COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR CODEL TAUSCHER

UNCLAS TOKYO 005647 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPT FOR H/MACDERMOTT, H/DIGGS, H PLEASE PASS TO OLA/WELLMAN, OLA/HAMILTON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: OTRA AMGT ASEC AFIN JA SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE FOR CODEL TAUSCHER REF: STATE 169099 ¶1. (U) Embassy welcomes and grants country clearance for the January 09-11, 2007, visit to Japan by CODEL Tauscher. ¶2. (U) Control Officer for the visit will be Political Officer Dan Cintron. He can be reached at: Office phone: (81-3)3224-5558 Home phone: (81-3)3224-6972 Mobile phone: 81-90-7907-9591 Fax: (81-3)3224-5322 E-mail: CintronD@state.gov (unclassified) -------------- Hotel Reservations -------------- ¶3. (U) As per previous email correspondence, Tokyo hotel reservations have been made from January 9 to January 11 at the Hotel Okura, 2-10-4 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8416, Tel: (81-3) 3582-0111 Fax: (81-3) 3582-3707. Accommodation rates are within per diem with tax and service charges included, but this does not/not include breakfast. -------------- Transportation to/from Hotel -------------- ¶4. (U) Transportation in and around Tokyo has been arranged by the Control Officer and details thereof have been forwarded via email. -------------- Visa -------------- ¶5. (U) Holders of U.S. diplomatic or official passports must have a Japanese visa to enter Japan. Travelers on a U.S. tourist (blue cover) passport may enter Japan as a tourist without a Japanese visa for up to 90 days. As of November 20, 2007, all foreign nationals entering Japan, with the exemption of certain categories, are required to provide fingerprints and a facial photograph at the port of entry. This requirement does not replace any existing visa or passport requirements. Official U.S. travelers will have to submit to the photograph and fingerprinting requirement unless they travel with a valid diplomatic or official visa or a Note Verbale. The nature of the passport onto which the visa is pasted is not relevant, i.e. a tourist passport holder with a diplomatic or official visa will not have to submit to the biometrics collection process. SOFA personnel are exempt under SOFA Article 9 (2) from the new biometrics entry requirements. -------------- Embassy Laptop Policy -------------- ¶6. (U) Official visitors are reminded that personally owned or non-controlled USG-issued electronic equipment (including all PDAs, cell phones, pagers, radios, records) may not enter the controlled access areas. Additionally, all classified and sensitive materials must be secured at the embassy visit control office upon arrival in country. -------------- Threat Assessment -------------- ¶7. (U) U.S. Government facilities worldwide remain at a heightened state of alert. As the U.S. Government has reported in public announcements over the last several months, U.S. citizens and interests abroad may be at increased risk of terrorist actions from extremist groups, which may target civilians and include suicide operations. The Department maintains information about potential threats to Americans overseas which is available to travelers on the internet at the Bureau of Consular Affairs home page: http://www.travel.state.gov. The Embassy takes all threats seriously. U.S. Embassy Tokyo can be contacted 24 hours a day at 03-3224-5000 (locally) or 81-3-3224-5000 (internationally). ¶8. (SBU) The general threat from crime in Tokyo and throughout Japan is low. Crime is at levels well below the U.S. national average. Violent crime is rare, but does exist. The Japanese National Police report continued problems with pick-pocketing of foreigners in crowded shopping areas of Tokyo. Although street crime is low, common sense security measures are advised for all American citizens traveling in Japan. ¶9. (U) Also be advised that under no circumstances may weapons be brought into Japan. Carrying a pocketknife (including Swiss Army-style knife, craft or hunting knife, box cutter, etc.) in public is forbidden. Under Japanese law, carrying any such item in public, with a size exceeding 8 cm in length, 1.5 cm in width or 2 mm in thickness, can subject the person to arrest or detention. DONOVAN