PaulN

Thanks for the update LTN Phobia. Make sure you keep yourself safe.

I have a family visit booked (tourism rather than visiting anybody) in early April. Much as I want to see Japan again your comments are of concern. If it was me alone I might take a chance but I don't feel like putting the family through any disruption ... it is supposed to be a holiday.

I assume though I'd be at the mercy of travel insurance as BA wouldn't change my non-flex WTP tickets? Any views on best way to approach this.

origin

Well your insurance wouldnt cover you at the moment as the UK Travel advice says that all non essential travel isnt recommended. If you have actually spoken to BA & they have said no, call the insurance company and ask them for help.

Although I am sure that others more experienced will be along and can explain in more detail.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/ar...el-advice.html

PaulN

Thanks. On the phone to BA now. I read the travel insurance clause as "if you travel against FO advice you won't be covered" rather than "if the FO recommend not travelling we won't refund you"

Edit .. .in case anybody else is interested. Just got off the phone with BA. Their current guidelines on changing tickets without charge goes up to Sat 19th March so far (i.e. use your ticket value to buy a ticket to somewhere else). I can wait and see if that extends to xth April (but I suspect it may be a couple of weeks before it extends that far) or I can change the tickets now up to 21 days before the flight (they have a 21 day advance purchase restriction) for a cost of £90 per ticket + the difference in far. Which to be honest is not unreasonable.

I think I'll cough up the cash; so many people have lost far more than a few quid.

LTN Phobia

I would dearly like people to visit Japan - it's a fascinating country with generally very nice people. However, I think you are doing the right thing to change your plans now.

Last night I did not get much sleep. I kept getting woken up by earthquake. I would not like people to go through this, or other disruptions, among other reasons. It has a potential, or even likelihood, to be a stressful trip for you and your family. You can visit Japan any time, even if you decide to enjoy your holiday elsewhere this time.

sunrisegirl

Stay safe LTN Phobia.

My friends who were in Tokyo are now safely back in the US (arrived about 2 hours ago), though full of praise for the Japanese resiliance and courtesy which remained intact despite all they were going through.

henkybaby

The stories are mixed. I can't compete with the eye witness account by LTN Phobia, now would I want to, but just to mention a different perspective; we have some consultants in Japan at the moment and by their accounts (and much to their amazement) life seems to carry on more or less as usual. The Japanese are taking this in strides. Trains may take longer and be (even) more crowded, electricity maybe out every now and again but so be it. Their admiration for the Japanese has grown by leaps.

They do not wish to be 'evacuated' from Tokyo because apparently things are relatively normal there. Maybe we employ fools but I have heard similar reports on the radio today.

I do hope that all will be back to a relative normal state soon. What I know of the Japanese is their enormous ability to bounce back. I wish you all the best LTN Phobia. I applaud your efforts!

origin

I dont think that your persepctive is any different from the situation on the ground. The people are getting through this the best they can. Its like all bad situations from the outside it looks terrible. Yet from the inside life goes on, it has to.

But I suppose that I am a little more weaker than some in this situation. My roughing it, is when I have to share a bathroom. Yet family that are still alive and in their 90's have had to go passed dead bodies on their way to work, during the World Wars.

I also think there is an element of shock about Japan. Many people still dont know if their loved ones are okay or not. Or what happened to them, where their bodies are. So I think it will take time to sink in.

But I do agree that its right to visit Japan at some stage. Its still a lovely country and the people are great. They will need tourism to return, its always an important part to a countries economy.

HIDDY

Sensible advice.

potakas

A fresh explosion rocked reactor 2 at the Fukushima Daiichi plant - 250km (155 miles) north-east of Tokyo - in the early hours of Tuesday.

Some staff have been evacuated, but initial indications suggest it is not on the same scale as the previous blasts.

One minister has said it is "highly likely" that the rods might melt. Radiation levels near the plant have risen.

All explosions have been preceded by cooling system breakdowns. Engineers are trying to prevent meltdowns by flooding the chambers of the nuclear reactors with sea water to cool them down.

