ACS Office Closures
- Coming Changes in the Tokyo American Citizen Services Section
- Warning: Scams Purporting to be from the IRS Targeting American Citizens
- Typhoon Season: Be Prepared and Take Precautions
- U.S. State Department Online Travel Registration
- Federal Voting Assistance Program Newsletter
Services
For information about Influenza A (H1N1), please consult our website, the Department of State website, the Pandemic Flu website sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services, the United States Centers for Disease Control or the World Health Organization.
The quarantine procedure upon entry into Japan was revised on May 22, 2009 as follows:
- Passengers arriving from the United States of America (mainland only), Canada and Mexico will undergo an on-board quarantine check upon arrival ONLY when a passenger with influenza-like symptoms has been reported in flight.
- Close contacts (passengers seated nearby) of a confirmed patient will be monitored at a designated healthcare facility. No detainment measures will be taken.
- Flights from affected countries and regions
If a passenger with influenza-like symptoms has been reported in flight,
- An on-board quarantine check will be conducted in order to detect other passengers with influenza-like symptoms and to identify their close contacts (as above). All other passengers will disembark and proceed to a quarantine station to undergo a thermography test as well as to fill in a questionnaire.
- Close contacts (as above) will remain seated until checked by a quarantine officer with a questionnaire. Close contacts (as above) will be monitored after entry.
- Passengers with influenza-like symptoms will be isolated at a designated medical facility if tested positive.
If no passengers with influenza-like symptoms are reported in flight,
- Quarantine officers will board the aircraft and request all the passengers to complete a questionnaire.
- If no influenza-like symptoms are reported, the passengers will disembark and proceed to a quarantine station to undergo a thermography test and hand in the completed questionnaire.
- Flights from unaffected countries and regions
Passengers will disembark, proceed to a quarantine station to undergo a thermography test and hand in the completed questionnaire.
* Health Monitoring: a local healthcare facility near your hotel or residence will monitor your health for a designated period after your entry into Japan.
Security SituationSecurity reminder: While there is no specific threat information aimed at Americans at this time, it is prudent for you and your family to review your personal security profile and to be aware of your surroundings at all times.
On May 18, the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo issued a Warden Message – H1N1 Flu in Japan. Please view the full text online here.
Since our previous ACS Newsletter, the U.S. Department of State has issued Travel Warnings for the following countries:
Lebanon 5/13/2009 Travel Warnings are issued to describe long-term, protracted conditions that make a country dangerous or unstable. A Travel Warning is also issued when the U.S. Government's ability to assist American citizens is constrained due to the closure of an embassy or consulate or because of a drawdown of its staff.
The U.S. Department of State also has issued the following new Travel Alerts:
Comoros Travel Alert 5/07/2009 Mexico- H1N1 Influenza (Lifted) 5/15/2009 Travel Alerts are issued to disseminate information about short-term conditions, generally within a particular country or region, that pose imminent risks to the security of U.S. citizens. Natural disasters, terrorist attacks, coups, anniversaries of terrorist events, election-related demonstrations or violence, and high-profile events such as international conferences or regional sports events are examples of conditions that might generate a Travel Alert. This and other information regarding travel abroad is available at http://travel.state.gov.
The most up-to-date information regarding permitted and prohibited items on flights can be viewed online here.
For additional information, please visit "Americans Traveling Abroad" on the U.S. Department of State website. Students traveling abroad may wish to visit the State Department site designed for them: http://studentsabroad .state.gov/.
To obtain up-to-date information on security conditions, please call 1-888-407-4747 (toll free in the United States), or +1-202-501-4444 if you are outside the United States.
Upcoming Holidays and ACS Office ClosuresThere are no holiday closures in the month of June.
June 18: The American Citizen Services section of the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo will be closed to the public on Thursday, June 18, except for emergencies. Please note that this closure applies only to Tokyo ACS and does not apply to the Visa section in Tokyo or any of the U.S. Consulates in Japan. American citizens who require emergency assistance from the U.S. Embassy Tokyo ACS section on Thursday, June 18, 2009 should contact the Embassy switchboard at (03) 3224-5000 / DSN 224-5000.
The U.S. Embassy and U.S. Consulates in Japan will be closed for the following holidays in July:
Independence Day July 3 (Friday) Marine Day July 20 (Monday) A full list of all of our holiday closings is available online here.
