Overview
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Welcome to the January newsletter!
Upcoming Holidays The Embassy and Consulates will be closed for the following holidays:
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. 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.
January American Citizens Services closings for Osaka-Kobe Please note that due to mandatory staff training, the Osaka-Kobe Consulate's American Citizen Services (ACS) section will be closed on Friday, January 25 all day.
Security Situation The security situation in Japan remains the same, with no new credible threat information. The Government of Japan maintains 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 9, 2007 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 online here. Since our last newsletter, the Department of State has issued four new Travel Warnings (Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Burundi, Côte d'Ivoire) and one Public Announcement (Bolivia). Please review them online here. See the article below about how these Warnings and Announcements are going to change soon. 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 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.
Additional Information on Biometrics: Automated Gates As previously reported, Japanese Immigration implemented a new requirement at the port of entry on November 20, 2007. Foreigners entering Japan have to be photographed and have their fingerprints scanned. This requirement does not replace any existing visa or passport requirements. The following foreign nationals are exempt from this new requirement: special permanent residents (Tokubetsu Eijuusha), persons under 16 years of age, holders of diplomatic or official visas, and persons invited by the head of a national administrative organization. Please note that permanent residents will also be expected to submit to this new requirement. However, Immigration authorities announced that re-entry permit holders will be able to pre-register their biometric information to enable them to use a semi-automatic re-entry process when returning to Japan. Not all international airports will be equipped with the necessary equipment to permit such semi-automatic re-entry process. In addition to this notice that we listed last month, the government of Japan also posted the following “Users’ Guide to the Automated Gates” regarding the pre-registration process. Japanese and foreigners who have valid passports and re-entry permits can register for this system.
Voting: State Voter Registration Verification Websites States and territories are making it easier to find out your voter registration status. Twenty-two states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia have web sites where a voter can check their registration status. NOTE: The website addresses are subject to change. Please check this site for updates.
Voting: Washington State Presidential Primary and Caucus Information Washington State will be holding the Presidential Primary election on February 19th, 2008. If you have not done so already in calendar year 2008, all members of the U.S. Uniformed Services and their family members and citizens residing outside the U.S. who are Washington residents should request a ballot by completing and submitting a registration and ballot request Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), SF-76, as soon as possible. The online version of the FPCA is available from the FVAP website at this site. Specific instructions for Washington are available on this PDF page. Washington has expanded use of the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB) to include Presidential Primary elections. For instructions on using the FWAB and to download the online version of the FWAB, go to this site. Candidate names for the Primary election are available on the Washington Secretary of State website. Washington Democratic and Republican parties will hold party caucuses ten days before the Presidential Primary on Saturday, February 9, 2008. The Washington Democratic Party allows members of the military, unable to attend the caucus in-person because of military service, to participate in the Democratic Party precinct caucuses by submitting a Surrogate Affidavit form. The procedures for eligibility and use of the Surrogate Affidavit form are set forth on the form, which will be available at this site. Information from the Washington Republican Party is available online here.
Voting: American Community Groups The Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) provides links to the global headquarters websites of overseas civic and political groups. We encourage you to surf their respective sites to see what services they offer. Please go to this site.
Immigrant and Non-Immigrant Visa Fees to Increase on January 1 Two important notices from the Embassy’s visa section regarding the January 1, 2008 fee increase for both Immigrant and Non-Immigrant Visas are posted here. Please note that these pertain to foreigners wishing to relocate (Immigrant Visa) or go (Non-Immigrant Visa) to the United States.
Changes in Overseas Safety Information Available to Americans The Consular Information Program, the Department's primary vehicle for informing American citizens of threats to their safety abroad, will have a new look and feel effective January 7, 2008. The Consular Information Program (CIP) is a tiered travel advice program to inform Americans of potential threats to their safety abroad. Consular Information Sheets, Public Announcements, and Travel Warnings are available on the Department's travel information website, http:travel.state.gov, which received 343 million hits in 2006. Two documents that augment the CIP are Fact Sheets, which provide information about a major event or issue, and Warden Messages, issued by overseas posts to provide timely safety and security information to U.S. citizens in their host country. Effective January 2, 2008, the term "Travel Alert" will replace "Public Announcement" and the term "Country Specific Information" will replace "Consular Information Sheet" on travel.state.gov and other State Department websites. The Worldwide Caution, formerly a type of Public Announcement, will become a separate document, updated semi-annually, that informs Americans of long-term global and regional threats overseas. Current regional Public Announcements on the Middle East/North Africa, Central Asia, and East Africa will be folded into the Worldwide Caution. The State Department changed the terms "Public Announcement" and "Consular Information Sheet" because we realized that they were often ambiguous to the general public. The new terms - Travel Alert and Country Specific Information - more effectively describe their purpose.
Avian Flu Information While there have been no reports of human infection, we encourage you to review the information we posted on our web site on this very important public health issue on this page. We also invite you to review relevant information on the Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs Web site. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services manages a one-stop access to U.S. Government avian and pandemic flu information at www.avianflu.gov.
Reminder: NTT’s 171 Disaster Line The 171 Emergency Line is a voice message board service provided by NTT that is available when a disaster such as an earthquake or volcanic eruption occurs. If regular phone service is interrupted in the disaster-stricken area, this service can help keep in touch with family members and friends. To utilize the service, U.S. citizens can simply dial 171 and then follow the instructions to record or listen to messages. To record a voice message, users dial 171, then 1 followed by their phone number. Concerned family and friends in Japan can hear the message by dialing 171, followed by 2 and the phone number. For detailed information on using the voice system, please see this link. Unfortunately, while detailed instructions in English exist on the website, the actual voice prompts are in Japanese only. Please note that the site lists days during which the public can practice using the service. The voice-based messaging service is currently limited to domestic contacts. However, U.S. citizens can leave messages for family members overseas using NTT's Web 171 service. To post an Internet message, users need to go to the Web 171 site and enter their message and phone number. Messages can be viewed by typing in the phone number on the site. The site is currently closed, but will be opened in the event of an emergency. Web 171 also is in Japanese only. NTT has stated that it has no plans to offer this service in English. U.S. citizens interested in using either service, particularly those individuals with a limited knowledge of Japanese language, are thus strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with the detailed English instructions on NTT's website. Printing these and keeping them close to the family's emergency kit may also be a good idea.
Someone Asked the Consul About: Where to get Information on the Selective Service All male U.S. citizens, and male aliens living in the U.S., who are aged 18 through 25, are required to register with the Selective Service. Dual nationals and some non-citizens are also required to register. Please visit www.sss.gov for more information or to register.
Taxi Rate Hikes After ten years without a fare hike, Tokyo's taxi rates were increased on December 3, 2007. The basic minimum fare was raised from 660 to 710 yen. The following links from English language newspapers elaborate on this issue:
U.S. Tax Information Holiday spending emptying your pockets? If you are eager to begin the new year by filing your taxes for that anticipated refund, the IRS Home Page, www.irs.gov, provides a lot of useful information for taxpayers and should be your first stop for tax questions and forms. In particular, the IRS Publication 54, Tax Guide for U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad (PDF) is an invaluable resource for anyone living abroad or with income from a foreign source.
Japanese Movie Night with Subtitles (January, Osaka) The Japan Foundation Kyoto Office will jointly organize a series of Japanese film screenings with the Osaka International House Foundation. Famous Japanese movies will be shown with subtitles in English and Korean every Saturday in January 2008 at the MET Hall of the International House, Osaka. 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.
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:
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.
American Consulate General Naha The 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.
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