<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Official Department Of State Memo On Situation In Japan]]></title><description><![CDATA[<p>United States Department of State</p>
<p>Bureau of Consular Affairs</p>
<p>Washington, DC  20520</p>

<p>JAPAN</p>

<p>April 14, 2011</p>

<p>This Travel Alert replaces the Travel Warning for Japan dated March 31, 2011.  </p>
<p>This Travel Alert expires on June 15, 2011.</p>

<p>The assessment of technical and subject matter experts across United States </p>
<p>Government agencies is that while the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi plant </p>
<p>remains serious and dynamic, <strong>the health and safety risks to areas beyond the 50 </strong></p>
<p><strong>mile evacuation zone, and particularly to Tokyo, Nagoya (Aichi Prefecture), </strong></p>
<p><strong>Yokohama (Kanagawa Prefecture) nearby U.S. military facilities and the </strong></p>
<p><strong>prefectures of  Akita, Aomori, Chiba, Gunma, Iwate, Nagano, Niigata, Saitama, </strong></p>
<p><strong>Shizuoka, Tochigi, and Yamanashi, and those portions of Fukushima, Ibaraki, </strong></p>
<p><strong>Miyagi and Yamagata prefectures which are outside a 50 mile radius of the </strong></p>
<p><strong>Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant are low and do not pose significant risks </strong></p>
<p><strong>to U.S. citizens.  </strong></p>

<p>This analysis takes into consideration both various age groups and the </p>
<p>classification of the severity of the situation at Fukushima Daiichi as a Level </p>
<p>7 event by the Government of Japan, which reflects what has transpired since the </p>
<p>initial incident and the potential long-term effects in the area surrounding the </p>
<p>plant.</p>

<p>This assessment reflects inputs from our national laboratories as well as the </p>
<p>unanimous opinion of the U.S. scientific experts on the ground in Japan.  </p>
<p>Furthermore, they are consistent with practices that would be taken in the </p>
<p>United States in such a situation.  Based on the much reduced rate of heat </p>
<p>generation in the reactor fuel after one month of cooling and the corresponding </p>
<p>decay of short-lived radioactive isotopes, even in the event of an unexpected </p>
<p>disruption at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, harmful exposures to people beyond </p>
<p>the 50 mile evacuation zone are highly unlikely, and there would be a </p>
<p>significant amount of time to best assess any steps that might have to be taken.</p>

<p><strong>The situation at the plant is dramatically different today than it was on March </strong></p>
<p><strong>16, when we saw significant ongoing releases of radioactivity, the loss of </strong></p>
<p><strong>effective means to cool the reactor cores and spent fuel, the absence of outside </strong></p>
<p><strong>power or fresh water supply for emergency management, and considerable </strong></p>
<p><strong>uncertainty about the condition of the site.  Today, while the situation remains </strong></p>
<p><strong>serious, and there is still a possibility of unanticipated developments, cooling </strong></p>
<p><strong>efforts are ongoing and successful, power, water supply, and back-up services </strong></p>
<p><strong>have been partially or fully restored, and planning has begun to control </strong></p>
<p><strong>radioactive contamination and mitigate future dangers.  Our coordination with </strong></p>
<p><strong>the Japanese is regular and productive, and we have a greatly increased capacity </strong></p>
<p><strong>to measure and analyze risks.  </strong></p>

<p>The Department of State has lifted Voluntary Authorized Departure, allowing </p>
<p>dependents of the U.S. government employees to return to Japan.</p>

<p>We continue to recommend that U.S. citizens avoid travel within the 50-mile </p>
<p>radius of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant. U.S. citizens who are still </p>
<p>within this radius should evacuate or shelter in place.  </p>

<p>Japan is one of the most seismically active places in the world.  Tokyo and </p>
<p>areas to the Northeast continue to experience strong aftershocks related to the </p>
<p>March 11 earthquake.  Aftershocks following an earthquake of this magnitude can </p>
<p>be expected to continue for more than a year.  Identifying potential hazards </p>
<p>ahead of time and advance planning can reduce the dangers of serious injury or </p>
<p>loss of life from an earthquake.  See the Embassy Website for detailed </p>
<p>information on earthquake safety:</p>
<p><a href="http://japan.usembassy.gov/" rel="external nofollow">http://japan.usembassy.gov</a> .</p>

<p>-------------------------</p>
<p>American Citizen Services</p>
<p>-------------------------</p>