After the third explosion, officials said there were fears that the containment vessel housing the reactor may have been damaged.

Higher radiation levels were recorded on Tuesday south of Fukushima, Kyodo news agency reported.

Nearly 185,000 people have been evacuated from a 20km (12 mile) exclusion zone around the plant.



Full article here

LTN Phobia

Absolutely - they don't do 'chaos' in the sense that most western countries do 'chaos'. Theirs is very much 'keep calm and carry on, but things aren't working as well as usual' - in fact to many people who are not completely familiar with Japan, things would look remarkably calm, even if they are really suffering inside.

Let's put it this way - many hospital staff caring for those who are injured have their loved ones missing, but they are carrying on. Amazing, and something a bit different from stiff upper lip - more about putting other people before yourself. A quality you no longer see very often in some sections of the society.

The care they have shown to those stranded in Tokyo, including myself, was amazing - for all I know, many of the hotel staff looking after us in their lobby (they had no room left) may have been wondering if their loved ones were OK. They never showed this or worries about their own safety. They would even ensure that they do not appear worried, particularly towards non-Japanese persons, because they do not want to make them feel uncomfortable. They provided shelter, warmth, blankets, comfort, and information, and even free food, drinks etc, to dozens of people. I am going to name the establishment so that you can join me in giving them as much business as possible, because their kindness was amazing - it was Four Seasons Hotel, Marunouchi, Tokyo. There were dozens of us who were looked after by them in their lobby for the night. I do not think this was an isolated case though, and I believe many hotels did this too. But I have my personal thanks to express towards the FS.

Also, the 'chaos' (by Japanese definition, not the western one) is not so bad if you are just doing what you routinely do. When you do something non-standard, that's when it bites you because it can be quite confusing.

I can report that the management of rolling blackouts in Tokyo is being given a right bagging out by the Japanese newspapers. It may seen organised to many westerners, but by Japanese standards it was a right rooster-up and many people are very, very annoyed with the way the blackouts were handled.

Anyway, I have successfully arrived at the airport, checked in and sitting in the lounge. I was shaken awake by aftershocks once again, and had to make some contingency plans for the scheduled blackout this morning, but I am nearly heading home now.

The check-in process was a bit painful compared to usual as they were (and are still) working under a contingency procedure due to issues such as leaking roof at the terminal, staff not turning up due to transport issues etc. They were even concerned about the availability of jet fuel until this morning. Things are certainly not normal, but they are doing their best to keep things as normal as possible. Most people probably wouldn't have noticed anything was amiss other than a little longer queues. Behind the scene there were more abnormal things going on than meets the eye.

I doubt my husband would like me to come out to Japan again until the nuclear power plant issues have settled down, as he's been more concerned about it than I have, but I'm going to try to come out here to help soon.

potakas

Nice you are coming back safe LTN Phobia, have a safe flight and enjoy you family

potakas

LTN Phobia, it seems from Narita's flight information that you are up in the air by now , unfortunately things are getting worst in Japan, a low level radioactive wind could reach Tokyo in 10 hours, Reuters is quoting the French embassy in the Japanese capital as saying.

Air China has canceled flights from Beijing and Shanghai to Tokyo on Tuesday afternoon and in the evening.

Higher than normal radiation levels are detected in Tokyo, the AFP is quoting the city government as saying.
However, a Tokyo government officials says the radiation levels in the city are not seen as harmful to human health, the AFP adds.

toothpick

Great stuff Dave, but too many Internet adverts interfere with delivering the information you are trying to provide. Counter productive.
Ger

toothpick

I visited Japan in 1983 - Kyoto - what a peaceful and beautiful place - each person I met was so gentle and gracious - it's very saddening to see what's happening - I hope you'll be o.k. - please keep us up to date.

henkybaby

I see absolutely zero adverts....

Some interesting before/after pics. They are manipulated to make the after seem even worse, but still.