Welcome to the September 2013 ACS newsletter!

In order to continue receiving this free newsletter, please enroll your stay in Japan with the U.S. State Department's free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). Remember to include a departure date for the end of your sojourn in Japan, and update your STEP profile if you move to another overseas location. Please share the content of this newsletter with your American friends and colleagues and have them enroll too!

In this issue:

• Upcoming Holiday and ACS Office Closures
• Security Reminder: Worldwide Caution and Travel Alert
• Radiation, Health and Food Safety Information Post-Fukushima
• Join Us for Friendship Day - Sept. 28
• Criminal Penalties for "Drug Mules" at Narita
• Riding Bicycles in Japan
• Japan Country Information Sheet Updated
• World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD)
• U.S. Visas for Same-Sex Spouses
• Information for U.S. Citizens Considering the Use of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Abroad
• Valid Visas in Cancelled or Expired Passports

• Current Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts
• "Get in STEP" to receive the ACS Newsletter - Spread the Word!
• Deputy Chief of Mission Kurt Tong's Blog
• Twitter Service for American Citizens in Japan
• Twitter Service for Tokyo Visa Unit
• Leaving Japan?
• How to Contact Us

 

The U.S. Embassy and U.S. Consulates in Japan will be closed on the following dates:

Labor Day (USA)	Mon., Sept. 2
Respect for the Aged (Japan)	Mon., Sept. 16
Autumnal Equinox (Japan)	Mon., Sept. 23
Closed for routine services	Thu-Fri, Sept. 26-27
Columbus Day	Mon., Oct. 14

A full list of holiday closings is available online here.

American citizens who require emergency assistance during holidays should contact the office serving their Consular District: http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/acs/tacs-locations.html

To view the business hours for the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo and all of the U.S. Consulates in Japan, check the following webpage: http://japan.usembassy.gov/e/acs/tacs-locations.html

 

On Feb. 19, 2013 the Department of State issued a Worldwide Caution and on Aug. 2 issued a Worldwide Travel Alert to update information on the continuing threat of terrorist actions and violence against U.S. citizens and interests throughout the world. U.S. citizens are reminded to maintain a high level of vigilance and to take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness. This information is available online here.

More than two years after the accident, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is stable, but still severely damaged. The Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) is working with Japanese government agencies to address leaks of contaminated water on the site.

TEPCO provides regular technical updates in English of its efforts and radiation monitoring. To read additional information, visit the Embassy's health page online.

 

The U.S. Embassy will host its annual Embassy Community Friendship Day Celebration on Sept. 28 at the United States Embassy's Mitsui Residential Compound. Rain or shine, this celebration will take place on Saturday, Sept. 28 from 11 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Tickets will be sold electronically through Family Mart kiosks and will be available for purchase on Sept. 2-27. The event name is CFDC.

Ticket prices are 1,100 yen per person. Children under 5 years of age may enter for free.

Please note: Admission tickets are limited and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis until they are sold out. No admission will be allowed without a ticket.

The price of admission includes free beverages and participation in all of the entertainment, games and events. Activities will include a concert and game corner for children.

In order to gain admission into the compound, anyone over 15 years of age must have photo identification. Please do NOT bring backpacks or other large bags. Pets are not permitted. Strollers and bags will be searched for security reasons.

We look forward to seeing you and sharing this great event with all of you.

 

This summer has seen an increase in the number of Americans arrested at Japanese airports for smuggling illegal drugs on flights originating in India. All those arrested claim they did not realize they were carrying illegal drugs. While smugglers use sophisticated methods to disguise illegal drugs, Japanese authorities are extremely skilled at detecting them. Americans are reminded to never accept items from strangers or attempt to bring items into Japan that they themselves did not pack.

When entering Japan, you and your luggage will be screened with sophisticated detection equipment, "sniffing" dogs, and other methods. Penalties in Japan for drug smuggling are severe. Japanese authorities aggressively pursue drug smugglers with even the smallest amounts of illegal drugs.

If you are convicted, you will serve years in prison at hard labor and be liable for heavy fines. Please exercise extreme caution if anyone asks you to bring back luggage or packages which do not belong to you, or which contain items with which you are unfamiliar. Be especially careful if you do not know the person asking you to carry the items.

Bicycling is a primary method of transportation in Japan. However, owing to the relatively slower speed of travel, the risks involved in riding bicycles are often forgotten. Japan has far more cycling fatalities than the United States.

According to Japanese law, bicycles are meant for transporting only one person (although child seats are legally permissible in Japan). Speaking on a mobile phone, holding an open umbrella, and riding at night without a light are also illegal activities in Japan.

It is also especially important to remember that drunken driving accidents do occur while riding bicycles, and police have been known to arrest inebriated bicycle-riders. U.S. citizens are urged to familiarize themselves with the Japanese laws on this subject.

For more information on biking in Japan click here (in Japanese).

 

The State Department's Japan Country Information sheet has recently been updated at Travel.State.gov. Click here to read recent updates to the Special Circumstances section.

 

On Sept. 7, join TELL for their third World Suicide Prevention Day and learn about how you can help challenge and confront the stigmas associated with suicide.

 

Effective immediately, U.S. embassies and consulates can accept visa applications filed on behalf of same-sex spouses. Visas for same-sex spouses, please visit this online link.

 

An increasing number of countries have passed legislation in the area of assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment. If you are considering seeking treatment abroad, please click on this link to ensure you are well informed on the transmission of U.S. citizenship overseas.

 

We often get inquiries regarding the fate of valid foreign visas left in cancelled or expired U.S. passports. Most of these visas will remain valid, even after the old passport is cancelled or expires, as long as they are not defaced (e.g. holes punched through the visa page in the passport) or otherwise tampered with (e.g. page cut off from original passport book).

Most countries will enable you to present both the new passport and the old passport with the original visa at the port of entry. You should, however, contact the authorities of the country for which you had a visa to verify if this rule applies to your case.

 

Follow us and keep up-to-date on all the news regarding services to American Citizens living in and visiting Japan. https://twitter.com/ACStokyo

Please remind your American friends to enroll in the U.S. State Department's free Smart Traveler Enrollment Program in order for them to be included on the ACS Newsletter mailing list.

It is a great way to keep abreast of any public announcements on safety and security issues in Japan and elsewhere. In addition, the Newsletter is a helpful resource for the latest voting news, immigration policy changes, Embassy events and other activities concerning Americans living in Japan. Another benefit is that if you move to another country, updating your enrollment in STEP ensures you continue to get timely information for your new country of residence!

The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free service provided to U.S. citizens who are traveling to or living in a foreign country. STEP allows you to enter information about your upcoming trip abroad so that U.S. Embassies and Consulates can better assist you in an emergency, including situations where your family or friends in the U.S. are having problems contacting you with important news.

When you sign up, you will automatically receive the most current information Embassies compile about the country where you will be traveling or living. You will also receive any applicable Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts.

 

Did you know that the U.S. Embassy's Deputy Chief of Mission, Kurt Tong, has a blog? It is called "Deputy's Corner." Check it out at http://deputyscorner.jp!

Keep up-to-date on all the news you may need about U.S. Visas! @USVisaTokyo

If you are departing Japan after a long stay, and you enrolled with the Embassy in Tokyo or your closest U.S. consulate, please be sure to cancel your enrollment when you leave Japan by updating your status in STEP: https://step.state.gov/step/

Updating your status if you move away from Japan will remove you from the mailing list for this newsletter and other Embassy Messages for U.S. citizens in Japan.

If you encounter any difficulties or have any questions about our travel registration website, please send an e-mail to CASTEP@state.gov