Please remember that the days just before and just after a holiday are often extremely busy and you can expect significantly longer waiting times. If you visit us outside of these times, you should have a shorter wait.
American citizens who require emergency assistance during holidays should contact the office serving their part of Japan, a list of which is available online here.
To view the business hours for the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo and all of the U.S. Consulates in Japan, please check here.
Coming Changes in the Tokyo American Citizen Services Section- New Tokyo ACS Appointment System Coming!
In an effort to serve American citizens in the Tokyo area better, the U.S. Embassy's American Citizen Services section will be transitioning to an online appointment system for most ACS services this summer, including passport services, reports of birth, and notary services. American citizens with emergencies will continue to be seen anytime during ACS work hours. - Do Your Passport Application Online
Effective immediately, when applying for a passport at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, the American Citizen Services (ACS) unit asks that all applicants utilize the online Passport Application Wizard (https://pptform.state.gov) and print the completed passport application prior to coming to the Embassy.
The Wizard will help you determine which form you need (Form DS-11, DS-82, DS-5504 or DS-4085), then assist you to complete the form online, estimate your payment, and generate the documents to print and submit.
Also, if your passport is ever lost or stolen, you can use the Wizard to print out a Statement Regarding Lost or Stolen Passport (Form DS-64). And, if you are applying for a minor's passport and both parents are unable to sign the application together with the child at the Embassy, one of the parents may use the Wizard to print out a Statement of Consent (Form DS-3053), which must be notarized.
- ACS Website Changes
ACS will revise its website during the month of June in order to provide better, more user-friendly service to our customers.
If you plan to visit U.S. Embassy Tokyo, please 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. Check the signs by the Embassy entrance, which will direct you to the appropriate line. We use a computerized customer ticketing system; 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.
We accept cash in U.S. Dollars or Japanese Yen only. We cannot accept checks at any of our offices in Japan. We accept credit cards (billed in U.S. Dollars) at the Embassy in Tokyo and at our Consulates in Fukuoka, Naha, Osaka, and Sapporo, where you may pay using your VISA, MasterCard, Discover, Diners Club or American Express card. Please also be prepared to pay with cash if the credit card verification system is temporarily unavailable.
Warning: Scams Purporting to be from the IRS Targeting American CitizensRecently, there were several reports of email and fax scams in our community. These emails and faxes claim to be from the IRS and use email addresses such as "service@irs.gov" or some other address containing "IRS". They usually tell you that you are due a refund and you need to provide verification information.
The IRS does not initiate taxpayer communications through e-mail or fax.
- The IRS does not request detailed personal information through e-mail or fax.
- The IRS does not send e-mail or fax messages requesting your PIN numbers, passwords or similar access information for credit cards, banks or other financial accounts.
If you receive an e-mail or fax from someone claiming to be the IRS or directing you to an IRS site,
- Do not reply.
- Do not open any attachments. Attachments may contain malicious code that will infect your computer.
- Do not click on any links. If you clicked on links in a suspicious e-mail or phishing web site and entered confidential information, visit the IRS Identity Theft page online here.
How to report phishing, e-mail scams and bogus IRS Web sites:
If you receive an e-mail, a fax, or find a web site you think is pretending to be the IRS,
- Forward the e-mail, fax number, or web site URL to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov.
- You can forward the message as received or provide the Internet header (for instructions, see this online page) of the e-mail. The Internet header has additional information to help us locate the sender.
- After you forward the e-mail or header information to us, delete the message.
Typhoon Season: Be Prepared and Take PrecautionsThe typhoon season in Japan runs from May through October, with most activity from July to September. Typhoons are tropical cyclones or giant hurricane-like whirlwinds. These storms, accompanied by heavy rainfall, can cover areas of up to 500 miles in diameter and generate winds up to 180 miles an hour.
Typhoons that hit Japan are often accompanied by damaging high tides. Persons living in areas close to the ocean are especially at risk. Landslides are also a serious concern during periods of heavy rain. Conditions for a landslide are particularly dangerous after rain has fallen at a rate of 20 mm or more an hour or when 100 mm of rain falls nonstop.
Take Precautions.
