Cancel trip to Japan?
Mar 28th, 2011, 08:35 PM
#161
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Okoshi, have a great trip. I'm looking forward to hearing your impressions.
Mara, sorry that you cancelled. Your friend's point is valid. If the nuclear situation worsens to a point where there is a mass exodus it could get messy. The chance of that happening, is not so high, and the chance of your existing ticket not being honored also slim. But a risk, and I understand why you chose to cancel. Your Japanese friends showed the point that I talked about earlier....they are cautious and conservative in terms of their recommendations...they do not want anyone inconvenienced or troubled so will recommend you don't come. Understandable as long as you keep in mind where theapan will still be here when you decide to visit again.
Mara, sorry that you cancelled. Your friend's point is valid. If the nuclear situation worsens to a point where there is a mass exodus it could get messy. The chance of that happening, is not so high, and the chance of your existing ticket not being honored also slim. But a risk, and I understand why you chose to cancel. Your Japanese friends showed the point that I talked about earlier....they are cautious and conservative in terms of their recommendations...they do not want anyone inconvenienced or troubled so will recommend you don't come. Understandable as long as you keep in mind where theapan will still be here when you decide to visit again.
Mar 29th, 2011, 05:29 AM
#163
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Sorry to hear about the cancellation Mara. I feel familiar w/ your travel style (lots of planning re the intinerary, like so many of us here), and your level of anticipation and excitement about your Japan trips. I also wish AA flew out of Nagoya or KIX.
There is a front page article in the Washington Post today about Masataka Shimizu, the president of Tokyo Electric Power Co., and how he was last seen in public 2 days after the earthquake and has since vanished.
There is a front page article in the Washington Post today about Masataka Shimizu, the president of Tokyo Electric Power Co., and how he was last seen in public 2 days after the earthquake and has since vanished.
Mar 29th, 2011, 01:40 PM
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<<<Is there anybody else on this thread who actually lives in Japan or has been there in the past week?>>>
I passed through Narita on Saturday, and in the airport, it was absolutely business as usual. No shortages that we could see of food or drink, or employees. As I mentioned above, the only shortage was passengers (our flight to SFO was about one-third full).
I passed through Narita on Saturday, and in the airport, it was absolutely business as usual. No shortages that we could see of food or drink, or employees. As I mentioned above, the only shortage was passengers (our flight to SFO was about one-third full).
Mar 30th, 2011, 09:49 AM
#166
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Have a good trip okoshi! Some live reports from travelers are starting to turn up on this site. Check them out.
http://www.japan-guide.com/community/twocats/report-150
Aloha!
http://www.japan-guide.com/community/twocats/report-150
Aloha!
Mar 30th, 2011, 10:22 AM
#167
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Thanks, ht, KimJapan and emd - I am still pretty depressed about canceling but feel I had no choice after speaking to my Kyoto friend....
Japan-guide.com is doing a magnificent job of updating the situation as well as having the current trip reports posted...
emd, that was such an interesting article about the pres. of Tepco - I read today in the NY Times that he is now hospitalized...actually if this had been Japan a few hundred years ago I guess he would have committed seppuku....like I've seen in historical jdoramas...;-)
Japan-guide.com is doing a magnificent job of updating the situation as well as having the current trip reports posted...
emd, that was such an interesting article about the pres. of Tepco - I read today in the NY Times that he is now hospitalized...actually if this had been Japan a few hundred years ago I guess he would have committed seppuku....like I've seen in historical jdoramas...;-)
Apr 1st, 2011, 09:45 AM
#168
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Things are normalizing in Tokyo as expected by most. Of course there is still the problem in the Sendai region but life goes on towards normalcy everywhere else. Another on the ground report from a fellow traveler.
http://www.japan-guide.com/community/momel/report-156
Aloha!
http://www.japan-guide.com/community/momel/report-156
Aloha!
Apr 1st, 2011, 10:12 AM
#169
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Our friends from Japan just visited. Too late for them to change a visit to relatives here in Hawaii. They live in Fukui. A city on the Japan Sea coast south of Kanazawa north of Kyoto. They are unaffected by what is happening on the other side. Sad and caring and concerned but life continues on for them.
Our other friends live outside of Amano Hashidate. He makes car parts for Toyota. Although economically it hasn't hit him yet their concern is what will happen to his income next month when the loss of demand from Toyota finally hits his very small cottage industry company. There are others so much worse off then they. They don't complain they accept with grace what is happening to them. I envy that part of their culture and make up. Oh to just have a bit of it in my everyday life. Gambare...now I think I know what my mother tried to teach me.