<p>U.S. citizens in Japan are encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment </p>
<p>Program (STEP) <a href="https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ui/" rel="external nofollow">https://travelregist...te.gov/ibrs/ui/</a> .  U.S. citizens </p>
<p>without internet access may enroll directly at the U.S. Embassy or U.S. </p>
<p>Consulates.  By enrolling, U.S. citizens make it easier for the </p>
<p>Embassy/Consulates to contact them in case of emergency.</p>

<p>For the latest U.S. Government information on the situation in Japan, please </p>
<p>visit the Embassy website at <a href="http://japan.usembassy.gov/" rel="external nofollow">http://japan.usembassy.gov</a> .  Updated information </p>
<p>on travel and security in Japan may also be obtained from the Department of </p>
<p>State by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or, </p>
<p>for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1 </p>
<p>-202-501-4444.  For further information, please consult the Country Specific </p>
<p>Information for Japan, as well as the Worldwide Caution.</p>

<p>For any emergencies involving U.S. citizens, please contact the American </p>
<p>Citizens Services (ACS) Unit of either the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo or one of the </p>
<p>U.S. Consulates in Japan listed below:</p>

<p>U.S. Embassy in Tokyo</p>
<p>American Citizen Services</p>
<p>1-10-5 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-8420</p>
<p>Tel: 03-3224-5000</p>
<p>After Hours: 03-3224-5000</p>
<p>Fax: 03-3224-5856</p>
<p><a href="http://japan.usembassy.gov/" rel="external nofollow">http://japan.usembassy.gov</a> </p>

<p>The U.S. Embassy serves U.S. citizens in Tokyo, Chiba, Fukushima, Gunma, </p>
<p>Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Nagano, Niigata, Saitama, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Yamagata and </p>
<p>Yamanashi.</p>

<p>Consulates:</p>

<p>Osaka-Kobe: 11-5, Nishitenma 2-chome, Kita-ku, Osaka 530-8543; Tel: 06- </p>
<p>6315-5912, Fax: 06-6315-5914; serving Americans in Osaka, Tel: 06-6315-5912, </p>
<p>Fax: 06- 6315-5914; serving U.S. citizens in Osaka, Aichi, Ehime, Fukui, Gifu, </p>
<p>Hiroshima, Hyogo, Ishikawa, Kagawa, Kochi, Kyoto, Mie, Nara, Okayama, Shimane, </p>
<p>Shiga, Tokushima, Tottori, Toyama, and Wakayama prefectures.</p>
<p><a href="http://osaka.usconsulate.gov/" rel="external nofollow">http://osaka.usconsulate.gov</a> </p>

<p>Nagoya: Nagoya International Center Bldg. 6th floor, 1-47-1 Nagano, Nakamura-ku, </p>
<p>Nagoya 450-0001; Tel (052) 581-4501, Fax: (052) 581-3190; providing emergency </p>
<p>consular services only (including death and arrest cases) for Americans living </p>
<p>in Aichi, Gifu, and Mie prefectures.</p>
<p><a href="http://nagoya.usconsulate.gov/" rel="external nofollow">http://nagoya.usconsulate.gov</a> </p>

<p>Fukuoka: 5-26, Ohori 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka 810-0052; Tel: 092-751-9331, Fax: </p>
<p>092-713-9222; serving U.S. citizens in Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, </p>
<p>Nagasaki, Oita, Saga and Yamaguchi prefectures.</p>
<p><a href="http://fukuoka.usconsulate.gov/" rel="external nofollow">http://fukuoka.usconsulate.gov</a> </p>

<p>Sapporo: Kita 1-jo, Nishi 28-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 064-0821; Tel: 011- </p>
<p>641-1115, Fax: 011-643-1283; serving U.S. citizens in Akita, Aomori, Hokkaido, </p>
<p>Iwate and Miyagi prefectures.</p>
<p><a href="http://sapporo.usconsulate.gov/" rel="external nofollow">http://sapporo.usconsulate.gov</a> </p>

<p>Naha: 2-1-1 Toyama, Urasoe City, Okinawa 901-2104; Phone: 098.876.4211, Fax: </p>
<p>098.876.4243, DSN: 645-7323; serving U.S. citizens in Okinawa and the Amami </p>
<p>Oshima Island group</p>
<p><a href="http://naha.usconsulate.gov/" rel="external nofollow">http://naha.usconsulate.gov</a></p>]]></description><link>https://brownsboard.com/topic/19331/official-department-of-state-memo-on-situation-in-japan</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Thu, 01 Oct 2026 01:00:00 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://brownsboard.com/topic/19331.rss" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><pubDate>Fri, 15 Apr 2011 10:35:30 GMT</pubDate><ttl>60</ttl></channel></rss>