Secure or move inside outdoor items such as toys, grills, bicycles, furniture, plants and anything moveable on the balcony. Move potted plants and other heavy objects away from windows inside as well. Set your freezer to the coldest temperature setting to minimize spoilage if the power is cut off. Watch for leaks around windows and doors. If the wind is strong enough, water may be blown into your home even if the windows are closed. Have handy towels, rags and mops. If the storm becomes severe, move into a hallway or area where there is the least exposure to external glass windows. Draw curtains across the windows to prevent against flying glass should windows crack. If a window breaks, place a mattress or sofa seat over the broken pane and secure it there with a heavy piece of furniture. A window on the side of the house away from the approaching storm should be cracked a few inches. This will compensate for the differences of indoor and outdoor air pressure.
Remember that typhoons have "eye" areas in their center where the weather may appear calm. If the “eye” passes over your area, weather conditions may appear that the storm has finished; however, it is possible that winds may again pick up as the remainder of the storm arrives.
After the storm is over, check for broken glass, fallen trees and downed power lines which may present safety hazards near children's school bus stops, outdoor trash areas, around your car, etc.
For more information on typhoons, including English language sources of information on typhoon conditions, please visit this link.
U.S. State Department Online Travel RegistrationThe U.S. State Department launched a secure online travel registration website which will allow you, as an American citizen, to record foreign trip and residence information that the U.S. Department of State can use to communicate with you and assist you in case of an emergency. U.S. citizens around the world who travel or reside abroad can register at travelregistration.state.gov.
We invite you to register yourself and your family and get acquainted with travel registration. If you are already registered with the Embassy or one of our Consulates in Japan, please re-register on line to update your records. Millions of Americans live/travel abroad every year and encounter no major difficulties. However, U.S. embassies and consulates assist nearly 200,000 Americans each year who are victims of crime, accident, or illness, or whose family and friends need to contact them in an emergency. When an emergency happens, or if natural disaster, terrorism, or civil unrest strikes during your foreign travel, the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate can be your source of assistance and information. By registering your trip, you help the embassy or consulate to locate you when you might need their help the most. Registration is voluntary and costs nothing, but it should be a big part of your travel planning. Travel registration is a free service provided by the U.S. Government to U.S. citizens who are traveling to, or living in, a foreign country, and is easily accomplished online here. If you encounter any difficulties or have any questions about our travel registration website, please send an e-mail to CAIbrs@state.gov.
Federal Voting Assistance Program NewsletterThe Federal Voting Assistance Program publishes the Voting Information News which is a roundup of voting news from the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP). FVAP's June 2009 issue can now be viewed on their website.
Leaving Japan?If you are departing from Japan after a long stay here, and you formally registered your stay with the Embassy or closest U.S. consulate, please be sure to "cancel" your registration when you leave.
You can deregister yourself by visiting the travelregistration.state.gov site.
You may also want to consider unsubscribing from the newsletter mailing list. Please see the instructions on how to accomplish this below.
How to UnsubscribeIf 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 e-mail to:
leave-tokyoacs@mh.databack.com
If 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:American Embassy in Tokyo
American Citizen Services
1-10-5 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8420
Tel: 03-3224-5174
Fax: 03-3224-5856
http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/tacs-main.htmlThe Embassy helps Americans in Tokyo, Chiba, Fukushima, Gunma, Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Nagano, Niigata, Saitama, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Yamagata and Yamanashi.
American Consulate General Sapporo
American Citizen Services
Kita 1-jo, Nishi 28-chome
Chuo-ku, Sapporo 064-0821
Tel: 011-641-1115
Fax: 011-643-1283The 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
Nagoya International Center Bldg. 6th floor
1-47-1 Nagono, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya 450-0001
TEL (052) 581-4501
FAX (052) 581-3190Consulate 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
American Citizen Services
11-5, Nishitenma 2-chome
Kita-ku, Osaka 530-8543
Tel: 06-6315-5912
Fax: 06-6315-5914The 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
American Citizen Services
5-26, Ohori 2-chome
Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0052
Tel: 092-751-9331
Fax: 092-713-9222The Consulate in Fukuoka helps Americans in Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, Nagasaki, Oita, Saga and Yamaguchi.
American Consulate General Naha
2-1-1 Toyama,
Urasoe City
Okinawa 901-2104
Phone: 098.876.4211
Fax: 098.876.4243
DSN: 645-7323The Consulate in Naha helps Americans in Okinawa and the Amami Oshima Island group (which is the southern island group 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.
- Flights from affected countries and regions