Our other friends live outside of Amano Hashidate. He makes car parts for Toyota. Although economically it hasn't hit him yet their concern is what will happen to his income next month when the loss of demand from Toyota finally hits his very small cottage industry company. There are others so much worse off then they. They don't complain they accept with grace what is happening to them. I envy that part of their culture and make up. Oh to just have a bit of it in my everyday life. Gambare...now I think I know what my mother tried to teach me.
Apr 1st, 2011, 01:49 PM
#170
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My children's Japanese teacher cancelled her own upcoming trip back to Tokyo next month (she still has a house there). Her relatives and friends who are living there told her not to come now. Not sure exactly why. I will find out when she comes over for their lesson.
Apr 1st, 2011, 08:00 PM
#171
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I have a Japanese friend who lives in Kanazawa she works in the tourism field and has said it's business as normal, which is good to hear. From my understanding from exchanging emails with her the number of tourists hasn't dropped much in the region, of course the region is not in the area where the earthquake hit.
Apr 2nd, 2011, 12:56 AM
#172
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That's interesting to hear partyon. I'm in Kanazawa, and there are far fewer tourists than usual. My friends, who are Goodwill Guides, told me today that every single booking they had for guiding in April has been cancelled, 100%. They had had 17 bookings for guides, now none. I usually see many people around the Ninja Temple, which is minutes from my house....recently very few. Not none, but very few.
That aside, life certainly is going on as normal, just without as many tourists. Kanazawa is safe, no radiation, no quake or tsunami damage, no trouble with power or water or food supply. But tourists who cancelled their trips because of Tohoku and Tokyo, and Tokyo is a place the vast majority go, of course won't come to Kanazawa either. I wish they would.
That aside, life certainly is going on as normal, just without as many tourists. Kanazawa is safe, no radiation, no quake or tsunami damage, no trouble with power or water or food supply. But tourists who cancelled their trips because of Tohoku and Tokyo, and Tokyo is a place the vast majority go, of course won't come to Kanazawa either. I wish they would.
Apr 2nd, 2011, 05:43 AM
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I live in Tokyo. Everything is pretty much back to normal here. No problems at all. It's amazing all the misinformation out there. I agree with all that KimJapan has said here about the current situation in Japan.
Apr 2nd, 2011, 08:36 AM
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When I cancelled my reservation at a Kyoto inn for the end of April I was told by the owner that every single reservation had been cancelled and it was a big financial hit for him for the next few months. I feel bad for him but just don't want to travel until the radiation situation is under control (I have young children and don't want to risk them unnecessary exposure--I am sure it is safe for older adults)
Apr 2nd, 2011, 09:40 AM
#175
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I'm still following along with this thread and as of right now, we're still going on our trip. We leave in about 2 weeks.
I admit the decision has been difficult, but I feel strongly that if things are safe in Tokyo and Kyoto we should still go.
I continue to be amazed at the sensationalism of the information out there and at the heated opinions of people both online and in person.
My husband has been on the fence longer than me but an incident at his work pushed him over the edge a couple of days ago.
A coworker who is Japanese-American with relatives in Japan has been saying since the beginning that he should not go. All of her reasons have been doom and gloom. He's remained neutral. When she asked him again if he was still going and he said yes, she called him "stupid", cited radiation found in milk here in CA (ignoring that it was 5000x lower than what is considered safe) and told him he would be using up precious resources needed by locals. She kept repeating that there were water and food shortages there, in Tokyo (which we know not to be true now).
Needless to say, he was furious and insulted, especially because this conversation took place in front of other coworkers. In his opinion, she's being irrational and not looking at the facts and now he wants to go more than ever.
At this point, my biggest concern (besides a change in the situation at Fukashima) is trying to plan an itinerary in the next two weeks. All of my planning process halted March 11th and I have done almost nothing since.
Off to post a new question asking for itinerary help!
I admit the decision has been difficult, but I feel strongly that if things are safe in Tokyo and Kyoto we should still go.
I continue to be amazed at the sensationalism of the information out there and at the heated opinions of people both online and in person.
My husband has been on the fence longer than me but an incident at his work pushed him over the edge a couple of days ago.
A coworker who is Japanese-American with relatives in Japan has been saying since the beginning that he should not go. All of her reasons have been doom and gloom. He's remained neutral. When she asked him again if he was still going and he said yes, she called him "stupid", cited radiation found in milk here in CA (ignoring that it was 5000x lower than what is considered safe) and told him he would be using up precious resources needed by locals. She kept repeating that there were water and food shortages there, in Tokyo (which we know not to be true now).
Needless to say, he was furious and insulted, especially because this conversation took place in front of other coworkers. In his opinion, she's being irrational and not looking at the facts and now he wants to go more than ever.
At this point, my biggest concern (besides a change in the situation at Fukashima) is trying to plan an itinerary in the next two weeks. All of my planning process halted March 11th and I have done almost nothing since.
Off to post a new question asking for itinerary help!
