We at Kintetsu International (KIE) are truly saddened by the devastating natural disasters that occurred on March 11, 2011, in northern Japan.  We would also like to take this opportunity to send our sincere appreciation to those who have sent us their kind words and wishes for our colleagues.  We offer our deepest condolences to those who have been affected by this tragedy.

 

We realize how these tragic events have seriously impacted travel to Japan for not only our clients, but for all tourists.  If you have purchased a Japan Rail Pass from KIE, we are currently offering a full refund of the cost of the rail passes for those who were scheduled to depart by April 1^st.  Please contact the KIE branch where your order was placed for further information, as each office may have different refund procedures.  For all online orders, please contact KIE’s New York office at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 1-800-422-3481.  For all other travel arrangements (i.e., air, hotel, tour), please contact your travel consultant directly.

While the decision to travel to Japan remains a personal one, we would like to provide the following links so that our clients can make an informed decision:

 

• US Department of State Travel Warning: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_5382.html
• US Embassy of Tokyo: http://japan.usembassy.gov/
• Japan National Tourism Organization (Tokyo): http://www.jnto.go.jp/eq/index.html
• Japan National Tourism Organization (New York): http://www.japantravelinfo.com/news/news_item.php?newsid=431
• Japan Guide: http://www.japan-guide.com/news/0018.html
• Google: http://www.google.co.jp/intl/en/crisisresponse/japanquake2011.html

 

Here is a special message from Japan National Tourism Organization’s New York office issued on Tuesday, March 15^th:

New York, NY, March 18, 2011: We are grateful for the warm support and thoughts from many people after the historic earthquake in Japan on March 11.

While painstaking rescue and recovery efforts continue in the severely struck Tohoku region, the capital city Tokyo has been recovering from a strong shock, and the western Japan is unharmed.

Both Narita and Haneda airports have been reopened, and public transportation in and around Tokyo has been partially recovered. Some events have been canceled under the current situation.

Other popular destinations such as Kyoto, Osaka, Sapporo, Kanazawa and Hiroshima, didn’t receive any impact from the earthquake.

Tohoku Region: Tohoku is the hardest hit region. With no recovery of public transportation systems and continuous aftershocks, it is extremely difficult to travel to this region. Due to the nuclear power plant accident after the earthquake, it is strongly advised to refrain from traveling to Fukushima as well as to follow the updates.

Tokyo and Surrounding Areas: Majority of public transportation has been recovered in Tokyo, although there are still periodical blackouts imposed for power conservation, causing train delays and cancellation. Some hotels and other businesses shorten the business hours, and it is recommended to refer their updates in advance. This region may also experience aftershocks.

Other Regions: In Hokkaido, Kansai, Chugoku, Shikoku and Kyushu, tourism facilities and transportation service are operated as usual.

For visitors currently traveling in Japan, the Tokyo Headquarters of Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) provides around-the-clock information service at the Tourist Information Center (TIC):

TIC in Tokyo

Phone: +81-(0)3-3201-3331

Service in English, Chinese and Korean

The 24-hour service is available for the duration of current crisis

Please note that due to the intensive recovery effort and the situation of the nuclear power plant accident, travel information is updated frequently. Please refer to multiple sources for latest information.

JNTO’s Crisis Notice

Embassy of Japan in the U.S.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan

U.S. Department of State

Please feel free to contact us for any information regarding travel to Japan.  We will do our best to keep everyone informed should the travel advisories to Japan change and how these changes may affect your current and future travel plans to Japan.  It is our hope that Japan will make a full recovery from the affects of these recent tragic events and the people living there, as well as those wishing to travel to Japan, will be able to do so in a safe and environmentally sound conditions.