Asia and Oceania

• Travel Summary
• Safety and security
• Local laws and customs
• Entry requirements

• Health
• Natural disasters
• General
 

Travel Summary

There are confirmed huma n cases of A (H1N1) swine flu in Japan. The World Health Organisation (WHO) pandemic threat alert phase has been raised to Level 6. The WHO website has further details. You should monitor local media reports for any further developments and advice. There is a dedicated swine flu page on the FCO website. Guidance on pandemic flu is available on the UK Department of Health website. There are currently no quarantine measures in place at Japanese ports of entry. For further Japan-specific information on swine flu please go to the UK in Japan website.

• There is a low threat from terrorism, but you should be aware of the globa l risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could be in public areas, including those frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
  
  
• Do not become involved with drugs. Japan has a zero tolerance policy. Possession of small amounts will lead to detention and prosecution. Possession of large amounts leads to long prison sentences and heavy fines.
  
  
• Japan has strict immigration laws. You should not overstay your entry permission or take unauthorised employment. See the Entry Requirements section of this advice for more details.
  
  
• Japan is in a major earthquake zone, and earthquakes of varying sizes occur very frequently. Also, the typhoon season in Japan normally runs from June to October. See the Natural Disasters section of this advice and tropical cyclones for more details.
  
  
• Just over 17,000 British nationals are resident in Japan with a further 300,000 visitors each year (Source: Japan Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications). 111 British nationals required consular assistance in Japan in the period 01 April 2008 – 31 March 2009 for the following types of incident, deaths (7 cases), hospitalisations (6 cases), and arrests, for a variety of offences (49 cases). During this period assistance was also requested with regard to lost or stolen passports (81 cases).
  
  
• We recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake. See the General (Insurance) section of this advice and travel insurance for more details.