Apr 2nd, 2011, 03:34 PM
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It's truly a case of sensationalism. During the first two weeks after the earthquake and tsunami, things were unstable even in Tokyo and I would have said it wasn't a good time to travel here. Now things are back to normal. Most expats have returned. Some never left. The international schools here in Tokyo have reopened as of last Monday (The American School in Japan, The British School, etc.). They wouldn't be reopening if they thought there was any risk. They were closed for two weeks just after the disaster.
I was in Akihabara yesterday and was shopping in Yodobashi, a major electronics store. It was hard to find a parking place in the giant parking complex and inside there were as many shoppers as usual. It was so busy like it always is. After that, I went to a Spanish tapas bar in another part of town and that was business as usual also with people enjoying their wine and pitchers of sangria. At the international supermarkets a couple of days ago, it did seem the international community had returned and I saw plenty of foreign kids in the international school uniforms in the park and buying ice cream.
I think it would be good to read this article from yesterday's Japan Times:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-b...0110402n1.html
The title is "Despite Crisis, Radiation in Hong Kong Exceeds Tokyo." I agree with the point that fear of the situation in Japan may do more harm to Japan than the situation itself.
I was in Akihabara yesterday and was shopping in Yodobashi, a major electronics store. It was hard to find a parking place in the giant parking complex and inside there were as many shoppers as usual. It was so busy like it always is. After that, I went to a Spanish tapas bar in another part of town and that was business as usual also with people enjoying their wine and pitchers of sangria. At the international supermarkets a couple of days ago, it did seem the international community had returned and I saw plenty of foreign kids in the international school uniforms in the park and buying ice cream.
I think it would be good to read this article from yesterday's Japan Times:
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-b...0110402n1.html
The title is "Despite Crisis, Radiation in Hong Kong Exceeds Tokyo." I agree with the point that fear of the situation in Japan may do more harm to Japan than the situation itself.
Apr 4th, 2011, 05:34 AM
#178
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We are sending portable lanterns to my mother in law today who doesn't have electricity every night (although that is starting to decrease)....she lives outside of Tokyo.
My Japanese in laws are depressed. But people should do what they feel comfortable doing as far as travelling there. If you are comfortable going, I am sure the tourist industries will appreciate it (although tourism is only 2% of Japan's GDP which is very low compared to other countries and the state department has reissued its warning against non essential travel to Tokyo). Everyone has different comfort levels and should do what works for them without saying that others are listening to sensationalism--the people of Japan are still in the midst of this tragedy and I would hardly call what many are enduring as being sensationalized. Nor would I call the 2nd worst nuclear disaster after Chernobyl (which has not been resolved) to be sensationalized. So take your trip and enjoy it....but don't belittle what has happened or downplay it.
My Japanese in laws are depressed. But people should do what they feel comfortable doing as far as travelling there. If you are comfortable going, I am sure the tourist industries will appreciate it (although tourism is only 2% of Japan's GDP which is very low compared to other countries and the state department has reissued its warning against non essential travel to Tokyo). Everyone has different comfort levels and should do what works for them without saying that others are listening to sensationalism--the people of Japan are still in the midst of this tragedy and I would hardly call what many are enduring as being sensationalized. Nor would I call the 2nd worst nuclear disaster after Chernobyl (which has not been resolved) to be sensationalized. So take your trip and enjoy it....but don't belittle what has happened or downplay it.
Apr 4th, 2011, 06:42 AM
#179
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Get over yourself. We all know what happened in Japan and no one is making light of anything. The media has it's agenda and the agenda is extremely obvious except to a few. If you really think 2% of a country such as Japan is a small number I have an oceanfront property in Kansas you need to see. Billions is a small number nowadays I guess.....what would happen to you community if billions were taken away from it I wonder.....btw that figure I would bet without Googling is only for International tourism and not the domestic.
Please don't belittle our opinion to suit yours. Mealea lives in Tokyo and is a trusted contributor to this forum. We who travel trust her on the ground reporting. She has earned it on this site. If people were panicking in the streets Mealea would tell so. I trust what she says more than Anderson Cooper and their bunch and you should too bit that's obviously your decision to make.
Please don't belittle our opinion to suit yours. Mealea lives in Tokyo and is a trusted contributor to this forum. We who travel trust her on the ground reporting. She has earned it on this site. If people were panicking in the streets Mealea would tell so. I trust what she says more than Anderson Cooper and their bunch and you should too bit that's obviously your decision to make.
Apr 5th, 2011, 04:45 PM
#180
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For those of you who have cancelled, did you purchase a JR Pass? Here in Australia I am reading stories of people who cancelled their trip, only to find that when they tried to cancel their rail passes the agent charged a $100 per ticket fee <i>on top</i> of the 10% cancellation fee!
